Posts

What is this blog and who am I?

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Picture from the movie: A Hologram for the King Tom Hanks, the star of the Movie, A Hologram for the King, would have loved this blog, it would have saved him a lot of time and grief! :) This blog is for all Sales people out there who are aspiring to do well in the Middle East. This blog will help you get a competitive edge on other sales people in the region.  It is based on my 18 years of professional Sales experience mostly in the Middle East region. Whether you are just starting out in sales, have several years of sales experience in the region or relocating from outside the region, this blog will be valuable to you. The intent of this Blog is for me to share my many years of experience and provide a forum where others are encouraged to share their experience, and help the wider community of Sellers out there. The Blog will help equip you with the required knowledge to be able to succeed as a Sales Person in the Middle East. Sales methodologies and proces...
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Curiosity Killed the Cat

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As we grow up we are all told that Curiosity - or rather excessive Curiosity - is not good and can lead to unwanted outcomes. The saying that you have all heard that embodies this is "Curiosity killed the cat". As a result, most of us hold back our curiosity and try not to ask a lot of questions.... well, we are losing out on a lot of learning!  And when it comes to Sales, genuine Curiosity, is extremely important. This post will apply to Sales anywhere in the world, but even more so in the Middle East since building relationships in this part of the world is very important. You cannot close major deals or generate millions of dollars of business just based on relationships - this is a Middle East Sales Myth - but without relationships, even if you are the best Sales person out there, it will be nearly impossible for you to close any deals of significance unless you are the only provider of this solution and the customer has no choice in the matter. I approach each in...
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The Qualificator!

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Sales in the Middle East can seem similar to everywhere else in the world, and for the most part it is. As mentioned in my previous posts ,  the Sales methodology and tools are the same that are in use across the globe. The sales engagement is inherently much longer in the Middle East region for many reasons as discussed, including the fact that there is usually the need to go through a formal RFP or Tender process. Let's walk through a typical Middle East Sales engagement... You, the sales person, manage to spend time with the customer, qualify the opportunity quickly and then engage your company’s resources, spend several months Piloting/POCing the solution, ticking all the boxes, and finally you submit your pricing after negotiating with the customer. The customer loves your solution and assures you that everything is on track, it is just a matter of paperwork and you will soon get the order, "InshAllah". You go on to your forecast call and commit the deal ...
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Selling ... Middle East Style - an intro!

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Selling in the Middle East is like selling anywhere in the world and yet it is so much more different than anywhere else in the world! Let's look at some interesting aspects of the Middle East when it comes to Selling and engaging with Customers. Customers are hospitable and nice by default and will make time for you, if you ask nicely, even if they don't have any requirements. The Customers in the Middle East don't like to deliver bad news and so they might drag you along for months while assuring you everything is going well and all is on track. They will even accept to go out for a meal, meet your management and ask you to come in and deliver sessions to their teams. So what do you do? You qualify, qualify and keep qualifying! Check out my Blog, the Qualificator! Customers love to haggle in the Middle East and will always ask for discount in every single meeting and will tell you that they are an important reference for the rest of the customers et...
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