As you are aware, everyone in your business is responsible for sales. Some are more directly involved than others, but everyone plays their role. We’ve looked at the foundation for the sales team; but what needs to be in place for the remaining staff members who are only indirectly involved in sales? There are three key elements to ensuring the non-sales team members are ready and able to move your sales process forward when the opportunity presents itself. Make no mistake, the opportunity will present itself.
- Systems: This may seem like a broken record, but your business needs systems in place that the non-sales members of your team follow when faced with a sales opportunity. The systems should run from greeting a client/prospect through the hand off to a member of the sales team. The systems need to include how to gather information, especially if this is a first time contact to the business. The systems should account for a number of varying responses from the client.. By putting these systems in place, the business gets the result that it needs, a sales process that moves forward.
- Scripts: As we noted in Your Sales Process, scripting in not about creating robots. It is about ensuring that your sales message is consistent and delivered every time. This fact becomes more important when your business is relying on an employee that isn’t part of the sales team to move the sales process forward. They need to understand how to respond to questions and be comfortable with giving concise answers that provide the right information to the clients. Each employee will deliver the script in a different way, but the message will remain consistent and client needs will be met.
- Training: Use it or lose it. Staff members that don’t use the systems often will forget what needs to be done or will skip vital portions of the process. This may lead to unhappy clients or the perception that your staff doesn’t understand the business. Both scenarios are unacceptable. Training will help to ingrain the process into the minds of the employees. Start by having them read the systems and its corresponding scripts a number of times. Then, when they feel somewhat comfortable, have them role play with another staff member, preferably a sales team member. Make sure they have the systems close by so they can take notes and check off benchmarks as they go through the process. Once they complete the scene, have their partner critique the performance, focusing on message, content, and delivery. Repeat as needed to get your staff to a level of comfort that serves the business and then revisit training periodically to ensure the process stays fresh.
Sales are the lifeblood of your business. It is up to you to ensure that your entire staff, not just sales team, is ready to move the sales process forward when the opportunity presents itself.
See Also
7 Foot Bar
Sales: Behind the Curtain
Your Sales Process
