![loudspeakers]( "loudspeakers")
The Story so Far
Ultimately, improving sales team performance is about individual performance. Team working is good and the sum of the whole can be greater than that of the parts.
However, every component in the sales machine needs to function well, if you want to maximise your opportunity.
Developing individuals means focusing on three key areas: skills, mindset and structure. In this article we are going to look at the first of these: skills.
Skillset
To say you could write a book on how to enhance sales skills would perhaps be an understatement. People have written whole series of books on the topic and many of them are very worthy. I’ve read quite a few and would have to confess that that some of what I’ve read hasn’t appealed at all, but all of have shed light on some of my weaknesses and provided some helpful advice.
My own belief is that for a sales person to perform well, they need a combination of skills before they become the finished article. In particular: a good understanding of how our business and its products fit into the markets in which we sell; the benefits our service delivers; and how our customers go about purchasing them.
The good news is that regardless of what they are buying, customers tend to go about buying things in a similar way. Purchasing decisions are reached via a series of stages through which customers’ progress, and within which they behave differently. Knowing where they are enables you to focus on aspects of the sale.
Decision-Making Process
| Stage | Customer Perspective | Sales Actions |
| 1. Motivation | Customer is aware of the service, may see the benefit, but has not yet justified purchasing |
Focus on the business case. Identify the customer’s pain points/drivers and calculate financial benefits of using service |
| 2. Intention | Customer has made the decision to purchase and moves on to defining requirements in detail |
Analyse the customer’s needs. Clearly define the gap your products will fill and identify other areas where you can add value |
| 3. Preference | Customer compares and contrasts the different available solutions | Differentiate. If you’ve done a good job in stages 1 and 2, then your solution and proposal should stand out. Make sure the customer is aware of how and remind them how it connects to the pain points/drivers identified in stage 1. |
| 4. Decision | Customer purchases | Build confidence. Once an order is placed customers lose much of their power. Anticipate anxieties and offer evidence to support their decision. |
Well that’s the theory, anyway.
Most of the hard work happens in stages 1 and 2 and this is where good sales people spend most of their time. Also, the world isn’t perfect. Customers can move forward, go backwards and even fall out of the process altogether. Next month we’ll look at how and why this can happen and discuss what you can do to get things moving again.