It’s been gnawing at me for two months. And it’s driving me mad. I never imagined this blog as the kind where the author revels in his own anguish for all to read in hopes of catharsis. But here goes. I hope it works.
I botched a sales call.
I took an opportunity I had been working on for over a year, one I had nurtured seed to seedling to budding plant and hacked it down before it could bloom. It was about as sure a thing as one could have without a retainer check in hand and in one hour I threw it all away. I did it by breaking the most basic rules in the sales book. I . . .
- . . . didn’t do my homework. I referred to the client as . . . oh, shame of shames . . . as an accountant when his firm’s website clearly states that he is a lawyer,
- . . . talked too much (The less said about this the better!),
- . . . interrupted him, and
- . . . sold past the close.
Reviewing this list, I cringe. I deserve to be busted down to sales private for such a series of gaffes. Needless to say, the client hasn’t moved ahead with the work. Who can blame him? He remains polite but distant.
This self flagellation must stop. It is getting me nowhere. So I ask myself, what would I advise a client to do, if one came to me in a similar plight?
I hope I would start by asking some questions:
Q: Are you sure you made all these mistakes?
A: Yes.
Q: Are you sure the client noticed?
A: I can’t answer that for certain. He is a nice man and unlikely to ever confront me with my failure. But he is also an intelligent man and odds are that he did.
Q: Have you been on many other sales calls lately?
A: Yes.
Q: And how did they go?
A: Most of them went well.
Q: Well? How do you know that?
A: For a start, two of them have hired us, both for significant amounts of work.
Q: Congratulations. Good work. So, what happened that caused you to mess up the meeting you were worried about?
A: I don’t like to make excuses.
Q: I know that. But my question stands. What caused it?
A: I hadn’t had much sleep the night before. I was worried about some personal things. It seemed such a sure thing that I let down my guard. Somewhere in all of that lies the reason, I suppose. What difference does it make?
Q: I hope the personal things are better now. Have you talked with the client since the meeting? Have you explained what happened?
A: I talked with him briefly, but he was noncommittal. I didn’t mention my mistakes. A person who used do work with him suggested I do that, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.
Q: How well did this person know the client and exactly what did he say about acknowledging your mistake.
A: It was a she, actually. She used to have the office next to his, I think. She said that he was the kind of person who would appreciate that.
At this point I would be ready to give some advice. It would go something like this:
Well, it seems probable that you did blow the sale, which isn’t good, especially given who you are. On the other hand, it seems a relatively isolated case. Let’s keep it in perspective. No one died. No one went without food. I don’t think it’s much to worry about.
Try looking forward instead of back or, if you catch yourself still looking back, remind yourself that it was an isolated incident, that you are entitled to have a bad day from time to time, and that you also won two substantial pieces of work.
Learning how to recover quickly from setbacks like this is important to anyone who wants to be a rainmaker. When thoughts of your shortcomings repeatedly force themselves to the front of your mind, reminding yourself of good things you have done can sometimes help you get a more balanced view of yourself.
It does sound as if telling the client that you are aware of your mistakes might be a good idea. At the very least, he will be less likely to mention it to others, and at best? . . Who knows? But, it’s for you to decide whether you want to call him.
I would go back and review your notes on basic sales behaviors. It’s a good thing to do every six months or so, in any event. And it will help reinforce the lessons you learned from this event.
Whew, that did make me feel better. And I promise not to burden you with my personal anguish very often.
