Suppose you sent out a memo to your sales force and asked them, “Please describe the steps in our company’s sales process.” How many different perspectives, variations, and answers would you get back? In this age of increasing competition, team selling, and tele-managing, creating a unified yet unique message delivered to the marketplace by a sales force with a singular selling philosophy is imperative.
Think of it this way: isn’t it easier to become proficient in one thing and practice it X number of times than to attempt to be an expert in X number of things performed only one time? Why succumb to the myth that each selling situation is different, and then reinvent the wheel over and over again?
When you are committed to process improvement, you take the necessary time to critically analyze the range of selling methods you implement. The ineffective practices and outrageous methods that luckily worked one time on only one prospect may make interesting anecdotes at cocktail and retirement parties, but they do not belong as the backbone of a successful business model.
Most importantly, carefully analyze the way your best customers buy. What motivates them to make a decision to select you as a partner? Chronicle the timing of each step along the way to a signed purchase order.
-Vince DiCecco, Your Personal Business Trainer
