WHY LONE WOLF SELLING ISN'T WORTH THE RISKS

 

Sales, like sports, is competitive. Sales is also a team sport—the two concepts aren’t mutually exclusive. Teammates congratulate each other when they win and console each other over a loss. But when you sell alone, you lose alone, and the spotlight can be awfully hot. Management will want to know what you did wrong, what you overlooked, whether you followed the correct process and did everything you could. This doesn’t mean collaboration should only happen when things start to fall apart, though—it’s about making collaboration work for you rather than against you.
Quality, Not Quantity
It is not simply about pulling in more people. It’s about bringing in the right people, at the right time. So how do you decide who to pull in and at what point in the process?
 First, consider where your customers are in their buying process so you can align your resources accordingly. For instance, in the initial stages, you might consider;

• arranging a demonstration with a person who has expertise in the particular area
• involving resources from accounting during the pricing and payment discussion  to explain financing options
• bringing in an executive to commit corporate resources to the customer, adding an extra degree of credibility to the process

If you’re considering setting up an exec-to-exec introduction, keep in mind that this has its own risks. If done correctly, it can be a demonstration of your organization’s commitment to the customer’s success. But be careful, it can also backfire if misused or poorly timed; so be judicious in your use of executives.
Finally, remember that top performers don’t typically win alone.  They have the ability—and are secure enough—to identify and secure the right resources. They understand that sustained success requires an acknowledgement that you can’t always go it alone and that tapping into the team’s strengths can be a winning strategy.