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 use our 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!
- 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?
- What questions do you ask in order to quickly and efficiently identify what it is that your prospective customer wants?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- What processes do you have for making it easier to say "yes" than to say "no" or "I'll think about it"?
- 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.
Increase Sales by Understanding Your Sales Process - To learn more about this author, visit Peter Rowe's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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