Inbound enquiry via email on the 5th of January 2017 - sales cycle of 4 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS!
Despite delays due to red tape - both public tendering for work for the client, changes of government which held up the already lengthy permitting process for his jobs, and a global pandemic to put the icing on the cake, I kept the faith and didn't give up. This week the decision makers spouse came down with a serious infection (not Covid) and the entire family is confined in their house so I couldn't even see him!
I wasn't the only possible choice of supplier for this customer, and to be fair I do have an excellent product (yeah, I know what am I going to say, I sell it, right?). We are the most expensive on the market but I believe 100% in what I'm selling and I think it shows.
in 2019 I forked out my own money to take the customer on an international trip so he could see my "solution" in the flesh. The IRS told me the money I spent taking him abroad was "not a deductible business expense" (bastards).
I stopped trying to persuade the customer to go for one particular model and shifted to a question based sales model (Sandler!). He ended up placing an order just yesterday which made for a great week for me. Final payment wont be due until almost the end of 2021 and the customer isn't sure which of his companies he will want it invoiced to yet.
Side note: a pivotal part of gaining the customers trust may have been going to a naked sauna with him (that's how they roll in Finland). If you can get a customer into a naked sauna, then I think you've won half the battle.
There was NO funny business in the sauna - that would almost certainly fuck up the deal unless you have a super short sales cycle.
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