Blue Elevator Blog

The PreSales Checklist

So, you want to start and/or grow your organization.  Who doesn’t, right?  Everyone wants to get their “business to the next level™.”

It doesn’t matter whether you are a start up or a Fortune 500 company.  All organizations will have the tendency to plateau.  That is, unless you have established a commitment to the Blue Elevator™ precepts we call Innovate™, Accelerate™, and Replicate™.  You can read more about these here: Three Reasons for Engaging Blue Elevator™.

Before we dive in, let me warn you: this isn’t designed to be a fun or entertaining read.  But, don’t let that stop you.  This is an article that will be familiar for Blue Elevator™ Group members – something we call technical advisory.

The PreSales Checklist – But I’m Already Making Sales?

We could have titled this article, Why Your Business Has Plateaud, Why Your Business Isn’t Growing Like You Want –  or, any number of things.  Here is [probably] the best title …

These Are The Things You Need to Have in Place if You Want to Properly Grow and Scale Your Organization.

Accordingly, this article is the result and an attempt to recap a half-century of God-given life and business experience.  It’s kind of a checklist.  So, let’s dive in.

The Presales Checklist – Explanation

There is a reason we call this a PreSales checklist.  It is because we believe the successful organization will do well to make sure ALL of these components are in place as a precursor to making or growing sales.

If you don’t have all of these in place – and in good order – their absence or impairment might serve to impede or even derail your business or organization.  If any of these items are missing, it will be like having a governor on your car’s accelerator pedal.  You can put the pedal to the metal, but you probably won’t feel like you get that 1:1 bump in performance.

Now, whether you are a startup solopreneur or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, we’ll humbly submit these premises are the same.  And, assuming you have already had some sales, you can think of this as a blueprint for renovating your sales plan.

Be encouraged to consider these items.

The PreSales Checklist

• Brand.  You must create or promote a resonant brand.  You can read about it here: Build a Brand.  Your brand must synthesize the Why, What, and How of your business or organization.
• Relational. You must be a relational business.  At Blue Elevator™, we have divided the business world into two halves – er, two “have’s.”  These are transactional and relational businesses – the “have’s” (e.g., relational) and “have nots” (e.g., transactional).  Everything you do must hinge on this premise.  You can read about it here: The Relational Business.
• Deliverable.  You must build and continually innovate a solid Deliverable.  You can read about it here: Build a Deliverable.  Functionally, we recommend a FREE, Low Level, and High Level component, which is described in Deliver Your Deliverable.
• Rules of 7.  Everything you do must satisfy the Rules of Seven.  Read about them here: Rules of Seven.
• A Seven Second Message.  When messaging your organization, make sure your audience gets your what, why, and how in seven seconds.  Here’s the article: Seven Second Message.
• Impressions.  You must understand that not all impressions are created equal.  And, you want to create a lot of them.  Read more about these in the article here: Making Impressions.
• Channels.  Similarly, not all channels are created.  And, typically, most organizations don’t have enough.  Read more about this in the article called Choosing Channels.
• Engage!  Because we are all in the relational business, we must also understand the Real Engagement Rules.  And, for added emphasis, know and understand the formula: S + T x E.  You can read more about that in the article titled Success in Business.
• Proper Pricing.  Even if you do all of the aforementioned well, nothing will halt a business faster than improperly priced goods and services.  You must understand the Proper Pricing Principles.
• The One Sheet.  Noted management expert, Peter F. Drucker, said this: “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.”    At Blue Elevator™, we recommend that all of the aforementioned be distilled into what we call a One Sheet.  God willing, if you have done your work well, this One sheet should sell your goods and services by itself.  Read more about this here: The One Sheet.

Summary

So, there you go.  Are you starting a company?  Are you planning to hire or engage sales people to peddle your wares?  Has your organization’s effectiveness waned?  Are you a Fortune 500 company whose sales have flattened?

Wherever you find yourself, be encouraged to review the above checklist and carefully consider it.  And, don’t be an easy grader.  You want to identify where the work needs to be done.

Not sure?  We’d be happy to give you our honest opinion.  So, whether you just started with us or have been working on your business for awhile, let’s talk!

Here is a trustworthy saying:

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. – Proverbs 27:6

So, you can count on us to give it to you straight!  Contact Us!