"Well listen for the ski holidays, July is good isn't it?"

Yes, a lost opportunity (or Closed/Lost) is a complete waste of TIME, ENERGY and, of course, MONEY!

For those who prefer examples, it's as if you've picked up the ball in defence, moved up the pitch, dribbled past the last two defenders, you're in front of the goal, and BAM!

Final whistle.

End of the match.

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Not now... Not after everything you've done!

Why did we lose? 🔎

Every weekend at Modjo, we try to figure out why our business opportunities didn't work out. The idea is quite simple:

1. We take up all our Closed/Lost of the week
2. Let's listen again to the last 5 minutes of the meeting (if you don't have a Modjo licence yet, only a good dirty one can save you).

Do you have the right information?

Sifting through dozens of opportunities that did not work out, one surprising thing came to light:

The reasons for "Closed/Lost" do not reflect the reality on the ground.

Your prospect has told you: "Too expensive" - "Not interested" - "No need" - "No one will use your solution internally" - or the worst of all : "Go through a competitor".

But is it true?

One thing's for sure: few prospects have the courage to be honest with you, and only the most seasoned salespeople realize what's really going on.

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After analysing the last 30 calls related to lost opportunities, one thing becomes clear:

More than 84% of our lost opportunities are lost because of the majority of the ... 2 reasons :

1. Lack of REAL decision makers in the sales cycle (62%)
2. Lack of champions in the sales cycle (22%)
3. Other (16%)

No. 1 reason for lost opportunities: Lack of a decision maker (62%) 👀

You can give the best presentation of your life, but if the decision-maker is not there, you've been blowing smoke.

Do not misunderstand. The person you are talking to will not help you.

"Are you a decision-maker? "
"Of course! I've been an intern for almost 2 months now, and the CEO listens carefully to my advice!"

One of the main reasons why you can't close is very often the lack of a decision maker in your sales cycle.

"With the real decision-makers, it's simple and it goes quickly. With others, it's complicated and takes time. So hit it high!" Sébastien Lapeyre

You sell a solution. One third of your job is to successfully engage with the person affected by the problem.

‍💡So lution: Get closer to the decision-makers as soon as possible.

Forget the classic:

"I send you a presentation and you promise me that you will send it to Martine, Franck, and Daniel? ^^ "

But adopt it:

"What I propose to you is that we schedule a video with your CEO right now"

Video example - made with Modjo :

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Beforehand, you can start by locking in the interest of the people you are talking to:

"If it was just you, would you agree?"

Finally, suggest that they arrange a second meeting with the decision-maker as soon as possible:

"What I would like to do is to organise a point with you and [the decision maker], so that you can make your decision on the same level of information."

Example 2 in video - made with Modjo :

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⚠️ Warning: Between you and the decision-maker, the ego of your initial contact will often stand in the way. The latter must not feel bypassed, or even worse, ousted. Make sure you treat him or her as an important person until the end of the sales cycle, and even afterwards.

Reason #2 for lost opportunities: Lack of a champion (22%) 👀

Rappel : Le champion, c'est toi gars sûr.

Il travaille à « votre prospect » en tant que locaux.

Ils le sont déjà convaincu par votre solution et considérez-le comme étant un tel intérêt qu'ils combattront en stage allié pour pouvoir avancer avec toi.

Repensez à toutes les fois où l'on vous a dit :

« Je ne pense pas que quiconque l'utilisera en interne.

« C'est une excellente solution, mais elle ne sera pas réalisée pour nous ».

À chaque fois, il te manque ton champion.

💡 Solutions : faites participer à nouveau le champion !

Aussi simple que puissant.

Autre exemple : avez-vous déjà mangé des frites sans sauce? => Jamais.

Maintenant, avez-vous déjà eu à payer pour la sauce au-dessus des chips ?

La sauce est donc quelque chose qui est à la fois essentiel ET gratuit.

Eh bien, votre champion, c'est juste la sauce qui fait défaut à votre décideur pour signer ce magnifique « gros deal français » que tu es en train de lui proposer !

D'autant plus lors de longs cycles de vente, le champion doit être présent à chaque fois possible !

Et s'il est absent, tu devrais l'être aussi !

Il est votre avocat, et vous ne parlez qu'en présence de votre avocat.

De plus, il y a 2 000 ans, le général Sun Tzu écrivait dans « L'art de la guerre « :

« N'attaquez qu'en présence de votre champion ».

Conclusion :

En fait, si je devais le résumer simplement et poétiquement (attention, ça va être émotionnel) : vendre, c'est comme une danse.

Une danse à trois entre :

• ‍ Ledécideur
• Le champion
• Et vous, le responsable du son !

Lancez votre plus belle danse lente et laissez valser tranquillement le décideur et votre champion jusqu'au baiser final : le signature de l'accord... 💘😌

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Meilleur,

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