Back to Basics

Think you've learned everything there is to know? You've been in sales a while now. You make your quota - or at least, you mostly make it. Your bookshelves are full of books and workbooks from the various workshops and seminars you've attended. You've figured out what works and what doesn't - or have you?


Sometimes when we do an activity over and over again, it becomes rote. We do it without thinking. We fall into a pattern. We tend to forget that perhaps there are other parts to the processes we've been using. As time passes and techniques we are using become less and less effective, we forget that there was a lot more stuff in those workshops than the 2 or 3 points we started using.


When this happens, it's time to go back to the basics. Time to review the materials we had sworn we were going to look at everyday for inspiration. The most basic concept we should review is the flow of the presentation itself.


There are 4 parts to every sales conversation: the opening, the offer, objections and the close. These parts are like a tight wire that you can hang your other skills on. It all starts here.


The opening gives you an opportunity to introduce yourself and make small talk. You should also include an interest gathering statement. Try to sound fresh and not hackneyed. If you are conducting business over the telephone, you will need to capture your prospect's/ customer's attention within the first 15 seconds or less. Avoid telling people you can save them time and money. Everyone tells people that. If that's what you do, find a better way to express it. Look for specifics and use them.


Regarding small talk, make sure that you don't try to sound too familiar if you have never met them before. Nothing sets a prospect's "anti-sales rep radar" off faster than a stranger who is being overly friendly. Be nice, be friendly, but remember that you are not their friend.


After the opening, you should move on to the reason for your call. This is the offer - the why of your call. Let the other party know what you can do for them. Let them know why your offer is a good idea. Be able to back up what you say. Although people tend to purchase emotionally, most people do not throw away caution. People need to make sure that the purchase is worthwhile and can be justified.


Do your homework before your call to find out the particulars of your prospect. During your call, do not forget to ask questions to find out more about their situation. Ask low key open ended questions to get people to open up to you. In any sales situation you should find the prospect doing most of the talking. The most important thing for you to do is to listen and follow up where appropriate. Make notes while you are doing so. This will help you begin to formulate solutions for the next part of your conversation: objections.


After the offer is made, expect objections. People who don't have objections or concerns or need additional information haven't been listening to you. Welcome objections but be ready to handle them. Use your earlier notes and the insights you have gained from your questioning to be able to help the prospect make a decision.


Many sales people think of the presentation process as opening, offer, close and objections. I like to think of objections as the concerns that come up during the offer portion of the process. If you have covered the concerns properly, the close will fall into place seamlessly and easily. Now it's a natural outgrowth of the discussion.


It's easy to continue along doing what we've been doing until something shakes us up. Whether a it's a poor economy or new competition, we must remember the basics. All of them.