There are five areas that sales professionals need to be able to use successfully. This is based on what we see the very best salespeople doing, from organization to organization.
This does not include prospecting, which is covered here.
There are three arenas where you will work with people who are not committed to buy from you. They are:
Face-to-Face - How can you meet someone and have them want to buy your offering? You know people need this skill when they start complaining about a lack of Qualified Leads. One time I flew from Washington, DC to Chicago sitting next to a nun, who had never used a computer. By the end of the flight, she thanked me for talking with her and was going to get some COBOL at her first opportunity. She said COBOL had become a priority for her.
Phone/Web - With voice mail, the telephone has become asynchronous. You can have a constructive conversation and complete a task without ever being on the line with the other person. That means good phone calls are designed for completion through voicemail.
Events - When people get together, the two most valuable positions are leading the meeting or being in the audience. The best make the most of either opportunity.
There are also two excellent opportunities when someone wants to buy.
The first is the classic "presentation" request. Three things should happen.
You need to present your offer,
Develop a solution, and
Negotiate an agreement.
Whether that takes one meeting or twenty (and it can!) has a lot to do with how organized both sides are. Here is how you can organize your side.
Your final opportunity is after the sale. This opportunity is often missed because of time constraints or lack of confidence in the offering. There are four good things that happen after the sale:
Realize (Get it installed),
Reload (As long as we are putting one here, can we put one there?)
Refer (If you've ever seen a hapless salesman seeking referrals, THIS IS THE TIME!)
Recommend (What? You would rather make cold calls?)
How close is this model to what you are doing?
At the presentation August 18, 2010, I saw five companies come away with different lessons and tasks, based on what they value as businesses. That was great!
ReplyDeleteI liked Phil with the southern accent's, "Bring 'em inside for the bud!" That could be the best solution!
I attended the presentation on August 18th at the Mt. Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce with Mr. Davies. I learned a lot about the new style of sales and web based selling. The most beneficial thing I picked up from the presentation was to ask people who they think I can help. Its an easy way to get people to talk to others about me and hopefully get them to trust me enough to use me as a banker. I had a great time and looking forward to his next presentationon September 15th.
ReplyDeleteThe left side of the model is rich with a variety of possibilities for beginning the conversation - the first step to identifying the need and offering the solution.
ReplyDeleteI think that a participant summed up a significant concept saying when you begin by providing value, the recipient will be listening when you talk about what you are offering.
I find the graphic does an excellent job of giving the whole picture of what is possible.
I attended the March 21 2011 Sales Lab / CircleYES seminar with Dick Davies. Dick's style is invigorating and inspiring - I highly recommend putting one of these events on your calendar a few times a year to keep your skills fresh. You will walk away energized - and with "actionable" plans to implement into your daily business interactions.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Schaus
B2G in Wash DC