The
Sales Business Cycle - Part 2
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In part 1 we talked about the importance of
getting leads to a successful sales cycle. But a lead that
never reaches a decision to buy is ultimately just a liability.
It's not enough to find a lot of interested people. At some
point you need to get those people to decide to purchase
something from you if you want to stay in business.
Conversion -
Convincing People We Have What They
Need
Conversion is the process of getting the
customer, or lead, to a state of mind where they have decided
they are going to get what you are offering. Let's be very
clear on this because it's important. It is not the process of
actually getting the customer to buy. It is the process of
getting them to decide in their minds that they are going to
buy; to get them to say "okay let's do it" in their minds and
begin to picture themselves already owning it rather than
continuing to debate with themselves about whether or not they
really want it.

We are going to consider two critical
aspects of conversion:
1. identifying the best solution for the customer, and
2. the fact that people buy from people
Remember that business is about helping
ourselves by helping others. The best sales person (or
conversion expert) is someone who is always genuinely trying to
get the best for their customers. They do this by taking the
time to understand what their customers want and then helping
them identify ways to meet their needs and wants. As with all
problem solving it is important to understand the question
before offering solutions. Conversion through identifying the
best solution for the customer follows these steps:
1. Identify the Initial Want or Need
2. Identify the Customer Motivation (refer back to the section
on Why People Buy)
3. Isolate the Key Requirements
4. Offer Solutions (Focus on the Key Requirements and Customer
Motivation)
5. Discuss the Benefits (Focus on the Key Requirements and
Customer Motivation)
6. Overcome the Objections (Focus on the Key Requirements and
Customer Motivation)
7. Reach a Commitment to Buy
Conversion is the process of getting through
all these stages. It may happen in few minutes or over several
months depending on the nature of the sale.
People buy from People. There are many sales
courses out there that focus on the "Identify the problem,
offer the solution" approach to sales. They cover the items
listed above in one way or another and give valuable
instruction on how to progress through each stage. People take
these courses and get a lot out of them, but they are often
still missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. People buy from
people.
Remember the last time you went to the mall
looking for something? You browsed through three stores. In one
store the sales person was more interested in going on their
break than helping you. In another you got no help at all. In
the last store you were greeted with a smile and "Hi, what
brings you in today?" Who did you buy from? The company you
liked the best? The store with the best products based on your
personal research? No, you bought from the nice person. We all
do it. Unless there is some other very compelling
differentiator we buy from the people that we like. This is
true in consumer and business to business transactions.
In the people-buy-from-people school of
sales conversion there are three steps:
1. Sell yourself
2. Sell your company
3. Sell your product or service
Establishing a personal relationship whether
it is just learning a name, or spending months getting to know
someone, is the first step to creating successful long-term
sales relationships. If people don't like you it usually
doesn't matter about your product or your company. If they
don't trust the company, they won’t believe what you tell them
about the product or service. Sell yourself, sell your company,
and then sell your product or service.
The most effective sales people use these
two approaches together to convince you to reach a decision to
buy something you want, from someone you like and trust.
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About
The Author
Daryl Cowie has
shared management tips with 1000s of people in
over 30 countries around the world. His mission
is to help you and your company turn business
opportunities into business realities. Sign up
for his free business management home study
course at http://FreeManagementTips.com
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