to remember that the listener controls the interview .
We don ’ t sell our products or services to someone unless they perceive it is in their personal interest to have us do so . Therefore , we must determine their interests and highest value needs . Fulfilling Unmet Needs
Moving up the critical path , we next determine our prospects ’ social style . We need to be sensitive to a prospects ’ style , so that we can prepare an appealing presentation for him or her .
When asking about a prospect ’ s current business sources , find out the strength of those relationships . You already should be aware of any unmet needs .
While interviewing someone you will be able to determine what their objections are going to be when you ask for their business . If someone surprises you with an objection it is because you did not ask enough questions or listen during the interview phase of the selling process .
If we know our prospects ’ needs , social styles and objections , we are in a position to offer solutions that they will find not only acceptable but also desirable . Our solution should suggest an action that will move us into , or towards , a business relationship . If we are not successful initially , we position ourselves to continually call on our targeted prospects . Our goal is more to move our relationship along than it is to concentrate on a single transaction .
When you feel the time is right to ask for your prospects ’ business we suggest an open-ended question : “ Considering what we have been discussing , do we have a basis for doing business together ?” The answer will determine your progress and where the relationship is headed .
If you have demonstrated your knowledge , sensitivity , and constructive help the answer will often be “ yes ” with some qualifications . Make Fewer Sales Calls
We start building strong business relationships by targeting a select number of prospects . A successful career as a sales professional is built upon maintaining a limited number of highly productive clients and not on seeing how many calls can be made in any week . “ Focus precedes success ” is a core concept of the
Relationship Selling Process .
Every sales professional should have a written list-by name-of those you have targeted as future business partners . Determine in advance — through your intelligence sources — prospects that you would be doing business with in the immediate future .
This target list may have as few as 10 names for established , career - oriented account executives , and as many as 60 names for a beginner . An exact number will depend both on you and on your industry .
Our goal is to have a predetermined number of clients as business partners . We must select them carefully because it is going to take some time to win them over to us . Additionally , we must get to know our targets ’ managers , since often they either assist us -or stand in our way .
Doing so is far more effective than pitching your products and service in the hope that your prospect will respond . Top prospects are too sophisticated for this outdated selling style . Preparing For Action
Once we have defined our prospect ’ s HVNs , we must decide whether it ’ s best to ask for a subsequent appointment to present our solution , or if we need to suggest some immediate action .
We are influenced in this decision by how well we have determined needs , the prospect ’ s social style , his or her present relationships and what the objections will be . If in doubt on these issues , continue your interview . Or if you ’ re pressed for time , suggest making another appointment .
Tell your prospect you would like to gather some information and ideas to bring on your next visit . Make sure to schedule your following appointment before leaving !
To sum up , Relationship Selling consists of targeting a limited number of strong potential business sources , developing a relationship with each one and then building and maintaining those relationships .
You can see that it doesn ’ t matter how many sales calls you make . What ’ s important is how effective each one is . See fewer people if you want to do more business , but be sure they are the right business sources for you .
We wish you-Great Hunting !
ABOUT JACK DALY
JACK DALY is an experienced and world recognized sales speaker and sales training expert , who inspires audiences to take action in the areas of sales , sales management and corporate culture . He brings 30 plus years of field-proven experience from a starting base with CPA firm Arthur Andersen , a captain in the U . S . Army to the CEO of several national companies . Jack is a proven CEO / Entrepreneur , having built 6 companies into national firms , two of which he subsequently sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston . His professional sales trainer know-how has turned him into an accomplished sales coaching authority and author of books including Hyper Sales Growth , The Sales Playbook For Hyper Sales Growth and Paper Napkin Wisdom , all Amazon # 1 Bestsellers .
www . JackDaly . net
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