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8 Steps to a Successful Sales Call

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Aug 11, 2010 11:48 EDT

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http://www.entrepreneur.com/sales/makethesale/article207016.html

8 Steps to a Successful Sales Call
By Barry Farber, Entrepreneur.com
 
It's always good to have a plan for your sales visits that can serve as a quick reminder of the essentials. You can use this checklist as a review before and after each sales call to make sure you cover all the bases. Leaving a sales call and wishing you had remembered to ask a specific question or show the prospect another product idea is a horrible feeling; using this checklist may help you avoid that. Edit this list based on the type of sales cycle you're involved in.
 
Sales Call Checklist
1. Preparation Prior to Sales Call 
Did I:
  • Research the account prior to the call?
  • Learn something about the person and their business before the meeting?
  • Send an outline of the agenda to the client before the meeting?
  • Have three value-added points prepared?
  • Bring all materials, brochures, contracts, etc.?
  • Answer the three important pre-call questions:
    A. What is the goal of the call?
    B. What do I need to find out during the call?
    C. What's the next step after the call?
2. Greeting and Introduction 
Did I:
  • Observe the prospect's office décor (e.g., trophies, awards, pictures and so on)?
  • Find out about the prospect's personal interests, hobbies, family and so on?
  • Find out the names of contacts in the account and write them down?
  • Bridge to the business topic smoothly?
  • Listen more than I spoke? (Ideally, you should spend 80 percent of your time listening and only 20 percent talking.)
  • Ask the customer about their business goals?
  • Ask the customer what challenges the company is facing?
 
3. Qualifying
Did I:
  • Find out who the decision-makers are by asking "Who else besides yourself might be involved in the decision-making process?"
  • Ask what process they normally go through when considering a new vendor?
  • Find out how and why they made the decision for their current product or service (assuming they are replacing a product or service)?
  • Find out what their time frame is?
  • Find out if funds have been allocated--and how much?
  • Find out their specific needs?
  • Ask if they could change something about their product or service, what would it be?
4. Surveying
Did I:
  • Ask open-ended questions (who, what, where, when, why, how, how much, tell me about it, describe for me)?
  • Ask about the corporate structure?
  • Ask about the prospect's role at the company?
  • Ask what's important to them?
  • Ask what's interesting to them and then focus on that?
  • Ask what risks they perceive?
  • Ask how we can help solve their problems?
  • Ask what they think about our company?
  • Ask what they like and dislike about their current vendor?
  • Ask how industry trends are affecting them?
  • Ask "what if?" questions?
  • Ask what they would like to see from a vendor and salesperson in the area of support after the sale?
  • Ask what their short-term and long-term goals are?
  • Ask how I can become their most valued vendor?
  • Ask what is our next step?
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Sales Techniques
Business Practices

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www.Entrepreneur.com

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Adult(19+)

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Aug 11, 2010 11:48 EDT
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