Wouldn’t it be great if all it took to be a great salesperson was luck? But we all know there’s more to it than that . . . it takes hard work, dedication and skill! Successful salespeople understand the importance of educating themselves in two areas: their prospects and their own products and services and they know that are both important.
I’ve certainly learned over the years that I can’t just be an expert on the services I am selling. I also need to educate myself on what the prospect is looking for.
I have a checklist I like to go through to make sure I am gathering all the information I need about a potential client. Do I know:
What situation within the company my product or services can solve or improve?
How are they currently dealing with that situation?
What kind of budget they have to spend on the situation?
Who are likely to be my competitors on this project?
Is my contact the decision-maker? If not, how will I get to the decision-maker?
What do I know about my contact from a business and personal perspective?
Of course, you may not be able to get all these answers during an initial meeting. Be creative – think about other sources for information: the web, trade journals, talking to others at that company and even to people who do business with your prospect to get the answers you don’t yet know.
One of my favorite tools for getting a little deeper look into a prospective client is their corporate website. You certainly can find out how the company positions itself within its industry, helping you to understand how it differentiates itself from its competitors and getting a greater sense of what their corporate culture is like. You also can gain insight into how it approaches its customers. Much as I might like to watch TV the night before a big presentation, I always take the time to take one last trip though my prospect’s website . . . it’s a great way to get my mindset where it needs to be before the presentation.
Knowing about your customer is just one prong of this two-pronged process. You also need a keen understanding of your company and its products. I always want to make sure I know:
Everything possible about my products and services, from how it’s made and how it works to how long it takes to deliver or implement and, of course, the cost.
Who else we have sold to that has had needs similar to this prospect and who would be willing to give us a testimonial.
Who else in their industry is using our products and services.
How I can show them that my company, in general, and I, in particular, are experts not just on our products but also on solving their problems due to our knowledge of their industry.
How I can ferret out other opportunities if they are not ready for what I have to offer. Do we have something smaller, faster, less expensive, easier to use that might work for them? Do they have another location where my product might work?
Who are my competitors and what makes what we have to offer better than anything they can do!
A sale in the win column doesn’t usually happen with just one visit. You have to prepare for that very first meeting and spend that meeting doing your fact-finding—and really listening. And, when it’s time to make your proposal, you need to go back through the questions again to make sure you’re truly prepared.
One thing you can be sure of: If you don’t invest the time it takes to be a top salesperson, your competitor will.
Next month: Making self-confidence one of your sales tools
Roula Crews is the President of Hi-Impact Marketing and Sales Solutions, Inc.
