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By
Jim Joyce
“Nothing
Happens Until a Sale is Made” –
– Unk.
The
very finest systems, procedures and methodologies
don’t mean much unless there is some
revenue to account (and/or some way to pay)
for them.
For
any endeavor to be successful, the “offerings”
(services/products, or your own ideas) must
get in front of the right person.
How?
The sales effort is where “offerings”
are moved from inception to “market.”
Whether they realize it or not, every person
is selling:
- Ideas for their offerings
- To the boss for a raise/promotion
- To a “prospect” in a social
setting
If
you want to be successful, you must “sell.”
“Let me see if I understand you correctly:
Your own/your family’s livelihood
depends upon your sales efforts –
and you don’t like to do it. Is that
right?” -- Anon.
Approaching
sales as a consultative process makes it
much easier for those who don’t like
to do it.
There
is a definite process involved in sales
that, if followed, can increase your likelihood
of success:
1.
Product Knowledge.
Know everything possible about your offering’s
features and benefits – if it’s
yourself, be sure that you can articulate
the VALUE that your efforts have brought
(can bring) to an employer.
Conduct
yourself as a consultant to your prospective
customer/employer to greatly increase your
chances of success.
2.
Find the “buyer.”
Gather as much information as possible about
the person(s) you’ll be speaking with.
This
is “prospecting” – knowing
who can use your offering (networking is
a VERY useful approach to reaching them):
“Networking isn’t the only way
to improve your personal circumstance; it’s
just the easiest way.”
– Joyce’s law #12
Use
a database to track your contacts –
qualifying and prioritizing them: A, B,
C, with “A” being the people
that you’d most like to meet with.
3.
Meetings.
The initial contact is critically important.
Show
enthusiasm to get the relationship off on
the right foot. Smile! (Even if the conversation
is taking place over the telephone).
Ensure
that the other person knows you have something
that will save them time/money, offer competitive
advantage, ease their burden, etc.
Ask
questions that show your knowledge of and
concern for their situation. This is the
key to the whole process.
4.
Your “offering.”
Your questions should lead you both down
a path that will present your “offering”
in its most useful light: how it can be
of benefit.
Focus
on the prospect. Ensure your BENEFITS are
relevant to the prospect’s needs/situation
don’t “offer a parachute to
a drowning person!”
5.
Overcoming objections/concerns.
A sale is seldom made without the prospect
first raising some objections or concerns.
Welcome
these - if overcome, a sale is the logical
conclusion.
Objections
or concerns are normal human reactions.
When you bought something, didn’t
you, usually at or near the final moment
of decision, try to think of reasons why
you shouldn’t buy it?
Don’t “argue” with the
prospect, but do:
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Assume concerns are raised in good faith
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Ask questions to ensure/demonstrate your
understanding
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Know that prospects often save the worst/real
obstacle for last
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Overcome with agreed-upon benefits (overcome
“price” obstacles by adding
more VALUE)
When
a concern is raised, ask, “If we can
some how get past this issue, do we have
an agreement?” If the answer is “no”,
then ask “why not” to uncover
the real obstacle. If “yes”,
resolve and overcome it with relevant/confirmed
benefits.
6.
The Close.
Closing is simply asking for agreement:
“You can’t lose what you don’t
have.” – Joyce’s Law #17
One
approach: summarize the agreed-upon benefits
then ask for acceptance. Asking can also
uncover more (hidden) obstacles to over-come.
Be sure to maintain your relationship –
whether closed or not.
Lastly.
“There is no scarcity of opportunity
to make a living at what you love; there's
only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen.”
- - Wayne W. Dyer
Jim
Joyce is President of Sales Training, Inc.
He can be reached by e-mail at jpjoyce@salestraininginc.com.
Visit his website at www.salestraininginc.com
©2002 Sales Training, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
Reprinted with permission of Triangle TechJournal,
LLC
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