16. The Best Sales Process
The best sales process is the willing customer buying process. The customers’ buying
process always has the following steps:
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I am important and want to be respected.
You must first earn my trust.
You must consider my needs.
How will your solutions help me
(the benefits)?
What are the facts?
What are the snags?
What do I have to do?
I agree/disagree.
Each step of the sales process must address each of these 8 buying requirements in the
sequence set out. If you do not demonstrate that you know the customer is important
and wants to be respected – then the buying process will stall and terminate. So how
do you demonstrate this first requirement in your sales process?
Step 1: “I am important and want to be respected”
This must be demonstrated in all meetings with customers. Typical demonstrations
will be in:
The Preparation You Do
• Researching their Website, Accounts, Other Sources
• Understanding their Organisational Chart and power people
• Knowing their business drivers
• Being in tune with their Culture
Behaving Peer-to-peer
• Buyers ‘buy from someone like themselves’
• It must be Chief to chief
Stay Tuned in meetings
• Don’t wander, it wastes their time and is therefore ‘disrespectful’
Always ask Questions
• What are your key objectives this year?
• How will you know if you are successful?
• What keeps you awake at night?
Step 2: “You must first earn my trust”.
Be strategic and singular in the ‘company you keep’. Demonstrate that you can be
trusted with the following:
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CEO and his/her profile in marketplace
Members of the Board of Directors
Having a Panel of Advisors
The Investors, taken on/and in subsequent rounds
Advisors (audit/assurance, financial and legal)
The strategic marketing management team (CEO and marketing director)
The sales management team
Channel distributors and re-sellers
Alliance, joint ventures and partners
Reference customers.
Trust in a new product/technology has to be earned by the seller. Buyers will be
fearful, uncertain and doubtful about buying something entirely new to them.
Some categories of buyers, however, will be more willing to try a purchase.
These are the early adopters and innovators.
Steps 3- 7: You must consider my needs. How will your solutions help me?
What are the facts? What are the snags? What do I have to do?
Address each of these by knowing the answers to the following questions
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HOW DO CUSTOMERS BECOME AWARE OF THEIR NEED
WHAT DO THEY NEED OR WANT
WHAT OBJECTIVES ARE THEY TRYING TO ACHIEVE
HOW DO THEY SELECT A PRODUCT
WHO PARTICIPATES IN THE BUYING PROCESS/DECISION
HOW DO THEY MAKE THEIR BUYING DECISION
WHEN DO THEY SEEM READY TO BUY
WHERE DO THEY PREFER TO BUY
HOW DO THEY ORDER AND PURCHASE
HOW IS THE PRODUCT DELIVERED
HOW IS THE PRODUCT INSTALLED APPLIED
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT’S DELIVERED
HOW IS IT PAID FOR
HOW IS IT STORED
HOW IS IT MOVED AROUND
WHAT IS THE CUSTOMER REALLY USING IT FOR
WHAT DO THEY NEED HELP WITH IN USING THE PRODUCT
WHAT ABOUT RETURNS AND EXCHANGES
HOW IS IT REPAIRED OR SERVICED
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PRODUCT WHEN IT IS DISPOSED OFF OR NO LONGER
USED
Step 8: “I agree/disagree”
The customer must finally be given an action to confirm their buying intention –
whether this is a verbal agreement to draw up contracts , a deposit or fee or arranging
meetings with the other members of a buying committee. If it’s a disagree outturn,
work back through the steps to try to establish where your ‘sell’ disconnected with
their ‘buy’.