What are your sales people doing today?

The Best Sales People and Managers do something that is very challenging. They ensure that every day, is a day packed with results. Every customer interaction is treated as a golden opportunity. They either move the deal forward or they don’t, but decisions are made. Sales calls or appointments are planned to either advance an opportunity or kill it. These opportunities should be captured and identified in your Sales Process .

How to prepare for a successful result, and some food for thought…

Arrive at your call to listen. Only then are you in a position to recommend.
Customers want to know how your product , service or solution is going to help them. Ensure that your proposal reflects your customer’s business objectives. This approach will distinguish you as a sales professional who cares.
Poor self-preparation (no call plan)–
What is the objective of the call?
What research have you conducted in advance of meeting your client?
So many sales reps do not feel they need a call plan, therefore go into meetings and get the result they deserve:
Fail to prepare , Prepare to fail
When a call is one-sided, and the sales rep is doing all the talking and is not engaging the client with questions to help understand their business.
The client will lose interest after 5 minutes.
Sales Managers aren’t providing adequate coaching
Sales people need a second opinion. We all miss things. A little coaching and discussion can make a huge impact on an appointment.
Objectives for your appointment are not clear
You know you want to move the deal forward. Is that an objective? No. Set clear, measurable objectives for each sales call. Then self-assess after the call.
Sales reps tend to be optimistic by nature. For that reason they feel that every call was great.
They ignore signals and gaps. While optimism is a really good thing, it has to be balanced with reality.
The call ends without any next steps being defined.
Never end a meeting with “I will give you a call next week to catch up”.
Ensure you have measurable objectives as you leave.
Bring value to your client.
Great sales people teach their customers something new. They bring insight and thought leadership that is different from their competitors.