No matter what sports championship we are watching, the strategies are being mapped by each team that plays. Who do you think will win the championship? My belief is that a good defense always beats the offense. However, if we were to ask the same question about sales, what would the answer be? Is it better to have a strong offensive strategy? Does a defensive strategy make more sense? These are questions that we will explore in this article.
Why the defense sales strategy wins
Defensive Strategic Sales Teams Win! I have witnessed business growth where there was virtually no proactive marketing such as promotional emails and outside sales contacts. However, the business maintained sales growth. Certainly there are possible factors that help them, such as image, reputation, location, or very little competition. However, in all cases, my final analysis returned to the defensive strategy applied. Although these businesses were not pursuing an offensive strategy that seemed to have a real impact, they were creating an army of satisfied customers with their service. They usually had a great follow-up program when a client hired them. They thanked their customers so well that the customer base felt like family. They regarded their clients as prized possessions and it showed.
Establishing an army of satisfied customers is a good thing. Holding on to them is what the defensive goal should be. What defensive businesses had in common was special. They really knew their customers personally and regularly sent thank you notes. When they finished a project with a client, they always asked for feedback on how they could improve. They were fans of getting quotes and following up on requests.
The results of this defensive stance are that customers rave about them with their friends and associates. That’s why a great defensive stance works. You could say that this is a defensive and offensive strategy and you are right. Results can be increased significantly when the company asks for referrals. It can be triggered when the company rewards or recognizes customers for referrals. This strategy only wins when customer service is outstanding and fanatical. This defensive strategy protects the business from losing good customers and referrals dramatically multiply new customers.
Why the offensive sales strategy wins
Offensive Strategic Sales Teams Win! I have witnessed outstanding success with sales programs where a strategic sales plan is drawn up and followed through with precision and you win every time. The challenge is that these situations are rare. The important factor is that you have a strategic sales and marketing plan. In these situations, the company knows and understands its market, including the competition. They understand your strengths and weaknesses and really understand how and where to find new prospects.
The offensive strategy wins when they follow a proven sales process and don’t let good prospects disappear from their pipeline. They steal customers from competitors who don’t have a good defensive strategy. Business statistics indicate that 10-15% of business is lost each year to aggressive competitors. The offensive business wins when it gains more yards than it loses. So, they have to be very aggressive to win.
Why the balanced team always wins!
When a company applies a superior offensive and defensive sales strategy, it always wins! The question we must ask ourselves is, do we have a balanced, updated, proven and planned offensive and defensive sales strategy? If you are balanced, you WILL WIN!