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Sales process techniques

30 March 2009

A crucial part vof my business coaching and mentoring is helping my clients achive sales and this article explains Mike Le Putt’s twelve key techniques involved in selling – attitude, confidence, features that give benefits, the 10 step process that everybody should go through going from needing orders to receiving orders. It explains at each of the ten stages – prospecting, introduction on the phone, qualifying, buying criteria, demonstration at 1st meeting, selection of product, order decisions, asking for the order, dealing with objections, closing - what needs to be done, the key points to remember and examples of questions that need to be asked

After reading this you will have a good understanding about:

additional goals, targets and attitude needed to obtain orders
what to say to different people including the Receptionist, the Secretary and the Decison Maker
the importance of stressing benefits to the decision maker
the whole reason for ringing is to get an appointment
never sell the appointment on the phone only the appointment
the importance of attitude, confidence and personal presentation

Sales process

Sales techniques from Mike Le Putt

1. Attitude

“I am going to make it happen”…….. “if it is to be it’s up to me”
Ensure that you have a positive mental state when involved with sales to get the orders
Remember the time when you had real Success... Courage… Energy… Confidence…
I am the best in the business
Lack of Success is not an option
Reframe any negative words with positive words
Selling is the transference of your enthusiasm from you to the customer
You need to ASK for the business…Attitude…Skills….Knowledge
Mould the questions to your character

2. Confidence
Customers need to have confidence in what ever you are selling and that confidence needs to come from you. Therefore you need to have all the confidence and knowledge possible.

List all your Products and what is the level of your Knowledge of your products?
What are the benefits of the Products?

3. Features that give Benefits
Why should anyone buy your product?..

List out the Benefits that will make different people decide to buy from you so that every Feature must have a number of Benefits, so that everyone gets a benefit
What are the benefits that the customer will receive?..
People only buy the benefits that apply to them

4. Relative Competitor Merits
Make sure you know what the competition is selling:-

Ask the customer…
Read the magazines….
Look at the adverts…..

5. Unique Selling Features over the Competitor
Ensure that you explain the benefits of your product taking into consideration the benefits of the competitors products that your customer is using

6. Who are you selling to?
Existing customers are the cheapest ones to sell to

Who are you seeling to in that organisation – maybe there is more than one customer
Are “they” buying all of your products
Use the draught board to sell all the range
New customers should have similar characteristics to those of existing customers

7. Goal Setting

Get started
State earnings desired
Calculate customers needed for that income and how many telephone calls are needed to reach those customers
Set STREAM goals…Specific..Realistic .. Timed..Emotionally driven..Achievable..Measurable

8. Increasing Sales

Referrals from existing customers – see separate notes on Referrals
Request and use letters of Recommendation from satisfied customers
Ensure that Geographically they are located closely together when making appointments
What products do your prospects already have to use your product.
Ask the customer for the names of these suppliers and create partnerships with them.

9. Appointments
Remember - Make the next appointment when you are still with the customer…for delivering the proposal, delivering the sample

Talking with the Receptionist
If you want to find out the name of the decision maker say the receptionist

“this is my first call to your company and I wonder if you could please help me?” …
“can you please tell me the name of the person that is responsible for ……………….Production, Marketing………..?”
“can you please put me through to Mrs/Mr/Miss……. thank you…you have been very helpful”..
Don’t try to sell the product to the receptionist….right shot - wrong target!
If put through to secretary, get her name first…

Talking to the Secretary

Secretary’s are very good at guarding bosses!!…be prepared
Break her thought process ….by checking her name and then asking
“is that ……………..?”…..yes
“this is my first call to your company and I wonder if you could please help me?” …
“the lady at reception said that Mrs/Mr/……is responsible for …………….. is that correct?”…
“thank you ….could you put me through please”
if she does not.. (then as she is a very powerful lady and controls the key to the door)….will probably ask what it is about…”you reply by saying “I would like to make an appointment do you keep his diary or does she/he?”
If she does keep it try and make a date….if she says that she must check with her boss leave some possible dates
If she doesn’t then ask when it would be best to ring and talk directly with Mrs/Mr………….

Whatever you do don’t try and sell her the product or the service as:-

she is probably not the end user
she is probably not the target market
she probably does not knows about the needs and benefits equation
she is probably not the decision maker
Remember to sell the appointment date not the product or service.
Thank her for her help and say that you look forward to talking with her again when you ring next time….leave her feeling good about you….

Decision makers/buyer

If you are put through to her/him go for an appointment ….
Go to your script… “hallo is that Mrs/Mr……………..”..yes….good
I am ………………………from………………………. This is my first call to your company and I wonder if you could please help me?”….yes if I can..
“Please Mrs/Mr…………………. who in your organisation is responsible for …………………………………….benefits (lowering transport costs, reducing wastage, increasing efficiency……….?”…….I am……
“Thank you Mrs/Mr………………the reason for my call is to tell you that my company has recently introduced a number of products/services that has helped a number of ………….directors/ managers people like yourselves …………reduce costs, increase performance ( state the benefits).…I do not know at this stage if your company can benefit or how much money, what savings, improvements can be made, but if we could go through it together then you could decide for yourself where, how much and which savings, improvements could be made”. I am going to be/I am going to be in ……. ……..on ……………..how does your diary look like on………………….. for a short meeting of about 10 minutes so that you can make a decision?”
Word your script to wet the prospect with the benefits…
Good scripts get appointments…
List out the possible objections, for example Price – “how much is it?”
“I can see that getting value for money is very important for you Mrs/Mr…………………, I will bring all the information so that we can go through it together…..tell me when would be the best time for you?”
Then give two options for dates…. “would either Tuesday at 10 or Thursday at 3 be OK?”
Don’t give specific answers to questions on Price, Delivery, Quantities, Payment details, Guarantees, Maintenance, etc.
Don’t sell the Product sell the Appointment

10. Sales Visit Plan
Plan the aim, objective and outcome of the visit by working through the sales visit with the customer….

the product
the quantity
the price – discount if any
the delivery date
the payment terms
the follow up

11. Sales Call

Be on time and be dressed accordingly
Briefcase and presentation folder to be clean, uncluttered and smart
The products/service to be congruent with the Sales person
First impression is 4 seconds for visual acceptance
Second impression (when you speak) lasts for 10 seconds and the sub conscious accepts or rejects you
Third impression is for 30 seconds as to whether the conscious overrides the sub-conscious and this is worth listening to

12. Potential Sales Stoppers
Money - Find out what money/funds/finance is available:-

“Please tell me what has been put into the budget for this purchase”
“What is the estimate for the purchase?”
“How do we compare with your existing knowledge?”
“What were you spending last year on this?”
Decision makers - Are you talking to the person with the final authority?
“Who apart from yourself is involved in the final decision?”
“Do other people need to sign the order before it starts to move?”
“What is the company’s (organisational) structure for purchasing this?”
“What other departments get involved before the order can be placed?”
“How many signatures are required for this purchase”
“Do the users get involved in the final part of the purchase process”
“Does the accounts department get involved in this sort of purchase?”

William Barron
Creating Insight