Urgent Memo – Selling 101

Articles, Selling

Today’s topic is …. URGENCY. Specifically, is having a high degree of urgency a necessary selling characteristic? I have never seen a successful salesperson who does not display, at the very least, SOME modicum of urgency but, it’s not always that easy. Not all selling scenarios are created equally.

Acting urgently simply for the sake of … acting urgently will potentially confuse activity with productivity and your efforts must be focused on moving toward attaining a specific goal(s). There are also times when the most effective pace for a given task may be to slow things down. Quality vs. quantity. I’m not so sure that I am looking for the quickest brain surgeon.

If we look at a standard DISC behavioral profile, D and I are fast-paced profiles while S and C will operate at a slower tempo. Not surprisingly, each will yield typical career choices where that pace is required. As for selling, nothing is written in stone and I have seen very successful salespeople who move along leisurely and a part of that can also be dictated by the type of sales process and skills that are required as well as their product or service.

Changing one’s natural pace can be challenging. I have only two speeds … full throttle and stop. Others may be different but, if there isn’t some go fast in there, I’m not sure that you can create that. In other words, I’m not so sure that pace can even be trained. Maybe we shouldn’t even try. Maybe we need to hire for the speed required.

For example, I might struggle with a product that requires a longer sales cycle. Folks who move quickly generally fall short in the patience category and this rule would certainly hold true for me. Therefore, it becomes even more important to match the salesperson to the environment that takes best advantage of their pace and strengths. Ah ha! Maybe urgency is not that important?!

Still, I have spent my entire life surrounded by salespeople and I would have to say that a fairly large percentage of them have displayed little to no sense of urgency …

  • They take their time responding to customers.
  • They procrastinate.
  • They spend their time reading the newspaper or checking in on Facebook vs. performing customer-centric activities.
  • They regularly miss deadlines.
  • The unexpected always leaves them flat-footed.

Now, I would categorize all of these as being evidence of a lack of urgency but, might it also be a lack of priorities? Probably both. Even someone without urgency can still operate effectively given that their priorities are in line with what is needed … and when.

Craig M. Jamieson

Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services
Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!
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