Sales is rocket science. And just as rocket science is built from a foundation of physical and mathematical laws and principles, sales can be distilled to its very simple laws and principles.
While branded selling “systems” and “approaches” serve several purposes (they help differentiate sales books and training material in order to sell them better as well as assist in articulating a message so it’s easily learned and/ or implemented) the simple laws and principles underlying them all have remained relatively unchanged since the beginning of time.
Here’s the bottom line for your records – fluff removed. Depending on what you sell, parts of the process may not be needed and some parts might need repeating.
Use it as a guide for the in-house sales development of your team or for your personal sales skill development (you do work on your most valuable asset, don’t you?) Focus on one area each week or month. Print it out. Send it out. Build from it.
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The sales process
Assuming you’ve identified the features & benefits of your product/ service – and you’ve identified and defined your target market – the sales process begins…
- Prospect
- Interview
- Analyze needs
- Present
- Negotiate
- Close
- Service & follow-up
Throughout the sales process, the salesperson should be continually…
- positively expectant
- enthusiastic
- asking questions
- listening
- qualifying the opportunity (for both parties)
- discovering hot buttons (what’s in it for them)
- building rapport
- establishing trust
- developing credibility
- developing a valuable relationship
- addressing objections
- planning next action steps
- confirming understanding
- asking for referrals
- seeking additional opportunities to serve & sell
- evaluating responses & results (positive/ negative)
- affirming decisions (minimizing buyer’s remorse)
sakura says:
i didnt understand about this…
3 September 2010
shashwat khare says:
smart points for selling.it will help a lot to me and others who are in the profession.thankyou
28 August 2010
Sonia Trevor says:
Sales is one of the important factors for every business. Well to have a good sales there must be a good marketing approach on what
product you are selling. Internet and direct selling is on of the good ways nowadays to start your market and produce sales but the
real key to have a good big break for sales is to have good commitment and great deals for those possible buyers. When it comes to
internet, do a good website and market it well. Patience is the key for sales remember that.
Sonia Trevor
Consultant of Naples web design
6 July 2010
Sonia Trevor says:
Sales is one of the important factors for every business. Well to have a good sales there must be a good marketing approach on what product you are selling. Internet and direct selling is on of the good ways nowadays to start your market and produce sales but the real key to have a good big break for sales is to have good commitment and great deals for those possible buyers. When it comes to internet, do a good website and market it well. Patience is the key for sales remember that.
Sonia Trevor
Consultant of Naples web design
6 July 2010
Raed Abu Issa says:
I’m in sales for 15 Years ,,
My Say In Sales : The Sales Weapon is the Knowledge
So,, If You have enough knowledge with Good Relation you will win your deal ,,
This is Applicable in Direct Sales Only ” Not Other Channels Of Sales ”
R.A.I
16 June 2010
nasar says:
relation is the main fact of sales if we make more relation with customer we can get more sale
15 June 2010
Kenny Bloxham says:
The most important part of the Sales Process is the start. If you clearly do not set out expectations at the start of the process (signpost) and establish what the customer is looking to achieve, you can neither take the customer through their logicial thought buying process (customer transition) or handle the real objections at the end of the sale.
Signposting at the start of the process is critical to success
I am just completing a step by step sales manual around the ‘sales process’ and how we match the ‘customers buying transition’ to ensure we maximise on the sale. Let me know if anyone is inteterested and I can send through the intro.
6 June 2010
How do you analyze your prospects and customers needs? | Deborah Shane Toolbox says:
[...] out The Sales Process Defined from [...]
14 May 2010
sofia says:
g,, you made it sound so smooth and sweet
11 April 2010
Ben says:
Looking for a great sales book anyone got any tips???
6 April 2010
C Schutte says:
On questions: How can sales managers keep reps accountable on this process?
We’ve buiilt a system around the process where people are kept accountable. I’ll mail you the essence if you like: cjhs71@yahoo.com
Our sales process was useless until I read E-Myth revisited, and now that we’ve built as system around it, it just works.
1 April 2010
EcSELL Institute says:
How can sales managers keep reps accountable on this process?
17 March 2010
The Skill Of Selling – Part 2 | BigFishMLM.net says:
[...] Sales Process Defined – Just Sell [...]
2 February 2010
chicago web design says:
great article, although I dont agree about sales being rocket science, but hey, to each their own. Thanks poster
20 January 2010
Alen Majer says:
The secret of being successful in selling is the ability to transmit your energy and your enthusiasm about your product or service. If you fail to do that, you will not sell.
29 December 2009
Matt says:
The key to making all of this work is “listening”. No matter how great your process, presentation, or relationships, if you listen well and know your product/solution well, you should always be able to make a business case, or just as important recognize when there isn’t one and move on to the next opportunity.
19 November 2009
Jorge Gomez says:
The most important part of the sale process is the closing. It defines whether or not the customer is really into buying your product/service. whenever you do a close on a customer, you will either get an “ok, let’s do it”, or another objection/buying sign.
12 November 2009
Michael Elam says:
The most important part of the sales link is empathy. If you cannot make the cogent case by emulating empathy from the customer this will not work consistently.
6 August 2009
Marion Mariatu Joe says:
I want to be getting more tips on the sales process, as I’m a sales person. I appreciate this tips, but I want to get more and more so as my company will get more revenue.Thanks
5 August 2009
Keith Deal says:
Wow, this really breaks it down to bare bones! When you said”no fluff”, you weren’t kidding!Great job on making the sales process so easy to dissect. I have come to expect nothing less than the best from your website. Thanks for helping me load my tool belt with these simple yet effective tools.
1 August 2009