Sun Tzu was a great military strategist who revolutionized strategic thinking and who’s work has influenced business for many decades. Some clear thinking can help you apply many of these thoughts in your sales activities…

Careful planning, confidentiality whilst preparing your sales approach and then focusing on the competitors own strategy, rather than confronting him is the better sales warfare alternative. If you plan your sales activities you can avoid being reactive and unprepared.

Plan B: Sun Tzu believed that there was no such thing as a Plan B. To be truly effective, when you develop your sales plan make sure you consider every contingency. Then include those contingencies in your plan. If you have a Plan B it means you know something is missing in your original plan. The experienced competitive sales executive does not have a back up plan. He works and focuses all of his efforts and resources towards success in the sure knowledge that his plan has already evaluated and catered to all contingencies.

Law of Sales Warfare: Sun Tzu gives sales executives several effective “laws of sales warfare”…

Strike the enemy when he is in disorder. Don’t delay your sales activity. Get in fast, work hard and deliver your solutions as quickly as you can. If your rival takes too long buyers won’t wait for them to make up their minds.

Tempt your rival into revealing his plans and intentions so that you can identify a weak flank for your attack. Before you present your proposal make sure you know what your rivals for the opportunity can offer as an alternative to you. Explore what they have done before and make sure that your sales proposition addresses the kind of alternative they are likely to present. That way the prospect sees your rival as a “me too” option.

Though there is danger in excessive haste in battle, sales battles that take too long are seldom successful. Make sure you invest time in understanding the needs, expectations and pain chain of your prospect and then, without delay, get the right solution and offer it to him. If he procrastinates and takes too long chances are the opportunity will go cold or your rivals will develop an advantage.

Here are 5 key thoughts to take to battle…

• Do not fight for a sale when you are much weaker than your rival – you’ll end up having to buy the opportunity
• Do not fight for a sale if the prospect is evaluating too many supplier alternatives. Chances are he is only window shopping and not really buying
• Do not fight for a sale when there are problems with quality. You’ll have to over service the prospect in order to avoid continued dissatisfaction
• Do not fight for a sale when you are forced to defend against more than two rivals who are discounting their solutions. Chances are the prospect will play one off against the other. Only the loser will win the deal
• Do not fight for a sale if you do not know the prospect’s needs, desires and expectations