1. has been trained in specific skills and techniques, and has specialized knowledge
2. 'plans his work and works his plan', that is, puts in a great deal of preparation for his day to day activities
3. must ultimately orient his work towards solving the problems of his clients.
The buying process (REED)
Recognize Need --> Evaluate Options --> Eliminate Doubts --> Decide
The selling process (ODPEC)
Presale preparation--> Actual Selling ( Open --> Develop Sale --> Propose Solution --> Eliminate Doubts --> Close) --> Post sale follow up
1. Presale Preparation
a. Know your CPAC
- your company
a. what business the company is in
b. what are the products it makes
c. who manages the company
d. what is the company's standing in the market for each of its products.
e. where are its factories and offices located
f. what are its organisational structure, policies and procedures.
- The products that you sell
a. what the product is
b. Its features (both physical and technical)
c. if necessary, how it is manufactured
d. the price of the product
e. the availability of the product
f. The terms of sales of the product.
- The application of each product
- your competition
Work out a Product Profile, or a Strength/Weaknesses Analysis of your product, Also make out the Product Profile of your competitors product.
b. Prospecting
Prioritising your prospects
1. The A-categoy Prospects- large companies
2. The B- Category prospects- medium companies
3. The C- category prospects- tiny
c. Customer Research
- before going on your call
- before you meet your prospect, outside his office
- when sitting with your customer
What to find out in Customer Research
- potential buyers for your products
- The nature of these buyers
- decision makers
- competition
- issues that may be of interest to the prospects
Opening a Sale
Four Guidelines
a. Introduce yourself and your organisation
b. State the purpose of your visit
c. Introduce your product or service
d. Above all make a good first impression through your appearance and conduct.
- Open a sale only when the customer is receptive and can devote some time to you. Otherwise fix up an appointment for a later date.
- Make your client comfortable and attempt to create an interest in your product.
- Keep searching till you find a receptive person, so that you can effectively open your sale
Developing the Sale
1. Qualify your customer : Find your MAN ( a person with Money, Authority and Need )
2. Identifying his buying crieteria:
Use BSA Technique
B- Background information - To discover potential problem areas.
Ask questions that get background information about the customer. Use Open Probes
"Sir, I believe you are planning to renovate your office. could you give me some idea of the furniture you are planning to have"
S- Specific Problems. Use Open and closed probes
To go deeper into each of the potential problem areas to try and discover a need for his product. Imortantly, you should try and maximise the 'pain' that the problem causes to the customer, so that he is ready to buy a solution.
"Considering the amount you had spent last time, it must have been very frustrating to see all the furniture become so shabby so soon "
A- Agreement to need. Use closed probe
Both you and customer must agree to this need.
from this find out his high priority and low priority need.
3. Matching buying crieteria with the product profile
It means matching the buying criteria with the Strength and weakness of the products.
Remember
a. A customer buys that product whos Product Profile matches his buying criteria most closely.
b. Sometimes the strength of a product can become its weakness, depending upon the buying criteria of the customer
c. In case a prospect's Buying Criteria does not match the seller's Product Profile, his Buying Criteria may be channelised to produce a closer match. In the process, it should be ensured that
- The seller remains in control.
- however , the buyer feels he is taking the decisions.
d. Even if the Product Profile matches the buying criteria, this buying Criteria should be reemphasised to ensure that the client does not change his mind
Proposing Solutions
a. Summarise the buyer's need and buying criteria
b. Do FABing of your product ( Features, Advantages and Benfits of your products) to suggest your product as a solution to the buyer's need or problem.
c. Demonstrate. It is more effective to involve the buyer and allow him to feel and use the product.
d. Sumbitting the quotation- or proforma invoice
- Most buyers are influenced by someone- a friend, colleague, relative or anyone else
- Never ignore the influencer
- Attempt to build up a rapport with this influencer
Eliminating Doubts
- Listen to the customer
- Get clarification regarding the doubt
- Resolve the doubt
Handling Objections(ERA)
- Determine the Exact Objection
- Find out which step in the selling process you did not go through properly, and REPEAT the step.
- Get the buyer's Agreement to the fact that the objection has been resolved.
Handling Price Objection
- To handle price objection, either push up the perceived value, or bring down the perceived price.
- Break up the price into smaller units to make it low
Closing a Sale
- Get the order or ask for the order
- Notice the buying signals- Be attentive in listening and observing
' Are your filing cabinets available for delivery by 15th March'
Planning for Negotiation
- identify those part of your offering on which you can negotiate, and the limits
Actual Negotiation
- get the list of all terms of sale which the buyer disagrees upon
- do not make concessions very easily, but do not be very adamant about terms which you can negotiate upon.
- Do not make the first concession in a major area
- while making the concession, make sure you get something in return
- do not panic after the buyers threatens to get concessions from a competitor.
- make the concessions you give, and demands you make, look logical.
getting order
- Make sure you get your order in writing. A verbal order is no order.
- The order should specify all the terms and conditions you have agreed to .
Some Lessons
- Never overcommit
- It is right of the salesperson to ask for the payment after satisfactory execution of the order
- We must understand that if a salesperson collect payment in time, both he and his organisation gains
- Let a good relationship not work against you.
- It is the true sign of a professional to feel so much a part of the organisation he works for.
- You dont have to get your payments by antagonising the customer. He will pay but may not place any future orders.
- It is thus cricical to keep learning from each sale, and from each experience, so that you do not repeat the same mistakes.
