Set your Sales

1. Set your Sales The Selling Process

2. Why learn about the selling process? • Brings products to you, either directly or through the businesses • Most salespeople follow the same basic selling process • It varies greatly from product to product.

3. Why is Selling Important? • Salespeople appear organized, gaining customer confidence. • The process ensures that customers’ needs and wants are met. • An efficient, effective sales process may increase company profits.

4. Six Phases of the Selling Process • -No one, single, correct selling process works for all situations. • -These phases include: 1-Preparing to sell 2-Establishing relationships with customers 3-Discovering customer needs 4-Prescribing solutions to customer needs 5-Reaching closure 6-Reaffirming buyer-seller relationships

5. Phase One: Preparing to Sell • No salesperson can sell without preparation. • Salesperson must acquire knowledge about the product. • Identify the product’s features and benefits. • Generate and qualify sales leads. -Find potential customers -Determine needs or wants and the ability to buy.

6. Phase Two: Establishing Relationships with Customers • The completion of a sale is largely determined by the first few minutes that the salesperson spends with his/her customers. • Salespeople can use their initial contact time with customers to: -Put customers at ease -Encourage customers to want to hear about the product(s) -Gain customer confidence -Create favorable impressions of themselves and the business

7. Your job is to try to determine what buying decisions have been made by the customer. • Look for clues to the customer’s personality, including: -General appearance -Dress -Nonverbal signs

8. Phase Three: Discovering Customer Needs • -When customers do not know precisely what they want to buy, the salesperson must be prepared to discover their needs through skillful questioning and careful listening. • -Asking the customer questions • -Listening to the answers • -Observing customer reaction • -Analyzing customer reactions and comments

9. Assessing customer needs is also important because it: • -Reduces the amount of selling time required • -Reduces dissatisfaction and customer returns • -Allows salespeople to serve more customers, leading to greater potential profits for their firm and greater potential commission for themselves

10. Diagnosis Customers Needs -A doctor diagnosing patients’ illnesses -A car mechanic • recommend a specific product that meets the customer’s needs.

11. Phase Four: Prescribing solutions to customer needs • Offer solutions • Includes the sales presentation, the sales talk and the product demonstration. • The sales talk: -Convince the customer of the benefits -Translate product features into benefits

12. A good product demonstration • Create interest • Allow the customer to interact/become involved in the selling process • Ask questions • Discuss important points • Get the product into customers’ hands to show them how it works

13. Basic guidelines for prescribing solutions to needs: 1- Sell the benefits of the product rather than its features 2- Show the customer a limited number of products to avoid confusion, no more than three 3- Show only products that relate to the customers’ specific needs 4- Concentrate on the main item of the interest to close the sale

14. Phase Five: Reaching closure • Many salespeople feel that the closing actually has two purposes: • Identifying any remaining objections (resistance) the customer may have • Getting the order

15. Objections • An objection is a question or concern raised by customers after they have been shown a product • Salespeople should anticipate objections • Learn to use them to their advantage in a sales presentation

16. Some tips for handling objections are: • Welcome them— • clearing up objections can serve as a chance for you to demonstrate your knowledge and further solidify the product’s benefits. • Listen from the customer’s point of view to identify the real objection. • Restate the objection to be sure that you understand it. • Answer and overcome each objection completely, without arguing with the customer or losing your poise. • Review customer benefits. • Try to develop customer conviction for the product.

17. When are Customers Satisfied? • They often give off signals that the time has come to close the sale. • These signals may be direct statements • “This is just what we need” • Nonverbal signs such as closing and stacking product literature.

18. Close is a Logical Completion • Customers are moved to the point where they are convinced the product meets their needs, and they wish to purchase.

19. Phase Six: Reaffirming buyer-seller relationships • The salesperson is responsible for helping customers feel confident with their purchase decisions. • Salespeople can follow up • Reassure customers that they have not been sold something that they do not need.

20. Techniques to Follow Up the Sale • 1-Reassuring the customer that his/her choice was wise • 2-Using suggestion selling—recommending complementary products • 3-Answering any lingering questions the customer may have • 4-Explaining the sales contract fully • 5-Checking on or being present when the product is delivered • 6-Supervising installation or adjustment of the product— • 7-Training the customer’s personnel in the use or sale of the product— • 8-Calling the customer to ensure s/he is satisfied