how to improve your control over the sales process

How to Improve Your Control Over the Sales Process

Michael HalperSMART Sales Selling System

The ultimate goal is to close the sale.

The immediate goal is to move to the next step in the sales process.

We can often focus primarily on the ultimate goal.

“I am not interested.”

Turn Questions into Statements

Examples

Sales Process Steps

Closing

Sales Follow-Up

Early Sales Process StagesStage GoalsInitial Contact

Cold CallInbound CallEmailEvent

2 to 5 minutes80% on prospect20% on you

Appointment

Phone CallFace-to-FaceDiscovery


Presentation

DiscoveryPresentationDemonstration

1 to 2 hours20% on prospect80% on you

Pre-QualifyGather high-level informationBuild interest in having conversationSchedule the Appointment

Pre-Qualify (Cont.)Hard QualifyGather detailed Information (Discovery)Build interest in meetingSchedule the Presentation

Sell ProductMap out Next StepsClose (Sale or agreement to move forward)

Early Sales Process StagesAlternative Path – Instant AppointmentInitial Contact



Appointment



Presentation






Splitting Initial Contact and Appointment

• It can be common for your first contact to flow into an appointment

• There are benefits from preventing that and having two separate conversations:– An appointment at the time of first contact will be rushed– Scheduling on another day allows you to put time on the prospects calendar– The break and scheduling of the meeting will allow you and the prospect to be

more prepared for the first call– You will have more time and attention to work with

• How to prevent:– “You are asking very good questions. I actually would like to talk with you about

this in more detail and I have called you out of the blue. Do you have another 20 minutes to go through all of this now or should we put some time on the calendar to get together?”

Early Sales Process StagesAlternate Path – Instant PresentationInitial Contact



Appointment



Presentation






Early Sales Process StagesAlternative Path – One Call CloseInitial Contact



Presentation



Appointment



Pre-QualifyGather high-level informationBuild interest in having conversationConfirm Opportunity to Present


Pre-Qualify (Cont.)Hard QualifyGather detailed Information (Discovery)Build interest

Early Sales Process StagesAlternative Path – Webinar/EventInitial Contact



Presentation



Appointment



Pre-QualifyGather high-level informationBuild interest in having conversationRegister for Event


Sell ProductMap out Next StepsClose for the Appointment

Pre-Qualify

Building Your Questions

Here is a step-by-step process that you can use

to build an optimum list of questions:

1. Identify the product you ultimately want to sell

2. Identify the benefits it offers the buyer

3. Identify the pain point that the benefit fixes

4. Compose one or two question for each pain point

Full training module on YouTube – Sell More by Screening the Good Prospects from Bad

Early Sales Process StagesStage GoalsInitial Contact



Appointment



Presentation






Sales Process Steps

Closing

Sales Follow-Up

Focus on the Right Goal

Closing should be the easiest step in the sales process.

Indirect Closing Tactics

• Communicating the value you offer (benefits)

• Building a business case, ROI calculation, identifying payback period

• Finding prospect pain that you can resolve

• Qualifying the prospect

• Building rapport

• Building interest

• Building credibility

Some direct closing tactics:

Trial ClosingTrial Close

• What do you think of what we have discussed so far?

• How would that feature help your operation?• Is this something you could see your

employees using?• Are we heading in the right direction?• Does the agenda match up with your

expectations today?• Is this what you were expecting to see?

Letting the Prospect LeadLet the Prospect Lead (Soft Close)

• What would you like to do next?

• What direction would you like to go in?

• Do you want to continue talking about this?

• When would you like to talk again?

Turn Questions into StatementsHard Closing Questions

• Are you ready to move forward to the next step in the process?• What would you need to be able to make a commitment to move

forward?• If you had everything that you want, are you prepared to move

forward?• If we were able to give you what you are asking for, would you be able

to move forward with the purchase?• When are you going to make your final decision?• (If delaying the decision for a period of time – X months) OK, but do

you mind if I ask if there will be a change or something different at that time that will make that a better time to look at moving forward?

• Is there anything that is preventing you from being able to move forward with this purchase?

Use a Partnership PlanActivity Date Owner Status

Meeting with Shawn Adams 6/25/2010 Smith Complete

Meeting with Executive team 7/23/2010 Smith Complete

Send info and call Shawn Adams first week of August Smith Open

Whiteboard session 8/13/2010 Smith/Adams Open

Process Recommendations/Proof of Capabilities 8/27/2010 Smith/Jones Open

Build Business Case 9/3/2010 Smith/Adams Open

Presentation of Draft Proposal and Contract Language 9/10/2010 Tech Inc./ XYZ Corp. Open

Communication of change requests to documents 9/17/2010 XYZ Corp. Open

Delivery of Final Executable Documents 9/24/2010 Smith Open

Partnership Agreement signed 9/30/2010 Tech Inc./ XYZ Corp. Open

Implementation TBD Tech Inc./ XYZ Corp. Open

Go live with partnership 1/2011 Tech Inc./ XYZ Corp. Open

Partnership Plan

• Create a word version

• Include with your proposal and update through out the sales process

Compelling Event

• Natural compelling event:– Existing contract expiring– Site opening or moving– Existing system being discontinued

• Manufactured compelling event:– Expiring discount– Expiring promotion– Limited product availability

DisqualifyingDisqualify (Takeaway)

• Maybe this is not the right direction for you to go.

• It sounds like you all are doing pretty good and might not need this.

• It does not seem like this is something you are really interested in.

Sales Process Steps

Closing

Sales Follow-Up

Sales Follow-Up• Identify and discuss the different directions to take the conversation

• Identify which direction the prospect would like to go

• Clarify the timing

• Reconcile time with compelling event

• Reconcile with agreed to evaluation plan

• Schedule reminders

• Add to appropriate drip campaign

• Follow-up at agreed timing

SMART Sales System

SMART

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essaging

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esponse

actics

SMART Sales System

SMART Sales System

Sales Methodology Software Platform Professional Services

SMART Sales System


Sales Training

• Recorded Training Videos

• Live Sales Training (virtual)

• Live Sales Training (in-person)

• Custom Sales Training

SMART Sales System


• Will help you to build your pitch

• Library of Scripts and Templates

• Library of Scripts and Templates

• CRM Functionality

SMART Sales System


Sales Consulting

• Sales Pitch Development

• Sales Process Mapping

• Script Assessment

Sales Coaching

• One-on-One Sales Coaching

• Weekly coaching

• Coaching Hour Blocks

Contact Us

Michael HalperFounder and CEO

[email protected]

@salesscripter

mailto:[email protected]