Benchmark Business Group

The ABC's of Sales

May 7, 2018

It's time for a quick sales checkup! Sales is an integral part of every business, but too often business owners don't stop and analyze their process. Today we're going to do a quick check-up that works regardless of your industry or sales process.
 
Sales 101: Clients have a need that you want to solve. That need could be easing a pain or even making their dreams come true. It could be something they have to have or something they want to have. Either way, sales at its most basic form is figuring out how to solve the gap between where the client is now and where they want to be.
 
A business's sales process is to build a bridge over the gap using the ABC's of sales: 
 
A - Analyze the needs  
B - Break the Barriers  
C - Close the Gap
 
Though sales processes can vary based on industries and product lines, the basics of sales can be evaluated using the ABC's. This week we challenge you to take just 30 minutes and evaluate your sales process. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being poor and 10 excellent, how well does your process:
 
Analyze the needs - How well does your sales process employ the skills of curiosity, listening and questioning to find your client's needs? Is your sales process designed to uncover their needs or are sales people left to stumble into them? Do you have a list of questions to help uncover the client's needs?
 
Insight:  A well-designed sales process should include the questions and conversation starters that a salesperson would need to help uncover a client's true needs - and connect them to it.
 
Break the Barriers - How well does your sales process identify what your business, products or services do to solve their needs and wants? How well does your process dig to find out what really stops a client from crossing the bridge? Barriers or objections are not always expressed openly. For example, "not right now," is a barrier that clients often use because they're not sure, just yet, if you have the right solution for them. It can also be a polite way to say no. Either way, what it really means is they are not confident the solution you have is the answer to their problems.
 
Insight:  A well-designed sales process should include common barriers along with the language and thought process to engage the client to overcome those barriers.
 
Close the Gap - Ask these questions to discover how well your sales process helps your clients walk across the sales bridge. 
  • Do you need to push or pull clients through your sales process?
  • Does the process lead them naturally to the next step?
  • Does your process help your client envision themselves on the other side of the bridge, having what they want or need?
  • Are you using their words, needs, and desires to help them see how the solution matches their needs?
  • Does the sales process have well-thought-out milestones that salespeople can use to know if a client is moving closer to the other side of the bridge?
  • Is your sales process asking clients to engage in the next step, up to and including the closing?
Insight:  A well-designed sales process is laid out in a series of steps, or mini-closes, that move your client step-by-step across the sales bridge. If your sales process is not well laid out, it won't feel natural to clients and will make it easier for them to say no.
 
Even though this check-in is quick, it can be very powerful to stop and see if your sales process covers the ABC's of sales.


 

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