ITS ALL ABOUT SALES - UNDERSTANDING SALES PROCESS
What is Sales?
Before learning more about how to do successful sales and selling, it's important first to get a sense of what sales is, so you can more accurately understand the guidelines, tips and tools provided throughout this topic. Also, it's useful to understand different viewpoints about sales, especially so you can more accurately understand how your clients talk about sales.Understanding the Sales Process (Sales Pipeline)
There is a general, overall process that successful sales people follow, although there are different perspectives on that process, including names for the various steps along the way. The next major section in this topic includes more detailed guidelines, tips and tools for each stage of one perspective on the sales process, or sales pipeline as some people refer to it.
SALES PROCESS AND SALES PIPELINE
1. Generating Leads -- Using Sales Channels
A lead is a potential customer. (Later, in the sales process, you will qualify the lead to determine if he/she is a prospect, that is, is someone who is very likely to buy from you.) Sales channels are the methods by which salespeople and customers communicate with each other. The resources that are referenced in this subtopic usually give advice about how best to use a particular channel in sales, but don't go primarily with that advice -- also follow the guidelines in each phase of a sales process, so that you're following guidelines in a systematic manner.
2. Qualifying the Client -- Is Client a Prospect?
Once you have a list of leads, you need to qualify them, that is, you need to assess whether they are likely to buy your product or service based on, for example, their needs and wants, match between their needs and wants and the nature of your products and services, key decisions by the decision makers, ability to pay and preferences for the timing to buy. A qualified lead is a prospect. (Depending on the nature of your product or service, you might be asked to provide a proposal, even without having an opportunity to more carefully qualify the lead.)
3. Sales Interviews and Presentations With Prospects
5. Closing the Sale
The closing process is getting the commitment of the prospect to buy your product or service. The close is when the client has committed. It represents the close, or ending, of the sale process. However, many would assert that the sales process really doesn't end there, rather the sales process continues to ensure a strong, successful relationship with the client even after a contrast has been signed.
6. Account Maintenance and Management
Customer Service
One of the main responsibilities in this phase of the sales process is responding to the needs and questions from customers. This phase also is where you can learn a lot about how well your product or service is meeting the needs of customers, and about any changes that you might want to make to those products and services. The following link is to many other links about customer service.
Customer Satisfaction
The ultimate goals of a sales process should be customer satisfaction. Without that, the revenue won't follow. The necessary learning won't follow about how to continue to improve products and services, about how to innovate to produce new products and services. The following link is to many other links about customer satisfaction.
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