Why You Need a PRSP

What's a PRSP? As you probably know, it's shorthand for Proven Repeatable Sales Process. Everybody talks about it, and throws around other business terms like Sales 2.0 and Inbound Marketing. Sheesh! Just keeping up with the trendy lingo can be exhausting, let alone figuring out if any of this stuff applies to you. So does it? Well, the PRSP does, and I'll tell you why.

It makes zero sense to repeat what you know doesn't work. How many sales calls have you and your staff been through? Does anybody keep track of the number of sales in relation to the number of sales calls (sales ratio?) Do your sales people write down the objections they hear in each sales call so they can spot trends, and adapt their sales call? Do some reps have sales that get returned, refunded, or reversed more than others? These are just a few of the ways to monitor what doesn't work.

What do all the sales that stay sold have in common? They had a sales process that worked. The 1) right prospect was asked the 2) right questions, needed 3) a solution you offer, provided with the 4) right information, reminded of the 5) urgency to solve his pain point, and provided a solution at a 6) price they thought was fair. There may have been all kinds of window dressing around it, but if the sale was made and stayed sold, these 6 points were there.

Look at each numbered point. Each one is a spot for a natural objection; it's an opportunity for the conversation to end, or to move forward with more confidence. If your prospects are well qualified, your reps can move easily through the process. If you prospect isn't a qualified buyer, the PRSP uncovers that before the conversation gets awkward, and you can visit them at another time when the fit will be better.

What if your sales reps used this 6 point system consistently, and didn't go off track? I'll tell you - fewer of your sales calls will end up in the weeds. You'd make more sales, and the sales would stay sold. But there's more to it than just copying the sales call of your best guy. Each sales rep and client are different, and you need to be able to frame the conversation and the information to fit each individual.

How do you make it happen? Start with those 6 points. Build a sales call worksheet that is as generic as possible that still fits all 6 points the way they work for your industry. Leave a spot on there to fill in objections, and track and count them. As the objections change and evolve, teach your staff to respond to them with information and confidence. You'll have a solid PRSP in no time!

Elisabeth Marino is an outsourced sales process adviser working in Buffalo, NY, and a frequent contributor to LinkedIn. She has worked in sales development and evaluation for 17 years, and helped dozens of organizations improve their sales numbers. Connect with her here, and follow her on Twitter @SalesDynamoNY.

The 4 Most Common Shopper Personalities, and How To Sell Them

There are millions of individual personalities out there, but most of us fall into one of 4 categories when we are shopping: The Expert, The Connector, The Prisoner, or The Evaluator. Each one of these shopping styles requires information and service to be presented in a particular way in order to make the shopper feel respected and interested in doing business with you. At first glance, it may seem like patronizing people, but really, you're just addressing your prospect in their own language. If their language was Serbian, you wouldn't speak French, would you?

Here are the 4 most common shopper types, and a few pointers on how to speak their language:

The Expert

This shopper believes they know it all already. Saving face is very important to them. You must respect the knowledge and experience they have, or think they have. Use reinforcement phrases like: I like what you just said. -and-  That’s a great question. Start sentences with: As I’m sure you already know… Question with: I’m curious about your thoughts on…

  

The Connector

This shopper is always looking for familiar context.  Everything will remind them of a story, person, or movie. They want to trust you, and want things to make sense. Use phrases that emphasize the familiar: Use their own words and phrases whenever possible. Analogies are usually helpful with these shoppers. Start sentences with: You may have thought it would be nice if… and then follow with a feature. Questions should be grounded in recent statements the shopper has made: “How soon are you looking to buy (whatever they just said)?”

The Prisoner

This shopper doesn’t want to be in the market. They want to get it over with. All they need is trust to move forward. Trust that you will take this issue off their hands, and they won’t have to cope with it anymore. Write things down! Never ask them to repeat themselves. De-escalating their emotions is very important, but it needs to be done in a way that is not minimizing the importance of their feelings. Start sentences with: Thanks for bringing that up. -and- This must be a frustrating position for you. Question with: Do you think we should talk about ________?

The Evaluator

This shopper loves the shopping, and always wants more time and material to consider. Helping them to the decision phase may be seen as pushy. They will walk away if they don’t feel educated. They want a lifeline, so they will ask about guarantees and warranties. Comparison shopping is the norm for them, and they may lead you on in hopes of getting a deal to take to your competitors. Start sentences with: “As you may know from your research…”  Question with: “To answer you better, I’d like to ask you a question.”

Make Your Client Sell Themselves

The sales that last, the sales that earn the most referrals, and the sales that earn the most repeat business, are the sales when the client sells himself.  So we sales pros get the day off, right?  Sadly, it's never that easy!

Sales professionals who can persuade the client to sell themselves are, in fact, the most valuable pros out there.  How do they do it?  It seems counter-intuitive, but those sales pros ask the most questions, listen better, and talk very little.  What are those questions?  These questions!

What issue or need with this purchase fill?  When the client discusses the problem, it increases their sense of urgency.

How does this need affect your business?  The more you know about the need, the more likely you will present the best product to fit the need.  The client is also describing their work process, which makes you better able to address them as an "insider."

How often does this need arise?  When the client mentions the interval of need, they are primed for you to set up your follow-up call.

How does it effect your business when this need in unmet?  You are asking the customer to establish the value of the product on their own terms.  There is no better sales pitch.

What are your business goals?  How does this product help you meet them?  The customer begins describing the use of the product in terms of success in meeting their own goals.

When do you want this solution in place? The client returns themselves to urgency, and the sale is made.

You can do this.  Answer each of their questions succinctly, and then follow up with a question of your own.  Present your solutions in the order of the questions they ask you, don't give them a canned pitch.  If you know your product thoroughly, the client will sell themselves, with only a little prompting from you!

10 Best Client Communications Skills

The brass tacks of a successful client conversation come down to 10 points. They are simple to list, but take a little practice to master. Don’t worry! Each one leads naturally into the next, reminding you of where you’re headed. These techniques are effective in person and on the phone. Practice each one for a full day. You’ll be a better salesperson in 10 work days. Here they are:

• Start with a smile and a warm greeting. You know the smile you give when you unexpectedly see a dear friend out of the blue? That’s the smile to share with your prospect the moment you make eye contact, before either of you have said a word. You’re setting the tone for the entire interaction. (You can even tell if someone on the phone or radio is smiling when they talk!) How do you feel when you receive that smile? It’s the same relaxation you experience when you are welcomed and respected. Give that smile, and mean it. Humans tend toward reciprocity. This means people usually respond in kind to the way they are treated. If they’re treated pleasantly and in an agreeable way, they’ll tend to react in a pleasant and agreeable way.

• Call every prospective customer by name. People feel more important when called by name. If you don’t know their name up front, shake their hand, introduce yourself, and ask them. Repeat their name once you have it. “It’s great to meet you, Mr. Foster. Thank you for meeting with me today.” When you need to address Mr. Foster, use his name once every 2-3 minutes. It keeps him involved, and keeps you from forgetting it! If you believe his attention may be drifting, call him by name in your next sentence or question.

• Listen and mirror. Listen to your prospective customer. Listen to their words, their tone of voice, and their style of expression. If they are speaking quickly and gesturing with their hands, they are probably excited. Mirror that behavior. Likewise, if they are speaking slowly and deliberately, be sure to enunciate and speak at a slower pace. Don’t copy their voice or hand gestures exactly. (That annoys people!) These mirroring techniques have been shown to make people feel understood and respected, even when no words are spoken. Putting your body in the some of the same postures they use will help you understand their mood and attitude. If your customer has a slumping posture, slouch just a little, and see how it makes you feel. Are their arms crossed tightly across their body? Cross yours loosely, and see how it feels. Once you correctly perceive their mood and attitude, you’ll address their questions more effectively.

• Talk about your client. The only context that matters to your client is how to meet his own needs, achieve his own goals, and solve his own problems. Most people prefer to talk about themselves. Encourage them to talk by using probing questions. As they talk, you’ll be learning about what product to sell them, why, and often how. Everything they share tells you something about their needs, their qualifications, and about their buying process. Do not interrupt. It’s good stuff. Apply what you’re hearing to your sales pitch.

• Thou shalt not speak ill of the competition. Never, ever, ever. Putting someone else down doesn’t make your product or company look any better, it just makes you look petty and like a gossip. It’s unprofessional, and in some companies it will get you fired. Most importantly, you are not talking about your product or your customer! Bring your attention back to where it belongs. Youcan emphasize that your product wears longer, or that your service is backed with a guarantee. Ex: “You can make this purchase with peace of mind. We’re proud of our guarantee. It’s the longest and most complete in the industry.”

• When your shopper finishes a thought or asks a question, be ready with the next concept or question you want them to address. This is the most important skill in contact management. Ex: Client: “...and that’s why I’m in the market for a new system.” Short pause. You: “Mr. Client, we have a large selection of systems that will meet your needs. Tell me about how your staff uses the system. What do they need the system to do more effectively?” Back to Mr. Client: “Well, if the system could scrape data from a number of different applications and generate reports, that would be ideal.” Short pause. Now you:“That seems reasonable. Think of how much stress that would relieve! We have solutions that do just that. How many staff members will be working on this system?” Again, an appropriate response is tied directly to the next probing question. This technique should be employed on most or all occasions that you speak in the sales process. It makes you efficient, responsive, and most importantly, keeps your prospect talking. Conversational control usually fails if you have not mastered this skill.

• Praise/thank your prospect. There is always a sincere reason to praise them, and it shows them you think they are important. Ex: “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Thank you for seeing me today.” Even when they call you, work it in. “It’s good to hear from you. What can I do for you?” Your client is, and should feel like, the most important thing you have going on right now. Ever come across one of those salespeople who treat prospects like they’re an interruption or an annoyance? Giving the impression you find your agenda more important than you find your client is a sure way to see to it they don’t “bother” you again.

• Be well and fine and happy. Sales is a customer focused activity. If they ask how you are, you’re fine, or great or terrific. Now turn the focus back to your shopper. No one cares if your feet hurt, if you broke up with your sweetheart, or if you’re in a lousy mood. Well, at least, your client doesn’t. Clients want service. Pleasant service. Make sure they get it.

• Try to avoid saying “NO.” Your shopper sometimes will ask you for things you can’t deliver. If they ask, “Can you give me another 20% off?” You say, “What we can do for you is this -.” When they say they want lifetime service free of charge, you can say, “We usually meet that need by doing this -.” Addressing the question with the available choices is usually enough to bring the customer back to discussing the possible. If you are forced to deny a specific request, be gentle but clear: “We don’t offer that option. We’re happy to offer this.” "No" is always a last resort. If you have to say it, don’t leave it hanging in the air like a bug you want to swat! Follow it up immediately with the solution you do offer.

• Create a “Yes” frame of mind. In your discussion with your client, ask questions which lend themselves to “yes” answers. Ex: “You appreciate a good value, don’t you?” Or, “Your family is the priority here, right?” Follow these questions up with immediate facts that serve the subject. Ex: “This insurance policy protects your family in the case of a tragedy, and also creates an investment tool to make the good times even better.” Once a person sees that you’re on the same wavelength, they relax some of their defenses. Feeling understood helps people build relationships. Prospects stop resisting and start problem solving, which means buying.

Build New Business in 6 Simple Steps

Your New Business pitch needs to have a plan, but not a script. (In some cases, your pitch will have some language you use verbatim in every sale. If you have disclosures, they are usually mandated to include certain language.) Strong outlines and agendas for New Business calls are very effective. Rote-memorized scripts are not. What follows are skills and dynamics to add into your outlines and agendas. Stay in control of the conversation to hit your agenda points, and use these tools to educate, excite, and close your prospect.

Start building a pitch sheet. The goal is to present your product in the context of your prospect's business or life. Each heading below should prompt you to add specific concepts, questions, or phrases to your sheet. From there you can build an agenda of how you’d like your New Business calls to run, and polish some lines for your pitch.

Feature – A feature of a product is something positive and observable or concrete. It will include something that sets your product apart, like “leather seats” or “lightweight.”

Benefit – The way in which the customer’s situation is improved by the product. “Added comfort” or “time-saving” are benefits. They define experiences, not something concrete.

Differential Advantage – The differential advantage is the reason your product is the right choice for your customer, as opposed to other alternatives. Ex: When it comes to rain gear, most of us would like to stay dry, with style and durability for our money. When we’re at Niagara Falls and getting hit with spray from the falls, the flimsy little plastic pullovers at the merchandise stands have the differential advantages of being on site, and inexpensive.

Probing Questions - To fully understand what products and services your client needs, you need to learn about their pain. You need to ask questions. What isn’t working? Why doesn’t it work? How does that affect their business? These questions are all about establishing the specific needs of your customer, and bringing those needs to the front of your mind and theirs. Make notes of the answers. Probing questions should be a major part of every sales call you ever make. Finding a way to discuss what your client finds to be a problem and then keeping them talking about it is the bread and butter of daily sales work. It tells you what to sell them. Depending on your product or service, you may want to set a minimum number of probing questions for each interaction. I always aim for at least three, even on a grip and grin visit, and there is no upper limit.

Focus on the problem/solution equation - Every product or service represents a solution to a want or a need. Focus less on your product, and more on the needs of the prospect. The right probing questions will lead to a sense of urgency on the buyer’s part. Encourage them to discuss how the solution will be implemented. The answer to any of the following questions can lead you to a solution-implementation conversation. What specific problems has the unmet need caused? How it will affect their life or business the longer their need goes unmet? Does this need arise often? How long has it been unmet already? How would it be if the need were met today?

Goal-setting – What are your prospect’s goals? It doesn’t matter if they seem to relate directly to your product at this point! Understanding what the prospect is working toward will give you more context for how they will make buying decisions. (If your prospect plans to sell their business within 5 years, and your solution will take 8 years to pay for itself, you may not want to emphasize the short term return on investment in your conversation.) Immediate, short term, and long term goals all matter to your current conversation. Of equal importance, they matter to your follow-up visits. Even if your prospect doesn’t buy today, you’ll have a relevant subject to discuss next time you talk – how’s that goal coming along? Remembering their goals (make notes!) and taking an interest makes you an ally, not just a supplier.

These steps will close more new business.  Incidentally, they'll also close more repeat business.  Commit to your agenda before you set foot in the door. Ask your questions, and present your product or service in the context of the client's world.  Help them see how buying from you helps them meet their goals.  You'll build your client base, and have more loyal customers. 

How To Make More Money In Sales

You're a "natural born salesman," right?  People have said it your whole life.  I’m here to tell you that they don’t exist!  There isn’t one, any more than someone is a natural-born brain surgeon.  Talent will make a good living some of the time.  Effective salesmanship is a group of skills - learned behaviors.  There are folks who are naturally persuasive in conversation.  That doesn’t mean they possess the skills to find new business, close a sale and maintain a customer relationship.  Sales is a combination of technique and creative application of that technique.

What are the magic techniques?  There isn't just one!  Each market is different.  What works in Des Moines definitely doesn't  work in L.A.. What works for everyone is this: read everything!  At least twice a year, buy a sales book, and get learning.  Why?  Because your market is evolving every day, and you need to evolve right along with it.  Each technique you learn is another useful tool in your toolbox.  Relationship selling may be the ticket in your area right now, but will not necessarily work tomorrow.  

Prospecting and closing are the basis for all sales.  Solution selling, challenger selling, trusted advisor selling, SMART selling - each one is a set of disciplines that keeps the customer talking about his needs, and each in a different way. That's the only "trick" in the book.  Keep your prospect talking about the trouble caused by not having their solution or your product.  If your current pitch isn't opening up the conversation, change tactics.  The only way you can do that easily is to have dozens of tools in your toolbox.

Focusing on the buyer's needs does several things: it teaches you how the prospect does business; it shows you what solutions they are shopping for; it demonstrates what solution has failed; if properly handled, it brings up the urgency of the buyer to solve the problem.  Urgency is what tips the scales from conversation to sale.  

If your only tool is a wrench, you'd better hope every prospect is a bolt.  Otherwise, build your toolbox.  Read, role-play, and continually sharpen your skills.  You'll close more business, and make more money!  

(Suggested reading: Zig Ziglar, Paco Underhill, Jeffrey Gitomer, Meridith Elliot Powell, Stephen Schiffman, etc.)

Networking: Just Do It!

Networking meetings don't have
to be formal.  Make 'em happen!

Networking – verb.  Any process by which you expand your network of business connections.  Conventions, industry happy hours, and professional organization meetings all can be networking activities.   Charity events like fun runs, community events like parades and festivals, LinkedIn, other social media, and attending events where your target market recreates are also networking opportunities.  Don't attend these events blindly!  Target the connections that will be the most useful to you, and cultivate them.

Cattle-call networking event.  Don't!

Recently some sales professionals have been actively preaching against networking. Bad networking is out there, and a total waste of time.  What is bad networking?  Collecting business cards and shaking hands is not networking.  Don’t bother.  Effective networking brings you prospective, customers, job offers, references, referrals, and a bigger paycheck. 

Good networking is establishing a real connection with another business professional.   Customers can be valuable network members, but the most valuable are frequently folks from outside your customer base.  Inside your industry there are key players, and you want to know them.  Make it a mix of the two.

Networks are a
two-way relationship

Why build a network?  There are many reasons.  Connections in vertical markets can help you learn more about your business, and stay on top of changes in the industry.  Keep track of the competition.  Connections can become advisors,  and mentors on tough days.  They pave the way for introductions to hard-to-reach professionals.  Objectivity and different professional circles make network members effective for each other.  These are people you will make part of your professional life.  You’ll maintain contact with them through occasional emails and phone calls, and build your relationship over time.  Their objectivity will help keep you grounded.  Their professional networks will be resources for you, and yours will be for them.  Remember it's a two-way street!   Be there for them.  You'll often need to prove your value before the relationship truly blossoms.

Network members are often the missing
piece of the puzzle!

When you reach out to a network prospect, you'll treat it like a sales call.  (Having a big network is nice, but having the right network makes you money.  Woo them a little!)  You'll talk about them.  You'll focus on their position in their market, and learn what their goals are.  Helping your network members achieve goals is key to a productive relationship.  You'll make an effort to share articles with them, and connect them to appropriate business people in your world.  Follow them on social media.  Recognize their accomplishments and milestones.  As you demonstrate a genuine interest, you'll be securing their loyalty and their interest in you.   

Cultivate strong relationships with professionals in other industries, too.  Outside your industry, there are movers, shakers, and influencers.  Adding them to your network will help you stay ahead of the curve on local and regional business news.  Beyond keeping you "in the know," there is always someone your clients are looking to meet.  Your network members make great referrals to clients who have needs your company can’t meet.  Based on your personal relationship, your client will receive great service from your network members.  If you supply the name of a terrific plumber, landscaper, and dry cleaner to a new home buyer, your value to that home buyer has just gone way up.  A strong network of competent professionals is helpful in every profession.  Think about the connections that will help your customers, and build them.

A strong professional network also will help you when you need a job.  If you’ve been sending them business, and taking good care of the business they send you, your network will be happy to share the job openings they know of.  They will look at you as a competent professional, and will recommend you as such. 

Sales Fulfillment Issues

I hear this one lament over and over from fellow salespeople: "I did my job and sold it, and then the back end screwed it up."  Has this happened to you?  Doesn't it drive you crazy?


First, make sure the weak link isn't you!  You may be terrific in the field, and not so great on follow-up.  You may make wonderful presentations, and make errors on your paperwork.  If you aren't squeaky clean on your process, when the time to comes to solve the problem, you may be considered part of that problem!  Confirm everything you can in a bullet-pointed email to your customer, including your scheduled follow-up calls and dates.  Make sure all relevant addresses and phone numbers are in that confirmation email.  And make sure the same email goes to your fulfillment department whenever appropriate.  (Fulfillment will appreciate the heads up!)  If you've covered these bases, move on.


Second, don't jump the gun.  If the fulfillment department falls behind occasionally, or only when things are extremely busy, let it go. Or better yet, ask your manager how you can help the fulfillment go more smoothly during crunch time.  Life gets easier for you AND fulfillment, and you're recognized as willing to pitch in and help the team reach its goal.


If it's time to address the issue, look at the big picture. The messenger of bad news is never received with open arms.  Management is interested in facts and solutions, not counting up problems.  If you present things well, you'll supply both facts and solutions.  Make the news as attractive as possible. 
Discuss fulfillment problems when you and your boss are on good terms.  If you discuss it when you're missing quota, late on paperwork, or have been late or absent for a couple of days, it will sound like an excuse for your poor performance.  On a day when you've delivered more than expected and the boss is beaming, mention your concerns.  Then, send them in writing.  Make your notes clear and without blame.  Make sure you indicate with whom you've spoken in fulfillment, and what supporting paperwork has been sent to them and received from them.


If you deal directly with fulfillment, send an email confirming the contents of every phone call or meeting.  Even if they don't write back, and insist on calling, write a confirmation.  You are creating a paper trail, which will allow you and the managers to identify where the communication breakdown or execution problem is.  If there are frustrated customers, forward their emails to your manager and the fulfillment department.  Keep everyone in the loop with the problems being faced by the customer, and offer to be part of the solution.  Things will improve!

Foundations of the Sale

There are three foundations that make every sale succeed.  They are : 1) Client needs the solution you are providing.  2) Client has reasonable expectation of the product and the service you provide. 3) The client feels they have paid a fair price for the solution provided.  When the client sends a strong buying signal before these three foundations are in place, start the paperwork.  But understand that your job isn't finished.  Don't take the signature until all three conditions are met. 

Short of reaching for the pen and asking for the sales agreement, is there a clear buying signal?  Sure there is.  And when your customer starts to send the buying signal, can you rush the sale, or over-think it?  Of course.  So let's get it right.  It's much more profitable to sell the prospect correctly on the first try than to try to appease an unsatisfied client.

Customers send buying signals from the moment they agree to meet with a sales person.  They'll tell you what they want, what they need, what they have filling that need right now, and why they are considering a change.  They'll ask for a delivery or in-service date. Is that the right moment to close the sale? 

The answer is, only sometimes.  We want happy customers.  They become our advocates and sources of repeat business or referrals.  Still, no one wants to feel like they are part of your agenda. So when they ask, "when can we take delivery" or "what kind of deposit do you need" or "how do I bring my people up to speed on this" or any other classic buying signal,  it's time to stop any overt selling.  They're sold.  It's time instead to educate and advise. That will help ensure a happy customer.

Move to what using the product will mean for that client. Ask them questions about how they anticipate implementation working, and use that part of the conversation to set realistic expectations.  Make sure they understand the payment process.  Clients who can reach out and get immediate answers are usually the happiest, so make sure they have your number, the support number, and the address of the website.  Now you're ready for the signature.

Always send a follow-up email thanking them for their time and business.  If your client will be working with someone else for fulfillment of their order, make sure that you include all of the contact information in the email.  That customer is about to be an excellent referral source for you, and that will keep bringing you commissions as long as they are happy!

Building the Sale

In sales, there is only one goal: turn a prospect into a satisfied customer.  That satisfied customer pays your bills, advertises your business, and refers their friends.  They are the single largest revenue generator your company has, and they are the goal that all other activities in business must serve.  How do you do it? For today, let's use the example of a waiter in a restaurant.  The prospect is the diner seated at a table in your section.  They are not yet a customer, as they haven't paid their bill.  And you don't know if they're satisfied until you see the tip, or better yet, see them come back to dine again.

The waiter (salesperson) has the job of building the order.  If they ask, "What would you like to drink?" the check will be smaller than if they come to the table with a sparkle in their eye and tell you all about the "cool, refreshing Mojitos" that are tonight's drink special.  The more things a person orders, the more opportunities the restaurant has to delight them, and turn them into a loyal customer.  And the more things they order, the larger the check.

If the waiter recites the appetizer specials like they're reciting a grocery list, that's also an unsuccessful strategy.  If they say, "You know, asparagus is at the peak of it's season right now, so the chef has designed an amazing asparagus appetizer.  It's grilled with just a little salt and olive oil, some plum tomato slices, and served with a caramelized onion jam and goat cheese.  It's amazing.  I don't know how he does it!" with some energy, it's likely to sell pretty well.  Even if the diners weren't planning to order an appetizer, that presentation will make them consider it.  The appetizer helps build the check.
What if you, the waiter (salesperson), hate the product?  Your customer should never know.  Your job is to present each dish (product) in its most attractive light.  When you do this, people will buy it.  Bigger checks mean bigger tips, and the company stays in business to employ you tomorrow.

The biggest mistake waitstaff (salespeople) make is putting themselves in the place of the diner (customer).  You are not making a living as a diner.  You are making a living as a waiter.  When you walk into work, you are now a sales specialist.  You need to educate the diner, make sure their needs are met, and make sure that both of those things increase your check.  It's not about "fooling" them into anything.  They've come to the restaurant with the intention of enjoying food.  They want a dining experience that they couldn't replicate at home.  Assuming the waiter has done his job properly and educated the customer while selling the product, the diner may leave with an uneaten portion of food in a doggie bag because they ordered more than they could eat.  When they're enjoying their leftovers, they'll be looking forward to when they can go back!

Best of all, the waiter will know he has maximized the check.  They have ordered something from each menu category, and eaten as much as they reasonably could.  The tip is as high as you could achieve.

If the waiter is truly a professional, he will have encouraged them to come back, and planted the seed for other ways the diners can enjoy the product, like catering or private parties.  When the diner comes back in and wants to be seated in his section, he'll know they are a satisfied customer.  Now he needs to do it again!

How Does Your Sale Flow?

Sales Flow.  We know it's important.  How do you develop one?  Let's get specific.

Sales Flow is the process used with the customer to result in the sale.  It's the difference between being a sales professional and being an order-taker.  (Professionals are in control of the process, and order-takers wait to be told what is being purchased.)  Sales flow always includes the same pieces, and what varies is the order.  What never varies is the sales professional stays in control of the conversation.

Omitting any of the pieces of the flow seriously damages your chance of getting the sale.  Even if the customer is chomping at the bit, desparate to buy.  If you don't get through the entire sales process you risk a buyers-remorse cancel, or worse, an unhappy customer who doesn't cancel - they just badmouth you for the length of the relationship.

So what's the flow?  These are the necessary pieces.

Interview - Probing Questions - Qualifying - Need Recognition
These are many words for basically the same thing.  You are questioning the customer about how they're meeting the product need right now, and how they've determined that it's time to talk to you.  Let's use the car salesman as an example.  "What are you driving now?"  "Is this car your primary vehicle?"  "What has you shopping for a vehicle today?"   "What's your dream car?" "What kind of driving do you do the most?" "Do you have anything in particular in mind?" It's particularly effective to combine this step with the "Excitement" step.

Establish Relationship
The reason a salesperson is involved in this sale is the product sells best in a relationship sale.  You need to create a positive relationship with each of your prospects.  Your personality needs to be involved - no robotic conversation here.  Notice everything about the customer that you can.  If they have a bumper sticker about fishing, ask them about fishing.  Let them be the expert.  Relate the attributes of the vehicles back to fishing.  Even if you personally hate fishing (or kids, or antiquing, or whatever they love) find questions that bridge the gap between their passion and your product.

Excitement - Drive - Desire - Urgency
A prospect who is not excited is unlikely to become a customer.  If you're selling cars and saying cars are a necessary evil in today's modern world, your chances of making the sale are much lower than if you're talking about the seat-of-the-pants thrill of feeling the car accellerate with just a flick of the gas pedal.  You need to generate excitement for using the product.  This is the difference between presenting features and benefits and creating urgency for the customer to buy.

Presentation and Disclosure
Features, benefits, and disclosures need to be presented consistently throughout the interaction.  (Features are important facts about the product or service being sold, usually ones unique to your particular product or service.  Benefits are advantages the customer will receive by purchasing your product or service.  Disclosure is making the customer aware of what most of us think of as "small print."  This is any agreement or assumption of liability between the parties involved in the sale.)  Weave the features and benefits through, touching on each one several times.  Touching on the disclosures only once, or providing them in writing instead of discussing them helps to keep the focus on the positive.  If the customer asks about the details of any disclosure, handle them as directed by your
manager.

Close the Sale
This is the part we all love!  The prospect becomes a customer, and commits to the purchase. This is the time to emphasize benefits.  Ask for the customer's business.  Thank them for their business.  Discuss things past the sale, like delivery dates or what the client will feel when they are in possession of the product.  This step also works well when woven through the entire sale process.  "Trial" closes keep your finger on the pulse of your prospect's excitement level.  Checking on what delivery date would be good, or what tow hitch fits well on this vehicle in the beginning or middle of the process can appear to be simple note-taking to the customer while subtly moving your sales agenda forward.

Vending, Clerks, and Sales

When my daughter was 4, she came down with a nasty case of strep throat.  Everything she swallowed hurt her, including fluids.  It was a hot day, and she was feverish, and wouldn't even drink because it hurt.  I worried about her getting dehydrated.  As I was offering her different things for dinner, she turned down one after another. 

"Let's have ice cream for dinner tonight, Honey." I offered.  It wouldn't hurt her throat, and it would help keep her fluid intake up.

She tilted her head so her curls fell away from her face.  "Okay."  Then she sat up very straight, pushed back her hair, and said, "Wait.  We can do that?"  She had never even imagined the option!


There are three primary ways in which things are sold:

Vending - when things are displayed, and all or most of the transaction takes place without interacting with a person.  This is true of vending machines, most online sales, and grocery stores to name a few.  People are versed in the product and in their particular needs, and can/will make purchases without additional information about features and benefits.

Clerks - when a shopping experience takes place with a human assistant to the sale.  Clerks will direct you within a store to help you find the product you are seeking, and make suggestions regarding fit or ancillary products that work well together. 

Sales - the shopper is guided through the entire process because the features and benefits must be explained and understood on an individual basis.  Buying a car, or consulting a stock broker or insurance agent are excellent examples of sales.

Most of us in the sales world think of ourselves as professionals, but find ourselves behaving like clerks more often that we'd like.  We have a customer who wants to take control of a sale, or who is only motivated to shop, and not buy, and we find ourselves directing them to investigate on their own ("the sale rack is in the back, Sir.") We choose not to sell to them, but instead to deflect them because they're difficult.

How do we motivate ourselves to be a salesperson all the time?  We must decide to never give up control.  It may be taken from us from time to time, but we should never give it away.  Salespeople are hired when they are necessary for the product to meet its full market potential.  Some features and benefits are not obvious, so we need to show the  customer how the product improves their unique situation.  Take the situation above: the child didn't even know ice cream for dinner was an option.  We never know which information the client doesn't have - and we know better than to make assumptions - so we need to cover it all.

When we surrender control of a sale, we end up relying on the customer to ask the right questions to get the answers they need to sell themselves.  They won't do it.  They can't do it.  They don't know the features and benefits of the product the way you do.  You need to lead them through the process to ensure they cover all the information that will help them.  You also need to keep them motivated and excited, because without that, the sale will never close.  People love to acquire, but they hate parting with their money. 

Stick with your sales flow, and commit to answering questions in your own timetable. "I'd like to get to that in a minute."  Take notes while the customer is speaking, so they can tell that you are interested in their specific needs.  Frequently refer to their comments and situation that you took the notes about so they feel involved.  Ask primarily "yes" questions.  ("Wouldn't you love never having to clean the oven again?")  Yes questions rarely lead to the customer objecting, so you can build goodwill, and the customer will feel understood.  Control is the difference between a sale and a callback.  Make sales!

Next time, we'll review Sales Flow.