Key questions to help you ascertain whether you should stop using an old inward-out sales process and develop a new outward-in sales process.
The purpose of a sales process is to win more deals in less time. The reality facing sales forces is that decision-makers are making purchases differently today. Traditional sales processes based on needs development and solution positioning will cause the majority of your reps to miss the number. We know that the buyer has changed. Because of that, and because the buyer continues to change, we developed seven questions that must be asked as we begin to develop and deploy a sales process to win more deals in less time.
Why is this important? An inward-out sales process has as its core foundation sales activities and exit criteria that the sales rep performs. The inward process is focused on what ‘we’ do as sales reps. An outward-in sales process is all centred on what the buyer does and the buyer activities.
Using an outward-in sales process makes it more probable that reps will align with the buying process, and because of that, win more deals faster.
1 What does a buyer want in the late stages of their decision process?
This is critical to understand the customer’s buying process. Mapping the customer’s buying process through market research results in the most effective sales processes. Understanding late-stage buying helps us influence early-stage buying, and if we know what the customer wants, we can potentially get in early to the deal and influence those requirements.
2 How will we know when a buyer exits one stage and enters the next stage?
Exit criteria is used to know when a buyer goes from stage to stage. An exit criteria is a buyer behaviour that the buyer exhibits that’s either observed or documented by the buyer for the sales team. Once this is completed, the buyer has moved onto their next buying stage, and therefore, we can then move onto our next sales stage.
This story is from the February - April 2017 edition of thinksales.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February - April 2017 edition of thinksales.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Getting Over Your Fear Of Cold Calling Customers
A recent research study found that 48% of business-to-business salespeople are afraid of making cold calls.
10 Tips To Get Honest, Productive Feedback
Great leaders are great learners. Their never-ending pursuit of information pushes them to constantly improve and sets them apart from the rest. Getting and learning from feedback isn’t always easy, but it is necessary, if we want to become better.
The 5 Things All Great Salespeople Do
The best salespeople know they’re the best. They take pride in their art form. They separate themselves from the rest of the pack regardless of circumstance. So how do they do it? What’s their secret? Are you one of them?
Why Trade Shows Are Worthy Of Your Marketing Budget
Given unrealistic expectations against a modest budget, marketing leaders are routinely tasked with making trade-offs on what stays and goes in their annual budget. In a highly digitised world, trade shows might seem like the ancient way to do things, but they remain one of the best forums for exposure to customers. Increase your success rate with trade shows through more thoughtful planning that aligns sales and marketing to common goals and objectives.
Why CRM Projects Fail And How To Make Them More Successful
CRM is an important tool, but it is just a tool. When the laptops are shut down for the day, it’s your sales team that is responsible for bringing value to clients and driving revenue. Implement your CRM with that in mind and you’ll be pleased with your ROI.
Is Your Corporate Strategy Paying Off?
Key questions to determine if your strategy is working.
3 Ways to Improve Your Ability to Diagnose
Selling requires a strong ability to diagnose the client’s problems and challenges.
How To Create Compelling Content
How do you create content that cuts through the noise? How do you get attention now that there is a glut of content being created?
Build Up Your Resilience By Asking Yourself Two Simple Questions
You may surprise yourself and find good in the bad.
How Marketing Can Increase Customer Lifetime Value
Marketing can play a pivotal role in boosting customer profitability.
