Why the Urgency Challenge Closes More Sales
Picture this scene: it’s 5:50 pm, Friday, February 27th, and you only need one more sale to earn the big monthly sales bonus. What should you do? Should you offer the new prospect a discount to incent them to sign their name on the dotted line? Should you manufacture an urgent reason why they must place a new sales order today? Should you bring your strongest sales closer along to make them an offer they just can’t refuse?
Your options are as varied as your motives and imagination. I have faced this challenge many times before, and again last month, with the same happy outcome.
While there was no bonus attached to my urgency, my professional pride drove me to exceed my monthly sales quota, as it often does. I was honest with the client when I told her getting started now putting my services to work would benefit her and her sales team, sooner rather than later.
I justified her now-decision by creating a genuine sense of urgency. By reminding her that each day her sales teams hadn’t ‘qualified’ new sales leads was another opportunity for her competition to gain a stronger beachhead in her backyard marketplace. She wouldn’t want this to happen now, would she?………………………………………….and, I repeated this question until I heard her affirmative reply. Remember, the importance of asking the right questions?
This and the importance of listening when decision makers speak was the point of my March 4th blog .
The Urgency Challenge is easier for me to build on as a valid reason to get started, soon. Here’s why. In our economic system, we all compete unless we work for Uncle Sam. We compete for market share and against others who are constantly trying to make our sales stars theirs. My best clients (sales prospects, too) share this characteristic, above all others: they value their sales people.
REALITY: They know that long after the 2009 Recession is nothing more than yesterday’s headlines, their valued training investment in their sales people will continue to pay huge dividends. So, during lean times they have historically re-tooled their sales people, their most important asset. Sharpened their saws, in Dr. Covey’s lingo, so these thoroughbreds are always ready to breakaway from the pack when prosperity returns, as it always has, and is likely to again. These savvy marketing organizations invest for the long haul.
Your Homework Assignment: Here’s your challenge. Identify customers who have not just survived, but thrived in hard times whether they are new customers or been with you for some time. Study their values and yours to establish compatibility. For example, my clients value their sales people. I train sales people to become more valuable sales assets; thus, our shared mission. Now, relate your Urgency Challenge to their mission. It sounds easy doesn’t it? It is. It’s just a function of staying in touch! I’d like to share your successes, so, please drop me a line at: eurekaman43@hotmail.com.
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Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.
Allen Taylor