In the past year I’ve consulted on some great winning pitches, seen some amazing presentations and watched people negotiate deals better than Donald Trump on a good hair day.

There have also been some disasters, bloopers and stuff ups that would make even the English Cricket Team look competent.

So, here are my best and worst sales stories for 2013. Names have been withheld to protect me. I like living in my own home.

GREAT SUCCESS

Story 1. ‘You want what?’

A financial services company had been struggling to get clients on contract. The CFOs were quite happy to keep hiring them on rolling 12 month arrangements, using each anniversary to negotiate reduced fees.

All attempts at suggesting 3 year contracts with price incentives were rebuffed with a polite:

‘We like what you’re doing – just don’t see the need to sign up to a long term contract’

That’s because they got their reduced fee every year and Champagne service!

So, the following proposal was put back to the client

“Mr Client, we have grown and we are tiering our clients – you are Tier 1. You like us. We like you.

Tier 1 clients are now on 5 Year contracts…yep FIVE.

As a Tier 1 client you will get 2.5% off current fees fixed

Updated new reporting systems included

Guaranteed Subject Matter Experts

All new features of System X for 5 years

If not, you will become Tier 2. You don’t want to be Tier 2.

Obviously the client had the option to say no, go to tender or leave but the key point is they really didn’t want to leave and lose IP and a good relationship.

They needed a bloody good reason to jump ship and this wasn’t it.

They signed up for FIVE years. Annuity business banked. Happy client. Happy sales people.

Story 2. “If I see one more PowerPoint Slide today, I’ll puke’

A technology company was third in line to pitch late on a Friday when the CIO walked out of the boardroom and uttered these words to a colleague in full earshot of everyone including our friends about to pitch.

Sitting with a well culled 16 slides, the initial thought was ‘Well, we’ve rehearsed it, surely 16 is not too bad compared to what they must have had’

The Sales Director said ‘Nope….don’t plug in…leave it to me’

The client’s EA said ‘You can go in now’

After the obligatory handshakes, the sales director said ‘It’s 4 pm on Friday..you’ve been watching everyone’s whirling gadgets on slides for 4 hours…..we’re not going to do that….you know who we are or we wouldn’t be on the short list….I have my experts, project managers and gurus here to answer any questions……..what would you most like to know?

Thirty minutes of discussion later and two Whiteboard Diagrams. The client said ‘Must be Beer O’Clock’…$7.5M deal. Done.

 

 

 Story 3. ‘At least we know WiFi works’

 

Imagine this….a software demo is about to take place with all key decision makers in the room and a bunch of tech heads.

As the demo was designed to use client data rather than canned information, one of the tech gurus asked for the client’s laptop so he could demonstrate the software on his system.

He opened the client’s laptop which was connected to the internet and plugged in the data projector.

“Hello boys, said the naked webcam girl on the big screen, legs akimbo….you like table tennis?’

Demo cancelled till further notice.

Story 4. ‘Thanks for the lift’

 

 

Vendor A had been an incumbent supplier for years with deep relationships at C Level.

Vendor B had some good, innovative solutions but could only get to tell its story at mid level management which was receptive but limiting.

Upon hearing that Vendor B was building some groundswell at middle management, the incumbent decided to ‘head them off at the pass’. They went to their C Level relationships to discuss how damaging it would be to introduce another supplier.

The C Level execs then checked the story out with their mid level underlings who told them that Vendor B had stuff the incumbent couldn’t do.

The C Level execs then decided to check it out for themselves and called Vendor B in for a meeting. Now finally face to face with senior decision makers for the first time they put their compelling case and won their first piece of new business in that account.

So arrogant Vendor A……..thanks for the lift.

If you have a great story email me: elliote@salientcommunication.com.au

If you’re planning a sales conference/kick off for 2014…click below for my new speaking topics

Corporate Keynote Speaker Topics

As CEO of Salient Communication, Elliot is a sought after keynote speaker and corporate trainer who has coached and trained over 4000 people including CEOs, senior management and successful sales teams throughout Australasia and Asia including Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

Elliot is a specialist sales speaker for high profile corporates having spoken at over 1500 conferences, workshops and break-out sessions on presenting, selling, negotiating and pitching for leading companies such as HP, Avaya, Commonwealth Bank, Hitachi, Toyota, Computershare and SEEK. He is renowned for ensuring presentations are engaging, interactive and relevant to winning business in competitive markets.

 

Elliot is based in Melbourne where he lives with his wife and two expensive children.