Ok, you have a well-planned presentation, have all the answers to potential objections and know what your ultimate goal is. However, until you have a clear objective for this meeting, you are not yet ready for the sales call.
One step at a time
One of the primary reasons people in sales jobs fail to move a sale forward, is not knowing exactly what they need to accomplish it. Since the ultimate goal is to close the sale, it is natural to want to jump to the end result—closing the sale. Yet, depending on your sales process, your “next step” may not be to close the sale. You must have a clear, systematic sales process and stick to it, step-by-step.
For instance, if your first meeting with a prospective company is to gather information or to uncover their problems to ascertain their needs to create a proposal; then only gather the information.
Too often sales people try to skip stages in the sales process hoping for the quick and easy sale. This is a mistake. While it is true that it can happen sometimes, you cannot force it. You must know exactly what you need to accomplish for that particular meeting or telephone call and aim to accomplish only that.
Even in a one-call closing situation, where your goal is to close the sale in that meeting, you still need to breakdown that meeting into small, achievable steps. Then focus on each step and accomplish it before moving on.
In every sales process, be it a one call close or a multi visit process, you have several steps:
1. Create some rapport.
2. Uncover the prospect’s problems.
3. Establish credibility for you, your company and product or service.
4. Build the value of yourself, company and product or service.
5. Knock out the competition.
6. Design solutions.
7. Present solutions.
8. Build value.
9. Isolate objections.
And so on and so on, depending on what you sell. Look at your sales process and carefully set the objective for the meeting. Focus on that objective and take it one-step at a time.
And don’t get in too much of a hurry. Your patience with the sales process will create urgency with the prospect.
Sean McPheat is the managing director and founder of MTD Sales Training. MTD Have trained over 30,000 staff worldwide. Sean is regarded as a leading authority in the world of selling and has been featured on CNN, BBC, and ITV. Check his free weekly tips and his MTD sales blog for more advice.
