March 13, 2024

For those of you who have worked with me, read my published materials, or heard me present, you have heard me say that selling is about helping others. Sometimes you will have a product or service that perfectly fits the needs of your customer. Other times, it is extremely challenging. This is when critical thinking comes into play.

During the Bosnian War (1992-1995), there was a need for the U.S. Secretary of Defense to be able to see video on demand from the war zone. Video transmission, recording, and playback systems during that time were not as robust when compared to today’s technologies. The internet was in its infancy. What was needed was a way to transmit the video from the ground to a relay station, up to a satellite, downlink to the Pentagon, and recorded it on a linear videotape-based recording system, that could be accessed in a nonlinear manner. To say this required critical thinking is an understatement..

There was no way I could figure out a solution on my own. It required a team from the customer side, myself, my salesperson, and my engineering team to design a system that will work. We did accomplish the objective. That was only part of the problem. Once the solution was designed and approved, it had to go into the government purchasing process. For this to work, the design specifications could not be altered. Yet, it needed to go out to bid as an open, fair, and commercially available solution. This was another problem that required critical thinking.

The answer to that problem was to make the solution available to government contractors. They all had access to the same specification related to the needed products and services. There were at least three bids submitted. It was awarded, delivered, installed, tested, and put into service. It was a success, and the mission was accomplished. This could not have been done without critical thinking by many people working together with a common objective.

When working with your customers, how do you unravel the complexities to create and deliver a solution that meets their objectives? Even though, your business card may say salesperson, account manager, or business development manager, you must take a leadership role. It is your responsibility to bring the right individuals together to think through the situation. When you are successful, you not only have a customer, but you also most likely have a long-term customer, that knows you are a trusted partner.

If you would like to dive deeper into this topic or any other, send me an email,

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“Handling Objections, Clues for Closing The Sale”

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BeenThere Consulting Services, LLC

BeenThere Consulting Services is a sales coaching company. Coaching is more than training. We work with your specific sales needs in real-time. We address what is impacting your business now, while creating enhanced processes and developing skills for future success. Our promise is that you will have actionable take-a-ways after each meeting, which will increase your sales and benefit your business overall.

No one program fits every need. We offer a variety of options to meet the needs of those who want to improve their sales.

  • One-to-one coaching: Custom programs designed to meet client’s needs.
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Good Selling!

Phil