2 ½ Steps to Sales Success

You have just walked out of the office of a potential new majorcustomer that you have anxiously been waiting to meet with forweeks and again, you realize you have no idea what is going tohappen next as a result of your meeting. Worse yet, you again"spilled all your beans" by telling the potential client howthey should solve their problems, hoping that they will LET YOUhelp them by throwing some business your way. You tellyourself, "I think I'll get some business here because I knowthey liked me!" Sound familiar?

Selling is Truly a DIS-qualification Process!

Most seasoned sales professionals will tell you that effectiveselling is essentially a customer DISqualification process. Yousystematically define whether any given targeted customerjustifies the time and cost of further pursuit. You mustclearly define if your potential customer clearly understandsand sincerely appreciates the value of your product or serviceofferings to a level of justification that they can, and will,make a reasonable purchase commitment to you. If they cannot orwill not, they do not qualify! Don't waste your time, move on!

This potential customer disqualification process is bestimplemented via a straightforward, "2 and ½ Sales Call SellingProcess":

The "2 and ½ Sales Call Selling Process"

It starts with setting up an appointment to meet face-to-facewith a potential customer, (the "half" call). The next step inthe process, (the first call) or visit, is best described as a"fact-finding session". The final step in the selling processconcludes with a second face-to-face session, called the"Presentation Call", (the second call), where you presentsolutions to the problems surfaced in the fact-finding session.Warning: Mixing these two calls or sessions together orattempting to consolidate both visits into one session candramatically reduce your probability of selling success!

Each of the 2 and 1/2 sales call selling sessions is based on alogical and linear information exchange process between you andthe potential customer. Within each call or session you shouldtry to get answers to the following fundamental questions:

The "Half" Call" - Setting Up the Appointment:

Who within the targeted organization would benefit most fromyour product or service offering? (Varies by company type andsize) Does this person have the purchase authority to make avalid purchase commitment?(If no, call a management level"above" this position and get referred "down") If you must getreferred to the person who has this purchase authority, canyou use the referring person's name to get to the truedecision maker?

Do you have a clear understanding of exactly what you are goingto say when you make your appointment request? (Try using a call script to keep you on track)

Do you have the ability to sound confident on the telephone? (Ifnot, why not?)

Do you clearly understand that your sole objective on this ½call is to secure an appointment, with the person(s) who bestbenefit from your product or service AND can make the purchasecommitment ? NOT to make a sale?

The "First Call" - The "Fact-Finding Session:

Preparation is critical to achieving sales success. Do you knowanything about this company and it's industry? Obtaining basicinformation here will go a long way for you to establishinitial rapport and credibility with this potential customer(If not, do some research prior to the visit)

Can you anticipate some likely problems a potential client ofthis type and size will communicate to you?

When the potential customer communicates to you their businessproblem(s) can you get more information from them about theproblem(s), such as:

* Do they know exactly what the problems is?
* How long has the problem existed?
* What will happen if the problem continues?
* What have they done to date to address the problem?
* What were the results of those efforts?
* What is the $ cost of this problem?
* Are there budgeted funds available to "fix" the problem(s)?
* Can and will they commit budgeted funds to fix the problem?

Once you secured accurate answers to these eight questions, FOREACH problem you uncover in this fact-finding session, then,and only then, can YOU truly determine whether this potentialcustomer qualifies for the next step in your 2 and ½ SalesCall Selling Process, the "Presentation Call".

The "Second Call" - The "Presentation Call":
Start this meeting with a brief review of your findings fromyour first fact finding session. Immediately establish thatthe purpose of this meeting is to come to a decisive next stepto address the problems at hand, not to conclude with a, "We'dlike to think it over" meeting conclusion. Communication ofyour presentation call conclusion expectations to thepotential customer at the beginning of the meeting is criticalto maximizing the probability of achieving your desired meetingobjective - to get a commitment!

Are you prepared to only focus on and "present to" the businessproblems defined during your fist visit in line with theircommunicated importance?

Are you savvy enough to ask for a reschedule of this meeting ifonce you get there all or any of the purchase decision makersdo not show up?

Can you ask for a purchase commitment? (If one cannot be given,can you ask why?)

Do you clearly understand what you achieved and what you didn'tin this presentation call? What lessons did you learn that youcan leverage in your next sales opportunity?

Having a structured method to qualify, or should we say,disqualify potential new customers not only improves yourprobability of selling success, but significantly enhances yourself confidence during the process.

Selling your products or services does not have to bepsychological warfare between you and your potential customer.Much of the success of selling is in your preparation of eachof the 2 and ½ Sales Call Selling process steps and yourcontinuous audit of selling process improvements, defining whatspecific selling tactics work best for you in any given sellingsituation.

About the Author:

Mark Smock is President of http://www.business-buyer-directory.com, theFIRST international business buyer directory of its kind.Business Buyer Directory provides a non-traditional means forproactive business buyers to locate businesses for saleworldwide that meet their exact registered purchase criteria.