I have divided this article in three - an overview, a look at change and the nature of change, and then a basic approach for implementing a Sales Process.
INTRODUCTION
After my introductory article to this series, I started with the topic of AWARENESS. Awareness is a great enabler. Being aware enables us to effectively use our intelligence, experience, understanding, knowledge and energy. Without awareness, we operate in a fog and open ourselves up for a Titanic-type experience.
In this article, I have attempted to make the reader aware not only of a simplified implementation process but some considerations of making change. Any time we make change awareness and communications can make the difference between success and failure.
As the owner of a small business, you can ‘buy’ and implement process, ‘buy’ the services of a consultant to find and implement a process or you can ‘create’ and implement your own. All three options will require customization to you own needs and ongoing adaptation after implementation as you monitor what works and what doesn’t.
My contribution here is a simple approach to building your own. It’s a learn as you go build from the bottom up approach. Even if you ‘buy’ a process and use a consultant, you will benefit from following the steps outlined below.
The first things to do is to finish reading two earlier articles I wrote on the Sales Process, one an introduction and the other on Counsellor Sales. The finish reading “Stop, Ask, and Listen - how to welcome your customers and increase your sales” by Kelly Robertson (Guest Selling Process).
For a small business in which the owner is the sales person, the change to implementing a Sales Process, while not easy, is at least straightforward. The more people involved, the more complex. It is very helpful if everybody understands and buys in to the new process. “What’s in it for me?” and the “Not invented here” become factors compounding the general fear of change.
When considering change, it is always a good idea to grab a piece of paper and start writing. But before writing, take a moment to understand change and why you change and what to expect as a result.
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UNDERSTANDING CHANGE - THE SATIR MODEL OF CHANGE
The Virginia Satir Model of Change provides a straightforward model useful for small business. The components of the Satir Model include:
- The status quo you want changed.
- The foreign elements that are causing an unsatisfactory status quo.
- The chaos that results from the foreign elements or from the desire and intention to make change.
- The transformational ideas that enable successful change.
- The envisioning of a new status quo.
- That transformational change is a creative and learning process. Keep learning. Keep enjoying the process.
The new status quo starts to occur when the Transformational ideas are integrated into the chaos of the old status quo.
For more information on the Satir Model:
- Steven Smith.com
http://www.stevenmsmith.com/articles/satir_change_model.htm
- Dale H. Emery.com
http://www.dhemery.com/articles/managing_yourself_through_change.ht
ml
- Chaco Canyon.com
http://www.chacocanyon.com/pointlookout/010919.shtml
- Systems Thinking.net
http://wiki.systemsthinking.net/Systemsthinking/SatirChangeModel.html
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IMPLEMENTING A SALES PROCESS PART 1 - when the business owner is the only sales staff
Step 1.
Remember keep it simple and straightforward (KISS).
Step 2.
Get a couple of sheets of paper or use your computer.
Step 3.
Write down why you want a sales process and what you want to achieve in terms of sales and customers.
Step 4.
Write down how you are going to measure progress and compare progress to previous performance.
Step 5.
Write down when are you going to start measuring and how often.
Start a new sheet and title it Sales Process
Step 6.
Select a typical customer situation and list the steps you want to take this customer through.
Example:
GREETING - HELLO MR. or MRS. XX & SHAKE HANDS
Greet customer by name or greet and find customer’s name recording it in your memory or on a piece of paper.
LISTEN, ASK, DISCOVER
- Find customer needs or problem. Ask questions. Find out who the customer is and what motivates him/her. Find what’s on customer’s mind.
- Find the gap between what the customer needs/wants and what the customer has today. Ask the customer what the benefits are.
- Listen intently. Make notes.
- Determine the customer’s need - benefits of need and urgency to meet the need.
- Clarify.
Note: Ask don’t tell
FEEDBACK TO CUSTOMER
- Feedback to the customer (this becomes the Discovery Agreement)
- Ask confirmation from customer on each of the major points of the feedback.
- Answer all questions. Stick to facts that confirm the customers required benefits.
PRESENT SOLUTION - ASK FIRST
- If you think you can help the customer, ask the customer if you can explain/show how you might be able to help.
- Explain benefits (of the product, service and company) and match them to customers expected benefits.
- Stay away from money issues until the end.
- Listen to questions and objections. Answer them focusing on customer needs and benefits.
- if you seem to be close to matching the customer’s needs, say so. Itemize where you are and what the benefits of each item is to the customer.
- If the customer agrees, then ask the customer if he/she requires any more information. Money should be part of the question, if not ask the customer if he/she would like you to price the purchase.
- From there you can decide if the customer is ready to make his order or not and so close the sale.
CLOSE
- Do ask the closing question.
- For a list of types of closings (Summary, Choice, Suggestion, Direct, Testimonial, Assumptive, Justification, Puppy-dog, Tag-team, Availability) and their descriptions read “Stop, Ask, and Listen - how to welcome your customers and increase your sales” by Kelly Robertson (Guest Selling Process).
My experience with using a Sales Process is by the time you go through the listening, questions, discovery, feedback, you have a clear and open relationship with the customer, the closing becomes automatic - Just ask the question. The questions will vary. Kelly Robertson also gives many examples of closing questions from “When would like these delivered? to Would you like to put this on your credit card? to Can I write this up for you? and more.
Step 7.
Write similar sheets to the above for different customer interactions
Step 8.
Implement your process. Get a notebook. Note down the day and the date. Write the following on the front page: Today I am implementing my new sales process. Smile. Have fun. Listen. Be helpful. Get the customer’s name and use it. Learn from the customer.
Step 9.
After each sales experience write down the customer’s name and how you felt about it. Write down how you think the customer felt about it. Consider and jot down what you could do differently. Jot down what you learned from the customer.
Step 10.
At the end of the day review your notebook. Think on and write down one or two things you are going to do differently. Not more. Just a few changes at a time.
Step 11.
The next day, open your notebook to a fresh page and note the date. Write the following: Smile. Have fun. Listen. Be helpful. Get the customer’s name and use it. Learn from the customer.
Repeat Steps 9, 10, 11 for about a week and then reassess. Make the necessary changes. After three weeks, you should be making progress and can start measuring your success.
You may decide to keep your notebook. I suggest you do. It will prove invaluable.
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IMPLEMENTING A SALES PROCESS - when the business has sales staff
Step 1.
Write down why you want a sales process and what you want to achieve in terms of sales and customers.
Step 2.
Find out who on your staff know about sales processes. Find out their experience. Find a senior sales person on staff (do not give this role to a non sales person) to mentor and facilitate the implementation process will spread the workload and help buy in from your sales staff. It is best to involve everybody at an early stage.
Involve this senior sales person-mentor in all the next steps and ALLOW him-her to take as much control of the implementation process as they wish. ASK him-her what you can do for them, and how you can best support the process.
The key to a successful implementation of change is much like selling to a customer. You are need to solve YOUR PROBLEM which is defined as the GAP between what you have today and what you want. Part of the solution to your problem is a Sales Process. Your problem will be solved using the same combination of communication and relationship techniques as I outlined in the Counsellor Selling article.
Your problem solving (i.e. implementation of a Sales Process) and discovery gives you - the owner - a chance to be “the change you want to see in the company”, to adapt Gandhi’s quote of “be the change you want to see in the world”.
Step 3.
Meet with sales staff. Give a brief presentation. Take questions. Schedule the next meeting.
Your presentation should essentially say you want to bring the company to the next level. You should then briefly outline the opportunities and benefits (especially to staff - e.g. opportunities, commissions). Then tell them about your targets for sales and why that helps bring the company to the next level. Tell them you understand with a formal Sales Process sales will increase from 15% to 50%.
Give a brief outline of the Counsellor Selling Process as an example. Then say, you would prefer your own company to develop their own process and fit it to our own needs so that we will all grow, learn and benefit together.
At the end of the meeting, outline the next steps which are:
For all sales staff (and indeed all staff) to read
“Stop, Ask, and Listen - how to welcome your customers and increase your sales” by Kelly Robertson (Guest Selling Process). Bring enough copies for everybody. Get agreement to schedule the next meeting which will be to gather everybody’s idea and then determine the next steps.
Step 4
Meet separately with your senior sales person-mentor to plan the next stages.
Along the way, everybody needs to understand the Sales Process is a MAP to help sales people build customer rapport and gain sales NOT a straight jacket and that individual creativity is essential for success.
The A to Z of Small Business Sales Sales Process Implementation - To learn more about this author, visit Norm Tucker's Website.
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