How to Boost Your Sales Force

In case you missed the latest CEO Series Webinar, “Stand Out to Your Customers: Boost Your Sales Force,” below are some important takeaways.  The webinar was presented by Joe Ippolito, Principal from Sandler Training, a leading provider of sales and management training worldwide.  The presentation broke down a strategic process for closing more sales, as well as important factors influencing the sales process.

Seven Steps of the Sales Process

1.    Bonding/Rapport– People buy from a seller they like, trust and who likes them.  If the emotional needs of the buyer are met through the sales interaction, then the sale is   more likely to close, regardless of the product. 

2.    Up Front Contract– An agreement between the salesperson and the prospect on what will take place/be accomplished during a meeting or phone call.  Establishing this contract sets a clear next step or outcome and helps move the sales process forward. 

3.    Pain – The gap between what clients have and what they desire is what drives the purchase.  People buy for either pain or pleasure.  The salesperson needs to understand the emotional and intellectual drivers for the buyer.  The salesperson can then best pitch the product or service according to the buyer’s needs. 

4.    Budget - Uncovering the budget can be a difficult task, especially in a large corporation.  Salespeople need to make sure the prospect is "able" and "willing" to invest the appropriate amount of money to take care of the prospect’s need.

5.    Decision – Understand all aspects of who is making the decisions, when the decision will be made, what the decision process is and how the process could be de-railed.

6.    Fulfillment – Close the sale by presenting a solution to the client’s pain or pleasure.  Prioritize your solutions and present only the best one.

7.    Post Sell – Don’t lose the sale you just worked hard to close! Insure a secure, workable implementation and overcome any buyer’s remorse.

Overall, the sales process is dependent on three interrelated elements:

• Attitude = Beliefs about yourself, company, marketplace, competition 
• Behaviors = Daily activities determined by your goals, desires and self-assessment
• Techniques = Skills, strategies and tactics necessary to implement the behavior

Success in sales requires a balance of these three components.  People are not born successful in sales nor are they lucky.  Developing the right attitude, behavior and technique requires high levels of motivation, which is internally driven.    

The Buyer-Seller Dance: Who Leads When You Sell?

The buyer and the seller each bring their own agenda into the sales process.  While the seller wants to ultimately close the sale, the same intention cannot be expected for the “buyer.”  The prospect’s strategy could be to mislead the seller, gather free information and ultimately disappear.  There comes a junction in the sales process where the seller needs to take charge and direct the sales course on his or her own terms.  This could mean pushing for the “no” early on in the sales process so that time is not wasted by an uninterested prospect.  If the seller allows the buyer to lead the course of the sale, then time could be wasted with no benefit towards the company’s bottom line.    

The CEO Series is a free, interactive webinar with senior executives who share their unique expertise. Focusing on a different topic each month, from pricing to marketing to financing options, these discussions will help growing companies succeed in today’s urban marketplace.  The next CEO Series “What are Corporations Seeking from Their Suppliers Today?” will take place on September 13^th from 3:30-4:30pm.  Click to register and for more information.

BY Mary Duggan on September 7th, 2011

TAGS: small business | ceo series | ask the expert | sales & marketing