Steve Hasenmueller continues his series on improving sales performance…
The Sales Process consists of the basic steps necessary to develop an effective strategy and system for sustainable and successful sales achievement. To be able to simplify anything, we have to understand it completely, especially if it is complex.
A process is a series of steps that are taken in order to achieve a particular end. In sales that would be of course, successfully selling your product or service. While that can happen haphazardly (and does) on its own, a developed process for effectiveness not only pays better dividends, it creates a sustainable method for high level of success over the long term.
Low closing ratios and poor sales results are the outcome of a bad or non-existent sales process. A process is not a script; the last thing this world wants or needs is another salesperson reciting a pre-programmed canned presentation.
This is where Authenticity comes into play as the most critical aspect of developing your individual Sales Process. Read that sentence again. Since understanding is the first step toward wisdom, let’s take a look at these seven steps of the Sales Process, illustrated in the context of the roman arch, that transformed civilisation because of its strength and durability.
It all begins with Preparation. Research has indicated that just 13% of buyers believe that the sellers are adequately prepared, illustrating what a critical aspect this is to selling, and what a great opportunity it is to differentiate yourself. Benjamin Franklin summed it up best “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.”
Adequate Preparation in sales requires work in all areas of the process, specifically you need to:
• Do a deep dive into the industry and your company to have a thorough understanding of specific needs, goals, and challenges.
• Develop expertise on all relevant information about your own product and service offerings. Be the expert.
• Understand how your product/service provides unique value that differentiates you from competitors.
• Plan how you will gain prospects commitment to move forward.
• Anticipate objections and prepare responses and solutions.
• Develop Trust by establishing yourself as an extremely competent advisor.
• Craft compelling stories that help customers understand your message.
This requires time, effort and complete personal accountability for the preparation in developing your individual performance in each of the remaining six steps of the Sales Process.
1 PROSPECTING: IDENTIFY AND ENGAGE
GATHER INFORMATION QUALIFY THE OPPORTUNITY EDUCATE TO ENGAGE
We would like to think that every person we talk to is a qualified prospect, but that isn’t the case, and the more effectively we can identify our opportunities, the more successful we will be in closing sales. This is going to require great questions and active listening. Both important skills to develop.
2 APPROACH: SELLING STYLES
There are specific selling styles:
• Consultive – Seeking to understand needs and providing solutions through active listening and empathy.
• Relationship – Focusing on the long-term relationship, with that taking precedence over an immediate sale. Building trust.
• Solution – Presenting your product/service as a solution to a specific problem, and demonstrating how what you offer solves their needs.
• Hard Sell – Everyone know this one.
Getting prospect to buy immediately is the only agenda. The truth is we are going to need skills from all four of these styles, developing a complete Value Based Selling Approach, all representing the most influential aspects of any sale: Salesperson (Consultive), Company (Relational), Solution (Product) and a credible reason to make a decision and buy (Hard).
Note, the Hard Sell referenced here is not advocating using any type of external force or manipulation, simply an easy-to-understand reason that ties it all together for a prospect to make their buying decision.
3 PRESENTATION: COMPONENTS OF A GREAT PRESENTATION
The only two times anyone really takes notice of a salesperson is when they are really bad, or really good. This is determined by our Presentation.
• Enthusiasm and Honesty (if you aren’t excited, no one else will be)
• Focused on Audience (it’s not about you)
• Keep Things Simple (Einstein said the highest level of cognitive functioning is “Simple”, and that it’s above “Genius”.)
• Be Personable (humanize the Sales experience)
• Body Language (be aware, 55% of communication is body language)
• Build Value (for your expertise, your company, your product and the price)
• Focus on Differences (People don’t buy on “the same”, they buy on the difference)
In the image of the Sales Process represented in the Roman Arch, the Presentation is at the top, prominently in the middle, it is the Keystone, it’s what holds everything together and an arch cannot exist without it. Every step is critical, but more often than not, the best Presentation gets the sale. Practice and constant improvement are necessary to develop an effective and engaging sales presentation.
4 OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS: EMOTIONAL REASONS PEOPLE REFRAIN
NO WANT – NO NEED
NO HURRY- NO MONEY
NO TRUST
Everything we hear, over and over, is a version of one of these, so of course, the entire point of developing a great Presentation, incorporating all aspects of the Sales Process, is to mitigate or eliminate these reasons. But they are coming, so being ready to deal with these, working out how to respond, in advance, makes the difference between moving forward or frustration.
5 CLOSING THE SALE
How we ask for the commitment to buy is as important as how we explain the product. Closing is a dirty and uncomfortable word to many. It’s viewed as a salesperson doing something (unpleasant) to someone else. Nothing is further from the truth.
A sale is a transaction, especially in buying a Pool or a Spa, that leaves someone richer, not poorer in the exchange. Closing a sale is the natural conclusion to an effective Sales Process. It’s the ineffectiveness of our ability to develop and deliver the specific steps of the Sales Process that makes this such a hard variable and stumbling block in sales.
6 FOLLOW UP: THE SALE IS THE BEGINNING – NOT THE END
Though we should all aspire and work towards closing the sale in our first interaction with a prospect – that isn’t the case in many instances in high ticket selling. A rigid and disciplined follow up plan is critical to maximizing opportunities. Some research on the aspect of follow up:
• 49% of unsold prospects buy after 1st additional contact. (55% of salespeople never follow up at all)
• 51% of remaining unsold buy after 2nd additional contact.
This data is where the phrase “80% of sales is follow- up” comes from. Many times, the lack of follow up is from a lack of confidence or expectation that the prospect is not going to buy from you, and that it’s better to make excuses or not know, when in reality, finding out from follow up, that you did indeed lose the sale and why, is how you can learn and grow.
This also applies just as much for transactions that result in new customers. Their understanding and satisfaction going forward is going to dramatically impact customer satisfaction and referrals, the bedrock of sustainable sales careers and companies.
THE SALES PROCESS: IT’S A LOT
I know this, it isn’t something that happens automatically without tremendous effort and commitment to create your own individualized Sales Process, breaking it down into the steps and working diligently to improve its effectiveness.
It doesn’t happen in day, but it does happen daily. The Sales Process is actually pretty simple, but it isn’t easy. Putting in the work, taking it seriously, and committing to the process, will over time certainly make it easier. As Jim Rohn quipped “Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better.”
Do your career, your company, and your prospects a favour, by making the Effort and putting in the work to simplify and develop your best Sales Process possible
STEVE HASENMUELLER
Keynote Speaker, Sales Trainer & Author has spoken to companies worldwide on all topics regarding effective selling, motivation and leadership.
Effort Today Enterprises
www.effort-today.com
steve@effort-today.com
