Have you ever heard of trigger events? If not, you're in for a wonderful wakeup call.
A trigger event is a sudden change in a company's priorities. Your prospect may have been happy with the status quo yesterday, but these new circumstances create or deepen business issues that can no longer be ignored.
Here are some examples of events that can potentially create sales opportunities for you:
Internal Trigger Events
First of all, there are internal trigger events – things that happen inside a company. They could be an acquisition, a downsizing, new management team, third quarter earnings or a change in management direction. If you're a savvy seller and start thinking about it, you'll discover that these events could create opportunities for faster sales.
Let's say that third quarter earnings came out. Hmmm. Revenue is down. Expenses are up. Now that's not good. However, if your company can help reduce costs in some way, it may be the perfect opportunity for you. Same thing if you can increase sales or profitability.
External Trigger Events
Other trigger events are external: The state of the economy. Weather. Gas prices. Legislation and competitive moves.
Here's my challenge to you – start thinking about what kind of opportunities these events might create for you. They're great door openers.
For more information about how to identify when a prospect is ready to make a change, download my ebook, Hidden Gems: The Ultimate Strategy to Find High Value Prospects.