Sales Performance: Architect Your Sales Foundation
Posted on Tue, Dec 20, 2011
Taking advantage of all the amazing advice and information that is available to us online, and, learning to be a better salesperson or sales manager has to be built on a strongly architected foundation, or it will be difficult, if not impossible to absorb and use the advice properly.
Just recently I participated in a webinar by a company in the sales training industry. The presenter was talking about selling into complex environments, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn some new things would benefit me in my own sales efforts, as well as when I teach my students.
I started to take notes and write things that would translate well into my training, and realized that the reason I could do so was because I had a strong foundation to work with. To extend the foundation analogy to the foundation of a home, I was adding to and building on the foundation of my home with this new learning. But without my foundation, I would have been confused, distracted and potentially worse off.
So, what are the tangible foundations of sales?
1. Setting goals and priorities - knowing what you want to achieve from the effort you will be making.
2. Time Management – making the best use of your time based on your goals.
3. Defining your Sweet Spot - the opportunities where you have the best chance of winning.
4. Prospecting effectively - so you get more appointments, at the right time with the right people.
5. Discovering, Qualifying and Influencing – asking the right questions to determine if there is a sales opportunity and if you can win. Influencing is “planting seeds” about your offer to influence how the person thinks about you.
6. Presenting – your solution in a relevant, compelling and differentiated manner
7. Handling Objections and Closing – during the sales process from prospecting to negotiations.
The intangible elements may be more important. To mention a few, they include:
1. Working hard
2. Being empathetic
3. Becoming a SME in your industry and your product
4. Being well intended
5. Being driven to be successful
Once these foundational elements are built, you can then build or add on the more “advanced” elements, including:
1. Negotiations
2. Team Selling
3. Executive Selling
4. Selling Strategically
5. Financial Selling
There are no short cuts to being great. You can compress time by working harder and smarter, but you must go through the steps. Let me know if I can answer any questions or help in any way.
