Sales Process is a sequence of events that leads to a sale. Regardless of what industry we work in, sales processes are generally present, albeit in different forms.
You can feel the power of CRM when you call your bank and they are able to identify you before you even introduce yourself. At the end of the call they then ask you why you don’t appear to have any superannuation or are you interested in investing some of your liquid funds into a term deposit.?
The use of sales processes is far better implemented when a CRM system is used to support the ideology, it is a no brainer and hence the explosion of CRM into organizations.
Ten years ago, only 5% of companies had CRM, now we see that only 5% of companies don’t have CRM, but what we see is the poor use of the system they have in place. Underutilized CRM systems in organizations is common, and even more so is the linking of sales processes to the system.
The benefits of sales processes are that you can be assured of better efficiencies in the area of: number of enquiries to number of orders.
Another observation we have made is that companies that have sales processes in place during a downturn performed better than their competitors, due to the regimented processes, and higher yields.
It is a matter of how closely the sales processes are followed by all team members, but also how all team members view the power of the sales process and its impact on new and repeat revenue!
So, in what industries are sales processes used? Most industries use and all will benefit from the use of a sales process. Ranging from retail, Corporate and Government.
So, what does a sales process look like?
A sales process can be very specific and include the type of salutation that is made on greeting through to the questions asked during the very first prospecting call. In addition, how soon we generate a proposal, when to follow up and how to follow up.
The CRM often prompts the Team Member to send a template email to the prospect or client. This can then trigger a call back, and if the call back is not complete, a further reminder is sent to inspire action.
Sales Processes go far deeper than what is discussed above, in fact some sales processes are so complex that the standard functions of Sales Process creation are placed into the hands of developers.
If you would like to know more about how Sales Processes can be integrated into your business then call Synergy For Success to discuss Sales Training Brisbane, Sales Training Sydney, Sales Training Melbourne, Sales Training Adelaide & Sales Training Perth.
1) Recruiters who specialise in Sales Teams can smell a sales gun a mile away. We understand the traits of a great sales person and we can quite often identify these team members very early in the interview. Here at Synergy for Success we have identified 14 key competencies that can be measured when selecting great sales people. It’s these traits that should be considered when making your next available hire.
2) Recruiters who specialise in sales team always have several preferred candidates that are kept at arm’s length, ready for that tap on the shoulder. Once we identify a star candidate we will keep them on our database and have them ready for that next engagement.
3) Not all sales jobs are the same – so many variations of sales roles exist, so trying to fit an account manager into a Business Development Managers role just won’t work. External recruiters understand the ten different variations to sales roles that exist and can assist in finding the right person for the job.
4) We understand remuneration schemes for sales people – External recruiters can tell you if the salary package you are offering is harming your sales performance. We see this daily, and often a small change can achieve big results to a sales team’s performance.
5) Hiring new sales people without evaluating the team that you are placing them into can dilute the whole sales team culture. A new sales person can thrive in the right environment – what could a team with mediocre skill sets do to the motivation levels of a new sales team member?
If you are navel gazing now and are
wondering why your sales team is not performing, then ask yourself the
following questions:
Did you seek a second opinion on the hiring
of all your team members or did we just use the same old techniques we have
been using in this company for the last 20 years?
Have you been only hiring from within the
organization for reasons unknown, and wondered if this has been working?
Do you fail to seek counsel on hiring
styles – sometimes a total paradigm shift in hiring practices can make a huge
impact on your sales results. Hiring someone from outside the industry can
often pay dividends.
If you are feeling the pinch and
experiencing reducing sales pipelines and profits, then call Synergy for
Success Industries we are ready to brief with you and change the face of your
sales team.
Synergy for Success is the only Sales Recruiter in Australia that has its own Sales Training Programs, recruitment agencies Brisbane & recruitment agencies Gold Coast, what this means to you is that can develop all the competencies of your sales team and ensure that you head towards achieving leading market share in your industry.
Please call Synergy for Success for an obligation free discussion on how we can assist you in building an Invincible and Highly Profitable Sales Team !
How good are you at presenting your company’s products or services?
How good are your team members at presenting on the phone or in person?
When was the last time you and your team reviewed and practiced your sales pitches?
Think back to a recent purchase you made in which you were assisted by a sales person or BDM. What was the manner in which they presented their product or service?
Believe it or not, the pitch is one of the most important parts of the sales process.
The most successful companies are the ones that have created a slick and powerful sales pitch. The reason for creating the slick sales pitch is purely to win more deals.
The reason you lost your last sale is because a competitor presented a better sales pitch than you!
So let’s take a look at what we need to consider before creating the most amazing sales pitch ever:
What is the client seeking – what is their pain ? What are they asking for ?
What benefits does your product offer the client?
Clearly and concisely, what is your point of difference in the marketplace?
What value proposition can you offer the client?
What is your after-sales process – what happens if the client is not delighted?
What guarantee or warranty do you offer?
Learn more about crafting a powerful sales process at the valuable 2-Day training event
A closer look at each of these questions in detail
What is the client seeking – what is their pain? What are they asking for?
Most orders are lost because the salesperson fails to build a rapport with the prospect and find out what their pain is. Finding out what the client is seeking, and why they are in the market is a crucial part of the sales process. Unless you know what their pain is, how can you solve their problem ? We like to rush in and offer the client a product and price, before we have really started to understand what their needs are.
Example: A dentist’s client may be asking for straight teeth, but what they may really be asking for is social acceptance, confidence, or a shot at fame. Stepping into your clients shoes and worldview, what is the underlying cause of their pain? When they are buying your product or service, what are they really asking for?
What benefits does your product offer the client?
Rather than just offering a product, why don’t we tell the prospect what the features are of the product. Let the prospect know what the benefits are to them. I can tell you that the best sales teams in the world know every feature and benefit of their product and know how to explain it to the customer in terms of what it means for them – so for example, “stainless steel fasteners” alone does not persuade the client, but “Stainless Steel Fasteners” means that “ the product will not corrode and will not require ongoing maintenance’ and in turn this means more uptime for you !” What are the features of your product? What are the benefits of these features?
Clearly and concisely, what is your point of difference in the marketplace?
Who are you? Why should I deal with your company? Are you Australia’s only distributor of Authentic Indigenous Artwork? What is your real difference – No one knows what your point of difference is except for you – so you will need to spend some time reviewing who you are and why I should buy from you. What do you have that no one else in the marketplace have?
What value proposition can you offer the client ?
If I buy your product can I feel safe if you are the cheapest or the dearest ?
Have you evaluated your product in the marketplace – where do you stand ? If you are the dearest, how can you justify to me the price difference ? If your product is one of the cheapest in the marketplace – how can I be sure that your product will serve me ? What price point is your product and how does it compare in the marketplace? How do your clients know they can trust you at this price?
What is your after-sales process – what happens if the client is not delighted?
Small things mean a lot to customers – let them know what your after sales process is – does the product have a warranty? How long is the product warranted for? What is the process if it breaks down? Who do they call? Is it serviced locally? Let the customer know that you have a fine tuned process for making things good. And by the way, don’t forget to tell the customer about spare parts and accessories – this is often forgotten in Sales Pitches. What is your after-sales process? How do you/could you inform your clients about this? If your client is not delighted, how do you find out and what do you do about it?
NEXT: Weave this knowledge into your sales pitch
Once you start to understand more about your product and its position in the marketplace you can start to weave this into your sales pitch. Once you can articulate to your prospect the points as discussed above in a persuasive manner you will then be able to tighten your sales ratios and win more deals – that is what sales is all about.
Would your team benefit from learning more about crafting a powerful sales pitch?
The Synergy For Success 2-Day Sales Training Event, August 9-10, is valuable for all Sales Professionals.
Learn more about crafting a powerful sales process at Sales Training Program, B2B proven program used by National & Global Corporations on August 9-10 – perfect for any team seeking to level up in sales.
