Every business needs a sales process. I connect with so many businesses whom do not have a sales process put in place and this can be very damaging for everyone involved. Normally, this is no fault of the business owner whatsoever. There are times when someone will set up a great business idea with no experience of working in sales and so the thought process has never occurred to them.
If you do not have a sales process set up, you needn’t worry! At Paragon Sales Solutions setting up sales processes is what we do! But do not worry; in this article I aim to share with you a basic sales process that you can implement within your business. Do take note however that every business is different, and every sales cycle is different; therefore it is quite hard to take a sales process ‘off the shelf’ and make it fit. However you can use this as a bit of a guide which you can then fine tune as and when you need to!
Put very simply, a sales process is put in place as a sort of step-by-step guide that all of your sales people can take your prospects through and to convert them into a paying customer. Having a solid sales process in place stops any examples of sales being made up on the spot and gives your entire team a great framework to follow.
The next thing you need to consider is what it takes to take someone making an initial enquiry (whether incoming or outgoing) and how they then become a paying customer. As a rule, it is very rare that anyone will become a paying customer on the first contact. In fact, only 2% of all sales are ever made on the first contact. I like to work on the basis of there being 5-7 points of contact with a prospect before they sign up or buy from you. And it will look a little like this:
Initial Prospecting
This is done at the early stage of the process. This can be done either via outgoing prospecting (ie, you as a sales person going out and finding potential customers) or incoming enquiries also. These can all be done face to face, referrals, emails, social media and other marketing and advertising routes.
The Relationship Building Phase
It is at this time in which you start to connect with your prospect, develop a rapport and try to discover more about them. This phase in my eyes the most important; fail to set up a strong enough relationship and you can lose the whole sale all together.
Consultation
The consultation phase is the section of the sales process in which you get the chance to ask your prospect plenty of questions, discover their pain points, and to find the right solution to their problem.
This gives you the chance to solidify the relationship, get to the bottom of your prospects needs and to start coming up with ideas on what to present to them.
Presentation
This is the part of the sales process in which you start to get to the nitty gritty and get the chance to really have your say. This can be done as a formal presentation, a demonstration or just a meeting. This gives you the ability to take all of the information passed to you in the earlier stages and then present your ideas.
Ask for the Sale
This can be known as the closing part of the sale. This is the part in which you finally ask the prospect if they would like to buy your product or service.
The best way for this to happen is for the closing of the sale to be a mutual agreement or understanding that benefits both parties. If you have done all of the earlier stages then this should be the easiest part of the sales process. And do not be afraid to take a step or two back up along the process if the prospect has some objections to give to you.
How you create your sales process is up to you. There is no real wrong or right way to do it; as long as there is a sales process in place and you and your team know how to operate it then you will see that your sales, and your customers, benefit as a whole.
Paragon Sales Solutions are Leicester’s leading sales consultants, offering:
– Sales Contracts
– Sales Training
– Social Media Management
– B2B Telesales / Telemarketing
We cater for any size business, and what makes us stand out is that we truly care. Our services can be catered for your business and our sales professionals will work tirelessly to ensure your sales targets are met. Be sure to visit our website for more details on how our sales solutions can help your business.
