Hardwood Floors August/September 2019

By Paul Reilly

that statement as pessimism; it’s just reality. Calculate the average time it takes to close a deal. If your pipeline is filled with opportunities that take three times as long to close, these deals are less likely to happen. I’m not suggesting that you abandon these opportunities. Balance these opportunities with smaller, short-termwins. In sales, you cannot control the outcomes. You cannot control the buyer. Very few people can handle this level of uncertainty. Although you can’t control the outcomes, you can control the inputs. Use these tips to manage your sales pipeline more effectively. Managing your pipeline effectively ensures a steady inflow of new opportunities. g Paul Reilly is president of Tom Reilly Training and coauthor of Value-Added Selling, fourth edition (McGraw-Hill 2018). For additional information on training programs, call or email Paul at 636.778.0175 or paul@reillysalestraining.com. You can also visit reillysalestraining.com and sign up for his free newsletter.

CLEAN YOUR PIPES Toooften, salespeople allowopportunities to sit and settle in their pipeline. Salespeopledon’twant toadmit defeat. Foolishoptimism takes over, and theybecomeprisoners of hope. Youcan’t builda houseonaweak foundation, just like youcan’t buildanaccurate pipelinewithweakdata. It’s critical topurge your pipe regularly. Some salespeople leave opportunities in their pipeline to gain a false sense of security. Salespeople will mask their failures until they can replace dead opportunities. A false sense of security is more harmful than insecurity. A positive sense of insecurity will compel you to act. For some salespeople, the loss of an opportunity can be more motivating than a win. Review the size and timing of each opportunity. If you are working an opportunity that is three times the size of your normal opportunity, it’s less likely to happen. Don’t mistake

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the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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