(Post 4 in the Sales Series)

In the last article “Atomic Level Sales” you learned that I didn’t believe in Sales at all. I have stated that no one really sells anything. Rather, the control over the event in question rests with the prospective client. 

That may not sit well with most people in the field of sales. That makes me happy because it should cause helpful change. When I work with my business coaching clients around Oklahoma, my job is to create helpful change. However, this generally involves discomfort.

In the last installment, we found that the only important event in the sales process is beyond the control of the salesperson. It is the buying decision that the prospective client makes (or doesn’t make). The result of that decision is going to impact the salesperson, their compensation, the sales department, the manager, and the entire company. Maybe not one single buying decision, but all of the buying decisions considered for the day, week, month, and year? Absolutely.

So if you are willing to tentatively agree that we can focus on the buying decision and therefore, the buyer, what actions and responsibilities does that leave with the “sale person”?

Thorough and successful salespeople are responsible for almost everything except the buying decision.

The first thing the salesperson is responsible for is to choose to align him/herself with a product/service they believe in, priced in a manner that makes sense to them, and with a company they trust. If your product does what it’s supposed to do, if the company has a good reputation and you’re making a reasonable value proposition to your prospects, you will get sales (or purchases, right?).

How can you make sure you facilitate enough purchases to make a good living?

By understanding what activities you can control, what behavior you can influence, and what you can reasonably ask and expect prospective clients to do.

If you control what you can, practice your techniques, and grow your understanding of both clients and your products, the sky is the limit for your success.

In the next article, I’ll present a list of the 7 Gears of Sales. But let’s look at the categories of activities right now.

1.  Prospect for new clients. Successful salespeople adopt this necessary activity versus waiting for clients to find them.
2. Set up client meetings.
3. Learning how to begin a conversation successfully with new people is a very important skill.
4. Learn how to ask ice-breaking questions before transitioning to products or services.
5. Create a list of questions for your clients to express and define their needs or wants.
6. Craft an interactive conversation about your company’s services punctuated with intentional questions.
   1. 1. Anticipate both intellectual and emotional needs from the client before they express them.
      2. Steer the conversation toward an intentional decision moment.
7. Ask for the decision to be made
   1. 1. Be prepared for last-minute questions or concerns and bring the conversation back to the point of decision.
8. Prepare the client for the next steps and follow through on your part and theirs.

Business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to take my Free Online Assessment on the main page of the 7th Gear Website.

Other Articles of the Sales Series:

1. The 7 Gears of Sales
2. Nobody Sells Anything
3. Atomic Level Sales