What is Your Sales Process?

By Manhassetminuteman

You may have the greatest service or product in the world, but if you can't sell it, how much good will that do?

The good news is that small improvements in your selling can have exponential effects on your bottom line. Focusing on the factors that can increase your selling efficiency or selling effectiveness will have a far greater impact than changing prices or reducing overhead.

The path to selling efficiency and effectiveness starts with proper planning. Begin by focusing on the factors you have the most control over:
  • The quality of your prospects

  • The quality of your sales pitch

  • The cost of the sales process itself

  • How you use your time

  • Your sales process
The quality of your prospects depends on how well you qualify them. This is one of the most important factors in improving your selling effectiveness. You have complete control over this part of your process. Begin by asking if the prospect truly is a good fit for what you sell.

When determining the quality of your sales pitch, remember that your prospects are too busy to pay attention to generic sales speak. Find a way to quickly show them how your product or service has delivered measurable results for people just like them. You need to prove that you know your stuff and that you can help them solve their problems.

The cost of the sales process is another area where you have control. Tracking expenses in both hard costs and time spent provides benchmarks that will help you determine just how much it costs to acquire a customer. You can't improve what you don't measure.

Effective time management skills separate the top sales superstars from everyone else. Finding the right customer acquisition techniques and tools is essential... and well within your control. Nothing is more valuable than your time. Learn to use it wisely.

Do you have a sales process in place, or do you handle sales in a piecemeal and patchwork manner? A strong, systematic sales process can take much of the mystery, magic, and waste out of selling. Track it, measure it, and tweak it until you have a dynamic process that can be replicated by every new salesperson.

There is one last item that binds all of these together, without which none of them will work. That is productive activity. Nothing can replace the actual work it takes to generate a sale. Phone calls, direct mail, networking events, emails, and in-person sales calls are all productive sales activities. They all work when they're part of an overall strategy and plan that leads a prospect to a sale.

Sometimes it only takes small improvements to get big results. Take a closer look at how you're currently selling. Shorten your sales cycle by improving your process, and watch your sales grow.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3 Top Tips to Get Inside the Mind of Your Customers

By Manhassetminuteman
Image
Don't you wish you could read minds? That would make marketing so much easier.  But it's not possible, or is it? There are some legitimate ways you can get inside the minds of current and potential customers. Take a look at the top three ways to do this.   3 Top Tips to Get Inside the Mind of Customers 1. Talk to Your Customer Service Representatives Customer service staff have the inside scoop into what customers want and need. Interview them to find out what customers are calling about, what issues need to be resolved, and what products are the most popular.   Here are some sample questions to ask your customer-service employees. What expectations and disappointments did customers express? What improvements did customers want? What value were customers hoping to find, and what price were they willing to pay? 2. Analyze the Data  You probably have spreadsheets of data and information on your customers' buying habits. Take a look at these carefully
Read more

3 Powerful Tricks to Learn New Skills Faster

By Manhassetminuteman
Image
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy Though few people like it, change never stops. Success in life requires the ability to adapt. As one Chinese proverb quips, “the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher.” Whether you enjoy change or not, the pace of change marches ahead at an ever-increasing pace. Here is a statistical snapshot of what that looks like: 94% of the internet workload will be processed on the cloud by the end of 2021 It is estimated that 70% of all automobiles will be connected to the internet through the Internet of Things by 2023 By 2030, the fully and semi-automatic car market will be worth $26 billion Artificial Intelligence is slated to replace around 85 million US jobs by 2025 The world has produced 90% of its Big Data (or extensive data sets) in the past two years Does that feel overwhelming? It can be. But humans
Read more

7 Powerful Postcard Direct Mail Ideas We Love

By Manhassetminuteman
Image
Postcards are a practical, versatile medium to send in your direct mail campaign. According to the Data & Marketing Association, postcards get a response rate of up to 4.25%, one of the highest in direct mail marketing. Take advantage of this marketing method with seven postcard direct mail ideas we love!  1. Switch up the norm Although standard postcards are 4.25” by 5.5”, usually in a horizontal position, not all postcards are designed this way.  Try switching it up with a larger postcard format with dimensions of 5.5” by 8.5” or change the orientation by sending a vertical postcard. These designs that deviate from the norm will stand out from the crowd and make the recipient take a second look.  2. Make bold designs With bright colors and attention-grabbing images, your postcard will speak for itself.  Be bold in your design choices. The design significantly influences how long a piece stays in a home. Of course, adhere to your branding guide so the final design st
Read more