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Increase Sales by Understanding Your Sales Process

Written by: Peter Rowe

Article Overview: As a business coach, at some point early in my relationship with my clients I'll ask them to map out their sales process and it never ceases to amaze me that some of those really smart businesspeople have never sat down to look at how they sell, how they train their people to sell, and what works - or doesn't! I'll often get the response, "Well, we just sell it to them", which doesn't give one much traction when it comes to assessing or improving sales. The first two things you need to know in order to be able to assess your selling process are real answers to the questions, "Why do people buy what you sell?" and "Why do they buy it from you?"

Increase Sales by Understanding Your Sales Process

Understanding Your Sales Process

As a business coach, at some point early in my relationship with my clients I'll ask them to map out their sales process and it never ceases to amaze me that some of those really smart businesspeople have never sat down to look at how they sell, how they train their people to sell, and what works - or doesn't!

I'll often get the response, "Well, we just sell it to them", which doesn't give one much traction when it comes to assessing or improving sales.

The first two things you need to know in order to be able to assess your selling process are real answers to the questions, "Why do people buy what you sell?" and "Why do they buy it from you?"

Why Do People Buy What You Sell?

If you're in the new car sales business and you think people buy cars because they like cars, you'll never understand why the person to whom you stressed the performance capabilities of your marque, bought a Volvo; why their friend, to whom you stressed fuel economy and extras, bought a Lexus; and why the fool who blew more than they could afford on a Beemer did so despite the great deal you offered them on your make!

You see, none of those three were interested in a car - they were interested in (respectively) safety, reliability and prestige; and they felt they acquired those via the brand they chose.

So, a key question at this point is, "What feeling are people looking to experience as a result of buying our product or using our service?"

And another: "Do you think that having a crystal clear understanding of the answer to that question might shape your response to the next enquiry about your product?"

Why Should They Buy From You?

If I ask, "Why do they buy from you?" and you answer, "Because we're the cheapest", or "Because we're the best!" please immediately slap yourself on your forehead!

What I'm looking for is an answer that indicates that you know precisely why people buy from you and not from your competition.

If you'd like some help in clarifying the types of answers that will give you some burning insights into just why people do buy from you; if you'd like some help in taking those insights and weaving them into a compelling offer that will double your sales overnight, you can useour template on How To Find Out Exactly Why People Buy From You - Or Would! (Which is also submitted with EvanCarmichael)

Mapping Your Current Sales Process

With the answers to the above two questions burned into your brain, the next step is to map out the most efficient and effective process by which a contact or enquiry can be turned into a sale.

To do that, you'll need to (you guessed it) answer a few more questions!

1. What do you routinely and expertly do to put your prospective customer at ease so that you can explore, openly and fully, what they want?
2. What questions do you ask in order to quickly and efficiently identify what it is that your prospective customer wants?
3. What process do you have for accurately recalling their answers (and some of their key words and phrases) so that you can address as many as this individual needs in order to decide in favour of owning or experiencing your product?
4. What process or systems do you have in place to offer the type of proof that your prospective customer would respect, in order to convince them that your product would be a wise choice?
5. What steps and support do you then have in place to guide your prospective customer to imagine how they would feel if they were already enjoying the benefits offered by your product?
6. What processes do you have for making it easier to say "yes" than to say "no" or "I'll think about it"?
7. Finally, what systems do you have in place to ensure that the promise of a relationship that was made with your sale is carried through after the sale is completed?

If you can't write out clear answers to these seven questions, you'd have to wonder how anyone in your business manages to sell consistently to the widest possible class of people who might contact your business.

Once you do write them out (and I'll argue strongly that it will be worth your while) I am game to predict that you may start to see some ways in which you may have been losing sales in the past; ways in which those people whom you thought were "just enquiring" could have been turned into happy customers on the day!

©2003-2008 ProfiTune Business Systems Pty Ltd.

Related Articles
  How to Select Professional Sales Training
  To Grow Your Business Requires Closing the Gap Between Sales and Customer Service
  How to Win More Sales
  The Sales Pipeline
  Why Follow a Sales Process?

Article Tags: business, business coach, businesspeople, buy, coaching, customer, relationship, sales, sell



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