In sales we talk about opportunities.  The word opportunity is common sales vernacular representing the chance a sales person has for closing a sale. When sales talks of creating opportunities we are generally speaking of creating opportunities for ourselves.  Creating chances for a sale which we put into our pipeline. What we aren’t referring to is creating opportunities for our clients and prospects — yet isn’t that what the best sales people do?

The best sales people uncover opportunities for their clients and prospects. They provide them with revenue, competitive, efficiency, and growth opportunities. Really good sales is about creating opportunities for our clients. It’s helping them capitalize on something the currently aren’t. Opportunities are where the growth is. It’s where additional revenue lies. It’s where competitive edge rests.  Opportunities are where companies get more. Opportunities are the confluence of data, environments, actions, changes, and people in a manner allowing manipulation to our own benefit. Great sales people help clients and prospects see opportunities they don’t see themselves.

Helping clients and prospects solve what they see is sales 101.  It’s table stakes.  Identifying opportunities clients and prospects don’t see is upper-level selling. It changes everything. Creating opportunities that didn’t exist until you and your offering came along is exactly what clients and prospects want.  If they know they have problem and know what it takes to fix it, you’ll be treated like a commodity. Identify an opportunity they didn’t see, you are know and invaluable solution.

Your opportunity isn’t their opportunity, BUT their opportunity is your opportunity. Creating opportunities for clients and prospects will only create more opportunities for the pipeline and that is a language your company can understand.

Be your clients opportunity maker.