Sales Management: Shaping Future Sales Leaders

The Selling Process

The Selling Process : 8 Steps

Post Sales Feedback Call Prospecting

Closing

Qualifying & Preparing

Objection Handling

Approaching

Product Presentation

Probing, Need Identification

Prospecting

Prospecting
involves identifying potential customers for a particular product or service Not an easy job

Can take longer

Frustrating May face rejection

Prospecting
Successful salespeople develop a strategy that involves an organized and active system to generate sales leads and qualify potential buyers.
Networking an active process of acquiring new contacts and cultivating existing ones.

3 Step strategy
Define Target Market Generate Sales Lead

Qualify Prospect

Identifying Prospects
Sources
Present Customer
Former Customers Cold Calling (knocking the door) Spotters (sales trainee, internship) Directories & Mailing List
(telephone, trade associations, professional associations)

Referrals (satisfied customers, center of influence, endless

chain

Personal Contacts
Trade Shows Direct Mailing

Sales Lead
Lead Management
Program to generate better leads and more prospect information Telemarketing and direct mail to generate sales lead

20% of all sales lead and inquiries through advertising, promotion, trade shows & direct mail will result in sales with in six months.

Qualifying Prospects
Avoid selling to people who can not make a buying decision
MAN MAD Approach Money Does potential homeowner have enough money to buy a new house or department manager has enough budget for new office furniture. Authority Has authority to buy Need or Desire Does the prospect want or need the good or service

Preparing
Pre-Approach - the salesperson tries to gather additional
information about the prospect & his/her needs

Who is the customer - Some question

Who is actual purchase decision maker Who can influence the decision Who is responsible for using good or service With whom the salesperson must maintain a continuing favorable relationship. W/S Retail selling One or two decision makers Medical Equipment Purchase Committee Industrial Selling Different Persons/Departments, Gatekeepers
secretaries, admin assistants & receptionists, Economic Buyers CEOs - Users & Technical Personnel

Preparing

The salesperson tries to gather as many additional information about the prospect, as he can
Personal Information Required Family background, hobbies, membership of clubs & professional organizations, credit rating, product line, industry reputation Some companies have developed standard questionnaire to compile relevant information about the customers

Call Planning
Involves a specific sequence of activities before the sales interview takes place

Call Planning
Other planning preparation requires knowledge
Product Company

Industry
Competition Prices

Call Planning
Specifying the objectives
Salesperson MUST establish objective of the call Why am I going on this interview ? What am I trying to make happen ?

What am I going to recommend ? (if customer agrees)

Developing Strategy salesperson MUST develop a strategy or plan of actions to achieve his sales objectives

Make an appointment
The most professional way

SMART objectives Specific

Measurable

Achievable, yet challenging

Realistic

Time bound

SMART objectives
Specific

Sets a clear direction, where you want to go

You can compare your achievement versus
planned

Measurable Achievable

- (yet challenging) - Keeps you motivated, you

can do it grounds

Realistic Makes you confident, you have some basis,

Time bound Makes you organized, disciplined, you have

to finish the task/job with in time limit

Approach

Approach:
salesperson asks buyer to commit to a meeting Opening statement must get buyers attention

Presentation

First Impression

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First Impression
Wear neat clean, conservative clothes
Be clean and carefully groomed Know the prospects name and pronounce it correctly Be alert and pleasant Let the prospect offer to shake hands Forget about your self and concentrate on the prospect Avoid smoking or chewing gum Switch off your mobile

FACTS THAT COUNT

20 FIRST STEPS
20 INCHES OF FACE 20 FIRST WORDS

Well Dressed Confident

Show Positive Expressions, Smile, Eye Contact

Be Polite, Introduce Yourself, your company Talk Intelligently

Put Customer AT EASE Thank him for the time, as well as using your Products / Services

20 FIRST SECONDS

Probing
The key to plan a sales call and successfully completing a sales is to identify the customer dominant buying motives

To identify need
Ask questions

WHY ?
Open ended questions Leading questions Close ended questions

Presentation
salesperson describes the product and how it meets buyers needs. Applies feature benefit strategy FEATURE CHARACTERISTIC OF A PRODUCT Provides/demonstrates evidence BENEFIT NEED SATISFACTION CUSTOMER GETS Gets agreement

Presentation
Presentation:

salesperson describes the product and how it meets buyers needs

Feature

Evidence

Benefit

Agreement

Presentation

What is required to make an

effective presentation?

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Presentation
Knowledge
- Company - Customer

- Industry
- Products (Product expert) - Competition - Prices
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Presentation Techniques
During presentation
- Eye contact - Sales story - Visual aid - Samples - Examples - Guarantees

- Testimonials (Reports from satisfied customers)

- Demonstration

Presentation
During presentation
- Body language - Third party reference

- Ask questions
- Listen carefully - Reply in a suitable manner

Buying Signal

VERBAL - Price, availability, delivery schedule

NON VERBAL - Facial expressions, physical action, gesture, nodding head up & down

Handling Objections
Sales resistance Actions or statement by a prospect, customer, that postpone, hinder or prevent the completion of a sales

Reasons a buyer offers to not buy your product Outward expressions of prospect, customers doubts or negative feeling about a sales proposal or product

Handling Objections
Objections
Reasons a buyer offers to not buy your product Helpful to identify customers need Can occur at any time Salesperson should find out root of concern and resolve it

Type of Objections

Realistic Un Realistic

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Type of Objections
Timing
- Your proposal is ok but I have to discuss it with my partner, give me some time
- (SR should mention the advantages of the decision right now)

Price (Prospects Financial Constrains)

- I think I can get a better deal elsewhere or X company is offering more economical price
- (additional benefits, durability, longer warranty, after sales service, convenience of repair)

Type of Objections
Source
- Your company salesperson misled me about your products performance record or I have heard that your company has a poor delivery record
- (SR should not be defensive or argumentative)

Competition
- I am doing business with abc company for many years and I like Saleem who has done good job for us. Why should I change?
- (ask questions, identify any dissatisfaction with supplier, emphasis competitive edge, guaranty warranty period, after sales service )

Handling Objections

Steps, Techniques, Methods

Keep yourself cool Listen carefully & show patience

Dont interrupt
Ask questions Use boomerang technique

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Handling Objections
Steps, Techniques, Methods
Convert objection into question Use yes & but technique

Boomerang method

(I cant afford insurance policy)

Reply in a suitable way Dont repeat your reply/answer

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Handling Objections
Confirm your response Prospect stats objection

Respond to the objection

Listen carefully

Ask question
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Customer Objection - Reasons

Why ?
Poor sales presentation Lack of knowledge

Customer need, not addressed

Needs more information Previous experience

Salesmans appearance

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Closing the Sale

Close
When salesperson asks buyer for the order/business When to close

Buying signals
Good close Reinforce decision to buy Confirm implementation schedule Thank the buyer Ask for referral

Closing Techniques
Direct Close
(Need identified, benefits thoroughly explained and asking for decision)

Trial order close

Special offer (gift) close

Alternative proposal close Assumption close

Action close

Closing Techniques

One more eye close

(SR restates the benefits & asks for order)

Balance sheet close

(SR & prospect list the reason for acting now against delaying)

Implementation/Follow-Up
Follow-Up
After delivery, ensure that the customer has good experience with product Training, service, after sales service contract, annual maintenance contract, policies and procedures Helps to build long term relations

To remove any post purchase doubt

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Implementation/Follow-Up
Customer Relations
Handle complaints promptly & pleasantly Maintain contact with customers Keep serving the customer Show appreciation

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Implementation/Follow-Up
Self Analysis
Were the planned sales objectives achieved? What could I have done better? What did I learn from this call that will contribute to my future success?

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The Selling Process : 8 Steps

Post Sales Feedback Call Prospecting

Closing

Qualifying & Preparing

Objection Handling

Approaching

Product Presentation

Probing, Need Identification

Selling Approaches
Transactional

Finish sale as quickly and as easily as possible Key to success is making as many calls as possible to as many people as possible Based on the friendship between the salesperson and the individual buyer Identify and solve a clients problems

Affiliative

Problem Solving Also called needs-satisfaction selling or or Consultative problem/solution selling

Enterprise

Business-to-business (B2B) concept Based on not only person-to-person relationships but on company-to-company relationships

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