In this blog I’ll teach you a clear step-by-step sales process with clearly identifiable milestones. Follow these easy procedures and you will be a pro in no time.
Are you laughing yet?
Good, if you are because it’s not that simple, no matter who tells you so.
Technology sales is not a one person job. Many people and departments have to perform a synchronized dance for solutions to be bought and there is no smooth sailing. The process has many starts, stops, detours and dead ends.
What I am going to do is to help you look at the process from a customer’s point of view. This can help you map some progress and keep you on track.
1. Know what your client wants:
Wouldn’t life be so easy if you just knew what’s in the prospect’s mind. Unfortunately, since minds cannot be read, a salesperson has to constantly read other resources such as industry magazines, trade journals, websites or blogs to be up and close with the issues the prospects are facing. But obviously since you cannot be Professor X in a day, you will have to work hard at keeping yourselves updated about industry trends, hot topics and competitor’s new moves. That involves attending conferences and trade shows to hear what the important people of the industry say and most importantly, follow along online discussion and forums to get a sense of history and trends. By doing this, you will be more knowledgeable and resourceful to your customers and will cement your position against the competition.
2. “People don’t care what you know, until they know you care”
Your personality and good nature has to come through so people can sense that you truly care about helping them succeed. People will always buy from the people they like best. This may sound over simplified but it is also the oldest rule of selling. You need not be the most outgoing person, but you need to show that you are the one who is personally invested and cares about the clients success the most. Personal connection will always leave a true impact, so be mindful about remembering little details from your prospects personal life. You are here to build a relationship. You also have to talk about yourself and explain who you are and what your value is to your prospect. Most technically oriented sales people can’t imagine talking about themselves. But the key is to dive into tech talk and present well.
3. What is my goal, how will I know I have reached it?
Measurable milestones are hard to achieve right off the bat while meeting new prospects or retaining old customers. One must always have a list of tangible things we need to do that brings them that much closer to a sale. This may be a number of things which may rope in new business. Let me give some examples:
Goals that may have an immediate impact –
- Determining a schedule for meeting or arranging to meet their bosses.
- Interdepartmental introductions and strategizing.
- Getting a sample of your client’s data or some real numbers to work with.
Goals that my not translate into a sale
- Showing up for a presentation of a great product or service
- Staying in touch, giving updates and asking about plans
4. Assuming and not clarifying
Assumptions may be the death of a business. Like any relationship, communication has to be constant and flow both ways. The sales process is delicate and can come to an instant stop with just one misunderstanding. In this new world that we live in, there is lesser face to face interaction and more things are getting done virtually, so it is imperative to always be clear and always ask questions to avoid awkward interactions or just bad mistakes. What are the most common misconceptions you ask? It may be that you think that your client knows as much as you do and you do not clarify or expand your statements thinking that they are able to follow you clearly. You may also assume that your prospects will read or follow up all the information you email to them and will be well prepared for your meetings. You might want to rethink some commonly used phrases and acronyms in the industry, that are being used by you are being understood correctly, as not everyone might be aware of them. It may also be something simple such as you expecting them to understand your value and champion your cause, because it is as important to them as it is to you. And the most fatal assumption of all, that your spoken words have created an impact without tangible follow up. Spoken words are like smoke, and unless an email is sent or other appropriate measures are taken to follow up on what was spoken about, they will vanish the instant it leaves your lips.
5. Help your prospects with their bosses
Sometimes a sales meeting that you think went successfully will go nowhere because your prospect could not convey that idea successfully to their higher ups. It is imperative that you include some helpful tips in your sales presentation that will make it easier for your audience to smartly answer questions from their bosses. And how do you do that? Included phrases like these “In my experience, the managers will most likely want to know more about…” or perhaps you may lead with “We work with many companies, where the department leads always ask these three questions” By helping your customers not look foolish to their bosses, you are ensuring that your ideas get mentioned and spoken about. It will be better to ask them if they want a brief email with these questions and answers in it that you can send instantly, so everyone feels like they are on even footing and are not hesitant about approaching their higher ups in the hierarchy.
6. Committee/Board Decisions
Are you able to make independent decisions anywhere anymore? Not at home, not with kids, and definitely not at work. This era is all about safety in numbers. A salesperson has many invisible foes and none are as big as the end of level mega bosses such as committee decisions where group consensus is paramount (if you are in a corporate setup, you know what I’m talking about). Thus comes the need of coaching your client to become better at group dynamics and presentations. You will have to create self motivation in your prospect to create a strong case. That means coaching your client to see your specific solution and enlighten them on ways it is better than the competition so they get confident in you and your service. Give them easy to navigate slides and talking points as if they are your mouthpiece to your brainchild. Do not lose a sale because someone else was in charge of convincing a committee behind closed doors. Get to know who must be in the boat. Whose signatures are actually needed to sign off on your projects and don’t be shy to ask your clients if he/she controls everything. The best time for this discovery is early on so you can build your sale to include all the right players.
Sales is not a straightforward procedural activity, but there are ways you can overcome the uncertainty of the job. The above steps cover a bulk of what your sales process should involve. Happy selling!
