Natural at Sales or Following a Process?

I used to sell my parents beans and toasts from their own pantry when I was three and that's when they knew I would be in sales!

Some people are just natural at sales and for others, it takes practice…

Over the years, I've noticed that some Business Development Professionals have this pure innate ability to make their prospects purchase their products without having to put much effort into what they do. They ooze confidence and are just naturals, and are able to close sales with what appears to be their great personalities.

On the other hand, there are others who work in sales that do not seem to be the typical sales type. They may be more introverted, have less face to face meetings or attend fewer social events but they still hit their targets.

Why?

Having a solid sales process within your organisation is a game changer, and reduces the risk of salespeople just not working out.

The sales process serves a guide for your team to follow in case everything gets overwhelming or perhaps they just need a prompt on what to do next. It also helps to iron out your approach to improve its efficacy.

Here is some food for thought if you are considering implementing a sales process.

Cultivating Relationships into Conversions 

Sales Process is more than just closing the deal and gaining another customer. It goes beyond the meetings, phone calls, or contract signings. There's more to it than just chasing potential buyers of an offering. 

Speaking of which, Business Development Managers actually practice qualifying prospects. You read that right! Consumers are not the only ones who can choose products that they want or need, an organisation's sales department also gets to pick which customers they believe fit best with the kind of solution or service they offer.

With this, comes a list of criteria that Business Development Managers use when choosing the correct prospect. 

Business Development Managers need to answer the following questions to determine if a prospect is worth pursuing or not:

• Does the prospect have the budget to purchase the offering?
• Does the prospect need the product or service I'm offering?
• Does the prospect have any interest in purchasing?
• What authoritative power does that prospect have when it comes to decision-making? (This is especially helpful when dealing with enterprises.)

By going through this questionnaire, not only does it aid Business Development Managers to follow through with prospects that have a higher chance of purchasing the offering but also helps build credibility in their game. Hey, who doesn't trust a person who knows what they're doing, right?

Wow your Prospects

As we know first impressions last - so how do we make a great impression when meeting our prospect for the first time? Simple. BE. PREPARED.

Aside from arming yourself with scripted questions, well-crafted slides, and readily available demos, the best way to establish a relationship with your prospect is to engage in a meaningful conversation. 

Get to know them beyond the information available about them on the internet and in papers. Get them talking about what success and failure means to their business and at a personal level. Find out why they expressed interest in your offering. Communicate your offering in consonance with their pain points. 

If you're able to do this, chances are a budding relationship may just be on its way to blossom into a connection that leads to closing sales.

Should a point come where you’ve exhausted your resources and your deal is still going nowhere, do not waste any more of your time trying to force a sale. Some things are just not meant to be, still maintain the relationship but keep momentum going with other prospects.

In the Zone

When dealing with potential clients,Business Development Managers must come in with an open mind. They have to know about each of their prospect’s business struggles and the kind of success that they're aiming for. By doing so, they can position their service deliverables accordingly to specifically address the pain points without being too broad or hyper-focused on one single detail only.

When all is set, having the prospect verbalise the point that both the BDM and they have agreed on is crucial before signing the contract. This confirms that the two parties have understood and accepted the outlines and plan of action clearly and are ready to proceed to the next steps.

Just closed the deal, now what?

Let's say the Business Development Manager has done their work and successfully turned a prospect into a customer - do they stop there? The answer is a big NO. 

It's always important to maintain a relationship with their clients even after a sale. Think of it as friendship. Do you see your friends every day? Do you text them every hour? Of course not. 

But what they do is check on them from time to time. From a simple, "Hey, how are you? How's it going with the products/services?" to pitching in another offering that may be of interest - these are what make a salesperson a captain of the seas he/she sails.

Remember, a successful sale is the one that cultivates relationships.