The sales process is the shining light in the world of sales, but is it? Well, it all depends on what the sales process is based on. Let us take two different scenarios and compare them.
Scenario 1:
- We receive an enquiry
- We follow it up.
- We send out literature and prices
- We follow it up to schedule a presentation
- We carry out the presentation
- We send out a proposal
- We follow it up
- We try and close the deal
Scenario 2:
- An enquiry is received
- We follow it up to establish why the person involved made the enquiry and gain some intelligence about the person, company, and the challenges that are being faced and at what stage he is within his buying cycle.
- We pre-qualify to see whether we should pursue this any further and if yes, and the person is interested in taking the matter further, we then arrange for a meeting with him or the relevant person to get a better understanding of the situation.
These are only the first three steps and the difference between the two scenarios is scenario 2 is based on the alignment of what we do, our sales cycle, with what the potential client is doing, their buying cycle.
How many times have you received pricing information or literature without asking for it? Its valuable intelligence to me the buyer, but what has it done for the sales person? I am grateful for the information. I could be using it as a comparison of the product/service I am most likely to buy, to vindicate my choice.
It is your choice, scenario 1 being efficient, or scenario 2 being efficient and effective in helping the customer through their buying cycle and you to the sale