Sales Flow
We know it’s important. How do you develop one?
Let’s get specific. Sales Flow (also called sales process or sales cadence) is the process used with the customer to result in the sale. It’s the difference between being a sales professional and being an order-taker. (Professionals are in control of the process, and order-takers wait to be told what is being purchased.) Your sales flow always includes the same pieces, and what varies is the order. What never varies is the sales professional stays in control of the conversation.
Omitting any of the pieces of the flow seriously damages your chance of getting the sale. You’ll find this is true even if the customer is chomping at the bit, desperate to buy! If you don’t get through the entire sales process you risk a buyer’s-remorse cancel, or worse, an unhappy customer who doesn’t cancel – they just badmouth you for the length of the relationship.
So what’s the flow? These are the necessary pieces.
Interview – Discovery Questions – Need Recognition
These are many words for basically the same thing. You are asking the customer about how they’re meeting the product need right now, and how they’ve determined that it’s time to talk to you. Let’s use the car salesman as an example. “What are you driving now?” “Is this car your primary vehicle?” “Who else may be driving the vehicle?” “What has you shopping for a vehicle today?” “What’s your dream car?” “What kind of driving do you do the most?” “Do you have anything in particular in mind?” It’s particularly effective to combine this step with the “Excitement” step. That’s when you use your question pattern to develop urgency to buy.
Excitement – Drive – Desire – Urgency
A prospect who is not excited is unlikely to become a customer. If you’re selling cars and saying cars are a necessary evil in today’s modern world, your chances of making the sale are much lower than if you’re talking about the seat-of-the-pants thrill of feeling the car accelerate with just a flick of the gas pedal. You need to generate excitement for using the product. This is the difference between presenting features and benefits and creating urgency for the customer to buy.
Establish Relationship
Salesperson are involved in sales is to add value. The value you add is to help your buyer make the best possible choice to fill their need – something they don’t have the expertise to do efficiently on their own. You need to create a positive relationship with each of your prospects and the product they are shopping for. Your personality needs to be involved – no robotic conversation here. Notice everything about the customer that you can. If they have a bumper sticker about fishing, ask them about fishing. Let them be the expert. Relate the attributes of the vehicles back to fishing. Even if you personally hate fishing (or kids, or antiquing, or whatever they love) find questions that bridge the gap between their passion and your product.
Presentation and Disclosure
Features, benefits, and disclosures are things you need to present consistently throughout the interaction. (Features are important facts about the product or service being sold, usually ones unique to your particular product or service. Benefits are advantages the customer will receive by purchasing/using your product or service. Disclosure is making the customer aware of any agreement or assumption of liability between the parties involved in the sale.) When you weave the features and benefits through, touch on each one at least twice. Touching on the disclosures only once, or providing them in writing instead of discussing them helps to keep the focus on the positive. If the customer asks about the details of any disclosure, handle them as directed by your manager.
Close the Sale
This is the part we all love! Y This is the time you should emphasize benefits. Ask for the customer’s business. Your prospect becomes a customer, and commits to the purchase! Thank them for their business. And as they say, “Once it’s sold, don’t buy it back.” When your customer agrees to buy, stop selling! Do what’s necessary to complete the sale, and discuss any follow-up they may need.
Congratulations! Nice sales flow!
