Several weeks ago I was networking with an entrepreneur and to no surprise we started talking about sales. This co-founder came from a non-sales background and wanted to better understand sales as her company was going to be ready to start selling their product shortly. Her experiences with sales professionals as a buyer had not always had great outcomes and she was a little unsure how to think about her company’s culture as it pertained to sales and how best to acquire early customers in a B2B market. So, we talked a little about the role of sales and the process. I thought it might be useful to define the sales role and introduce the sales process in a post, so here goes.
Whether you are a street vendor hawking hot dogs outside a ballpark or a B2B account executive helping organizations adopt multi-million-dollar ERP solutions, a sales professional’s goal is to solve problems for their customers. To do that, you have to be able to;
- Understand the problem your potential customer has.
- Demonstrate how your products will provide the most beneficial outcome. (including how you are providing value above and beyond what your competitors can deliver)
- Provide leadership in a confidence inspiring manner manner that enables your customer to move forward with your solution. (if you believe your solution and team are able to deliver the desired outcome)
While the hotdog vendors path to success might seem less mysterious than a very expensive ERP provider, at a high level, the same basic process outlined below can be used to acquire satisfied customers in either market.
The Sales Process
- Lead
- Qualify Lead
- Presentation and or Demonstration
- Quote
- Close
While the steps in the process listed above appear straightforward, success can be illusive without training and focusing on developing the traits needed for success in a sales role. In following posts I’ll expand on the sales process and the skills needed for both early-stage B2B companies as well as organizations that are ready to scale.
If your companies sales goals are not meeting expectations and you want to change that, contact me at Jim@justsalestalk.com to schedule time for a phone call or zoom meeting.
