Tweet

How To Improve Your Sales

Written by: Howard Litwak

Article Overview: Are your sales where you want them to be? For most sellers and small business people, the answer is no, even if you are at a high level already. Do you know why they are not where you want them to be? Again, for most people the answer is no, even though you may have an idea as to why. So, where is the constraint in your sales process? It is with awareness of where your constraint or constraints are that you can learn what you need to do, how to do it, and take action on what you need to do. And achieve the results that you want.

How To Improve Your Sales

Are your sales where you want them to be? For most sellers and small business people, the answer is no, even if you are at a high level already. Do you know why they are not where you want them to be? Again, for most people the answer is no, even though you may have an idea as to why. So, where is the constraint in your sales process?

It is with awareness of where your constraint or constraints are that you can learn what you need to do, how to do it, and take action on what you need to do.

An effective sales process can be looked at as an assembly line. You have inventory that is input at the start, it works its way through the process, and out the other end comes the finished product. Take an automotive assembly line. It starts with the frame, and then other parts flow in and are attached, the wheels, engine, transmission, seats, interior, etc. Everything happens in a certain order. Certain events or series of events depend on the ones before it. The car coming off of the assembly line is dependent on a whole series of events leading up to that outcome.

Your sale depends on a series of events as well. It starts with prospects. This is your inventory.

Then the series of actions in your sales assembly line needs to proceed through Introduction, Gaining Favorable Attention, Discovering Needs and Wants, Presenting Benefits and Consequences, and Gaining Commitment. This is your sales process. Each station has a specific job or goal to be accomplished before moving to the next station in line.

A malfunction of a single assembly station shuts down the whole line. Output stalls and there are no finished products coming through the other end.

Where is your process backing up or stalling? Let's take a look at the flow:

To start, do you have enough inventory or prospects? You can have the best assembly line or process in the world but without the material to build with, it doesn't matter. Is the number of prospects an issue for you? If so, it falls under marketing not sales. Marketing creates your inventory to be put into your sales process. That is a separate supply issue.

If you have enough prospects (are there ever enough?) but aren't getting the sales you want, you have constraints. The good news is that you can tune up or fine tune your process and boost your production. You will find each station of the sales assembly line listed below, in order, with the goal of that station listed. In addition, your assembly line has a self analysis feature. All you have to do is activate it by answering the questions associated with each step. Take some time here. If you think you do some things well, then think in terms of how you could do it better. They highlight what you need to be aware of and doing to make sure your prospects are flowing through your process with maximum efficiency.



Introduction- The goal is to make a favorable first impression.

Self analysis:

Who are you as a seller in terms of what you believe you provide in terms of value and solutions to people's problems? You need to think in these terms and not about making a sale.

How is your self image and self confidence? These are like cruise control. They can speed you up or slow you down. What we think is exuded in what we do. That belief will leak through.

Do you have a mindset of helping or making a sale? People can sense someone just out for themselves and a sale a mile away. A sincere interest in helping goes a long way towards building trust.

What type of first impression do you make? You never get a second chance for a first impression. Watch your posture, grooming, clothing, and attitude.

Gaining Favorable Attention- The goals are to build trust and rapport, establish two way communications, sell the prospect on you.

Self Analysis-

How friendly and likeable are you? If people like you and trust you than they MAY buy from you. If they don't like you or trust you they will NEVER buy from you.

Do you keep your focus on your prospect?

Are you on your agenda or your prospects agenda? Get on your prospects agenda early. It's the only way to earn their business. Remember, it's not about you.

Do you show sincere interest in your prospect? People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care- Zig Ziglar Showing interest builds on your likability.

How effective are you at questioning? Effective questioning techniques are skills that the most successful sales professionals practice and master. These skills are applied starting in the introduction and continue through the entire buying/selling process.

Do you build trust and rapport? Don't sell. Do make a friend and do make sure they feel comfortable in forging an alliance with you.

Do you create a comfortable dialogue? It is only when this exists that you can start to explore needs and wants.

Discovering Needs and Wants- The goal is to discover what the prospect needs and or wants and WHY.

Self Analysis:

How prepared are you to ask questions? They need to be internalized. This allows you to stay on your prospects agenda.

Do you have a mental model for collecting information? SPIN is one example. Goals, benefits, consequences, obstacles is another.

Do you ask the right questions?

Do you listen? Good listening creates a positive environment. Bad listening creates a negative environment.

Do you show genuine concern for their situation?

Do you understand the WHY behind what they tell you is important?

Presenting Benefits and Consequences- The goal is to present your product or service in terms of solutions and benefits to your prospect.

Self analysis:

Do you talk about only what is of value to your prospect in terms of issues, features, and benefits? Doing this makes it easier for them to do business with you.

Do you continue to clarify that you are on the right track? This is not just presenting!

Do you keep your prospect engaged and talking? See above

Gaining Commitment -The goal is to ask for the order and to get it.

Self Analysis:

Do you think of this as the close or a process you have gone through to earn the clients business? Gaining commitment is a process and it begins with the very first meeting with a prospect.

Do you think in terms of long term relationships with clients or transactions?

Is this a natural conclusion for your prospects or do you find yourself using techniques?

If your sales process is a smoothly oiled machine then you will find that your inventory or prospects will flow through with a minimum number being stuck in the process. You will end up with more finished products: SALES!

If you've identified your constraints and need some help increasing the flow through that bottleneck, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Related Articles
  Stressed out about sales forecasting?
  The Sales Number Game Continues
  How to Shorten your Sales Cycle
  Surprising Statistics from the Sales Force Grader
  Sales Training for Senior Manager Performance Improvement

Article Tags: achieve more, improve sales, small business
Referred by: http://www.processspecialist.com/



Related Forum Posts
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Re: What I Enjoyed Reading This Week - Oct 14 - I really enjoyed the Improve your vision with an app article in the New Scientist. I don't wear glasses and think a lot of people cripple their vision by wearing specs from an early age instead of exercising their eyes... Nice to see someone has developed an ap that will help.
Re: Reduce Bounce Rate - Website bounce rate matters most today. You can decrease by providing 1. Good Web Layout And Design 2. Relevant and unique content 3. Content clear and proper navigation 4. Improve website loading speed 5. Add relevant images 6. Analysis of keywords 7. Minimize pages 8. optimize your target keywords 9. Good quality of links 10. Take People Where They Want to Go
Hello From Marietta GA! - Hello All! My name is Tim Naylor and I am in Direct Sales! I am glad I have found EC's sites and I hope to learn and share a lot!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Coaching Tip: Identify Your Core Values

Four Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Blog

Ten Reasons to take Notes during Sales Meetings

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.