How do you control the sales process?
In his recent post, JD spoke about the need to control the sales process. We've been asked to expand on how that is achieved in new and existing sales cycles.
We recommend 3 simple re-framing points.
The first thing to consider in your business is to be clear that the "sales cycle" is your frame of reference. A buying cycle is the client's frame of reference. This can seem like a trivial point but if all your internal language is from your frame of reference, how are you going to consider the client's viewpoint? Start to bring this language to your sales discussions and you'll soon be thinking like a buyer.
Next...often people new to sales, or just extremely nice and polite sales people, are apprehensive when it comes to asking questions about the process the buyer is going through. You need to think about your resources (time, people, money) being just as valuable as your potential client's resources. It is even more important when your client is much bigger than your business. It is not rude to ask these questions but it can be a hurdle for some people. You need to jump over it, and quickly. This attitude is key to allowing you to ask the questions you need to ask in order to uncover the real buying process including budget, timeline and business case.
The final re-frame we encourage is to be super focused on value. Having built a product or business up from humble beginnings will make everyone in your business very proud of your product or service. The client does not share your view. They are looking for value. And you cannot prove your value to the client unless you have asked insightful questions to know where to add value. And you'll need to understand the value you have delivered to similar clients (ask all your clients what value you have delivered) to prove your point. Stop the feature - function pitch (which is generic to everyone who uses your product) and focus on value (which is specific to each and every client).
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