A Step-by-step Guide to Sales Success

salesforce A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SALES SUCCESS Understanding what it takes to sell your product or service is the key to business success. Do you know what it takes to be an effective seller, or are you wondering if you and your team make the cut? Learn if you have the right skills and attitude for selling such as motivation, follow through and creative problem solving to feel at ease closing business. THE SALES ATTITUDE Do you have the right personality for successful selling? Conduct a self-audit with these tips. LOVE OF CONVERSATION CREATIVELY SOLVE PROBLEMS Tap into the social aspects of selling and relish contact with Experienced salespeople know that hurdles are meant to others. Actively listen in sales discussions for deep engagement. be overcome and will use creative ways to eliminate roadblocks to success. SELF-MOTIVATION RESPECT FOR PRICES, PRODUCTS AND PROSPECTS Know what you need to do and track your Put forth confidence own progress for constant growth. A self-motivated seller in the prices your company charges and feel strongly it's worth every penny. doesn't need a lot of managing. ROCK STAR PRESENTATION DELIVERY HANG IN THERE UNDER PRESSURE Think fearless! The most successful sellers Keep on selling when times get tough. The best salespeople maintain balance throughout the highs and lows that accompany the sales invest two hours a week in honing their product knowledge, objection handling and sales pitch. process. COMMITTED TO FOLLOW THROUGH CONTINUOUS SKILL DEVELOPMENT Take each relationship as far as you can by communicating, committing to, and delivering on each piece of the process to get a deal closed. Connect with other salespeople's experiences and insights to constantly sharpen your sales acumen. LEND A HELPING HAND Believe that you are helping better your prospects and customers with what you're offering. THE SALES CALL Want to make the perfect call every time? Let these steps be your guide. Block Time Jo Get &n The Phone Introduce Yourself & Your Company MELLO Focus efforts when your prospects are available and pick up the phone. Learn which times of day or evening yield the most eventful conversations. Greet prospects by name, give your full name, company name and job title. Keep it friendly and concise. Give The Real Reason Tor the Call Confirm Contact Details Put facts first and clearly state why you're calling. If the reason is to schedule a phone appointment or personal visit, say so. Double-check the correct extension number, direct dial, e-mail address and if appropriate office location. Get The Yes! Tollow Up With Reminders Drive buy-in with statements like, "I'm sure that like our customer, ABC Company, you are interested in improving in this area." Think personable, short, helpful and customer service oriented like appointment reminders you get from a salon. yes! Set The CAppointment Measure Success Strongly emphasize when, rather than if you're going to meet. Ask specifically for a time to avoid confusion with open-ended questions. Track the number of dials it takes to make quota for closed business. Monitor the number of conversations, meetings and deals it takes to make your sales target. THE DISCOVERY CALL What does every great discovery call have in common? Let this guide be your example. De Your Homework Jocus On Their Needs CAsk cAbout Buying Ability Share Benefit Statements Review your lead tracking system for all related data. Spend ten minutes exploring their company website, community forums, and social media channels. Put the spotlight on your prospect's issues and establish yourself as a valued resource to help them make the right decision when they're ready to buy. Get to the bottom of timeframe to Make a direct impact with 2-3 benefit statements relevant to purchase and decision making while steering around budget allocation questions. If they need it, they'll find a way to pay for it. your prospect's pain points. Select specific topics based on what you've learned. Get Them to Elaborate Provide Solutions Establish Understanding Measure Success Enable dialogue, and avoid dominating with a presentation. Think two-way conversation, and ask, "why?" to learn the true meaning of their needs. Restate details of your prospect's needs and understanding of how you help their business. Use notes jotted down during the call. Create business metrics that allow measuring the time between sales stages. Generate customized pipeline reports based on discovery call criteria. Know the difference between an objection and a question that's a desire to learn more. Clarify issues and illustrate how your product or service will address their concerns. THE VOICEMAIL What makes a perfect voicemail? Use this guide to ensure a call back. REFERENCE CUSTOMERS USE A SCRIPT EMPHASIS REASON FOR CALL Refer to a script or basic guide to consistently deliver Ask for the sale, meeting, or result you are looking for to qualify your lead and move them along in your sales pipeline. Know enough about your prospect to know their industry and reference Perfect the right tone to maximize the short amount of time you have in a voicemail. relevant customer names the same message. in your voicemail. REPEAT IMPORTANT TIME YOUR ASK FOR A CALL BACK ELEMENTS MEASURE SUCCESS OUTREACH EFFORTS You can't get a meeting if they don't call you back so don't overlook this State your name and phone number at both the beginning and end of the call. Give your prospect enough time to hear your message and call you back. Track the number of callbacks to determine if voicemail is worth the important basic element. effort. THE FOLLOW-UP EMAIL Curious how to get prospects to respond to your email? This guide will show you. ENGAGING SUBJECT BUILD RAPPORT DON'T LINE OVERDESIGN Personalize the subject line so it doesn't look automated. Authenticity trumps perfection! An email that looks too contrived or Incorporate conversation starters based on what you have learned about your prospect through calling and additional research. polished can come across as trying too hard or worse yet, fake. CASE RELEVANT ATTACHMENTS RECAP STUDIES QUESTIONS Insert an appropriate customer case study that is aligned with your prospect's industry or identified Reiterate any important concerns, facts or questions uncovered in the initial qualifying phase to show intent to address them. Select collateral most relevant to your prospect to attach to the follow-up email. Include a brief description of the attachments in the body of the message. interests. MEASURE CLOSE TO NEXT STEPS SUCCESS Conclude the email by asserting what : the next steps are in your process of engagement with the prospect. Collect anecdotal feedback from sellers on challenges with and responses to their follow up emails as well as more traditional reports. (pardot & salesforce an Exact Target.company