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Refining and Defining The Sales Plan: Improve Your Sales Volume With A Focused Approach

Blog | 01.28.10 | By dave
Every sales manager has a number of horror stories about misdirected sales efforts. We all know about salesmen who have spent a lot of time pursuing a prospective client only to find out that they weren’t qualified to buy or in need of his product. Then there are the salespeople who pitch and follow up on people who are not empowered to make buying decisions. In times of economic crisis, a sales manager and his salespeople cannot spend time in unproductive efforts. Everything they do every day must count. But how can they be sure they aren’t wasting time and effort? Make a list of a few simple rules, and then follow them.
  • Develop a profile of existing customers: List the titles and job functions of everyone who has bought your products in the past. In your cold calling of companies in a similar industry, limit your calls to the people with similar titles and job functions. If you get shortstopped by a gatekeeper, go on to the next lead. Remember, a salesperson has a limited amount of time each day and that should be allocated for constructive efforts.
  • Present yourself as an equal: If you are speaking to high level executives, present yourself as their equal. If you act subservient, you will be pushed off on their subordinates.
  • Focus on the bigger companies: Statistically, it takes more time to sell a small amount to a small customer, than it does to sell large amounts to bigger companies. Bigger companies usually have larger budgets and more discretionary spending allowances.
  • Be in control: When you try to set up a meeting, accept any time that is suggested by the prospect. Later, if you need to change the time to better suit your schedule, the client is usually amenable because they are already committed to meet with you.
  • Ask for referrals: Existing customers are usually more than happy to refer you to their friends and business associates, but you have to ask for the referrals. Referrals often result in sales because you are not coming in as an unknown factor.
  • Have an itinerary planned that optimizes your time: Remember again that you have a limited amount of time to spend with prospects and customers each day. Make the best use of this time by having a well planned itinerary.
  • Use your “off hours” to do research: Spend your business hours in front of customers and prospects.
  • Don’t waste the prospect’s time: Keep your initial meeting brief, get acquainted and gather information you need for the follow up presentation.
  • Be familiar with probable objections: Gear your presentation to cover possible objections, but don’t dwell on those points.  There is a danger in anticipating all possible objections and trying to cover them in that you might raise some points the client hadn’t thought of and let him develop objections that will take time to overcome.
  • Ask closing questions, close: A close may be a sale or just an intermediate step in the sales process. When you have concluded your presentation, ask closing questions; “Are there any questions my presentation has raised?” “Can you see how my program/product/service can answer some of your needs?” Avoid all the old-time trick closes, or suede-shoe approaches: “What does it take to get you to buy today?” They never did work, why should they now?
 As professional salespeople, we know that the more quality time we spend in front of customers and prospects, the more sales me make. One of the primary means of assuring that your salesmen are getting more quality time is to outsource some of the “grunt-work” to outside specialists. One of the toughest tasks assigned to sales reps is cold calling and most avoid it or perform a half-hearted effort. A pre-sales outsource company can supply a continuing source of qualified leads that will maximize the time a salesperson has for customer contact.
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