7 Pillars of success – Part 7, Sales

There is perhaps no more universally applicable skill in business (or indeed life!) than sales. No matter what your role or industry, we all have to be able to sell something, if only ourselves. In our marketing strategy blog, we talked about getting the brand right to ensure you appeal to your ideal target customer, having a content strategy and understanding which channels you’re going to use to communicate with them and understanding the metrics, what does it cost to win a new lead?

The most successful businesses usually have a sales and marketing function that dovetails comfortably and understanding where responsibility lies. So if you have a marketing process, then you need to have a process in place for how you sell.

Sales, like most business functions, comes in myriad shapes and guises. There is no definitively correct way of selling. It’s all a question of what’s right for your brand and what’s right for you.

At Wilson Partners, we subscribe to a methodology called Sandler, as we feel it lends itself to our naturally consultative style. First developed in 1967, the Sandler sales methodology uses questions to build rapport while building a picture of what the buyer needs, so that a corresponding “solution” can be tailored and sold.

While similar to other forms of solution selling, what really distinguishes the Sandler model is its desire to redress the balance between seller and buyer. In fact, the sales person actually spends more time qualifying than they do closing, and if the solution is not right for the buyer then the seller doesn’t push it. It’s about getting to a point of mutual commitment.

There are no cheesy demos or generic presentations. Instead, the seller asks a large number of carefully considered questions to determine what is required, whether or not they are a good fit and if the buyer has the authority to take action. If the answer is yes then the seller facilitates a detailed conversation about both the technical problems at hand, and also the business implications of those problems.

Through asking these questions the seller is able to develop a level of rapport with the customer with the aim of being viewed as a trusted advisor. It is this that made it such a natural fit for Wilson Partners.

Of course Sandler is just one methodology. and it may be that you find something more appropriate for your business and culture. The most important thing is to have a process. Even though you’ll still find each member of your team tweaking it for their own style and strengths! Here are some thoughts from our Business Services Director, Duncan Bye, on what he keeps at the front of his mind during any sales process:

1) Be genuine – if all you’re doing is selling features and benefits, people will see through it. You need to begin by getting to know the buyer on a human level. Only then will you understand their wants//desires and non-negotiables. Which of course involves asking lots of great questions!

2) Understand what keeps the client up at night! – Too often we focus on superficial wins, without really getting to the heart of what keeps the customer up at night. How can you and your offering help this client to sleep easy and start firing on all cylinders by taking away their pain?!

3) Be clear on what the client will be getting for the price you have agreed. This is the real value, not just time spent! Setting clear expectations is fundamental to ensuring this becomes a long term, profitable relationship for both parties.

4) Never, never, never discount your offering. Imagine you go to a car dealership and you haggle off £5k for a vehicle, what are you likely to do when you come to buy your next car? By discounting once, you devalue your service and set a precedent that cannot be corrected. We are not a commodity market and haggling is not an option. Be comfortable with your pricing strategy and be 100% clear on the value you are bringing. If the client doesn’t see that, then you’re probably not right for one another, and that’s okay! Never be afraid to walk away.

Whatever your methodology, as mentioned above you need to have a clear sales process in place for how you’re going to make first contact, what questions you’re going to ask, how you present your business and how you decide whether the opportunity is right for you. The more routine you have in place, the more confidence you have in what you’re doing.

You also need to consider your follow up. Remembering that in some businesses the sales cycle can be months, years even so having a follow up process and sticking to it will give you the best opportunity of converting it. You need a good CRM in place to log, track and prompt you along the way.

And finally, make sure your team completely understands your product or service and are prepared to put in the effort to do their homework and understand the prospect as well.