C. 7 - Opening Chapter Profile Brett Georgulis– Texas State Professional selling student – 2011 National Graduate Division Champion at N.C.S.C. in sales Now a sales representative for 3M – Electrical Markets Division

Planning the Sales Call Chapter 7

Why Plan the Sales Call? A buyer’s time is valuable Avoids wasting your time and annoying prospects Proper planning helps meet call objectives efficiently and effectively More time to make additional calls, conduct research, fill out company reports, and other tasks Must meet goals for the account

Obtaining Precall Information The more research completed, the higher the probability of meeting the prospect’s needs and developing a long-term relationship Avoid embarrassing situations The records and notes from prior calls may be adequate Take time on important prospects

The Prospect/Customer as an Individual The salesperson should learn the following of a prospect customer: Personal (name, family status, education, aspirations, and interests) Attitudes (toward salespeople, the company, and the product) Relationships (formal reporting relationships, and important reference groups and group norms) Styles (social style and decision-making style) Evaluation of product/services (product attributes that are important and their evaluation process)

The Prospect’s/Customer’s Organization Demographics (type of organization, size, products/services offered, financial position and future, and culture) Prospect’s Customers (types and benefits they seek from the prospect’s products/services) Prospect’s Competitors (who they are, how they differ in business approaches, and the prospect’s strategic position in the industry)

Continued Historical Buying Patterns (amount purchased in the product category, sole suppliers or multiple suppliers, reason for buying from present suppliers, level of satisfaction with suppliers, and reasons for any dissatisfactions with suppliers or products currently purchased) Current Buying Situations (type of buying process, and the strengths and weaknesses of potential competitors)

Continued People Involved in the Purchase Decision -how they fit into the formal and informal organizational structure -their roles in this decision -who is most influential -any influential adversaries -current problems the organization faces -stage in the buying process Policies and the Procedures (about salespeople, sales visits, and purchasing and contracts)

Sources of Information Analysis paralysis- when you prefer to spend practically all your time analyzing the situation and finding information instead of making sales calls Resources within your company -one of the best sources of information -sales portals - databases are being used to keep the field sales force well informed Selling center- all people in the selling organization who participate in a selling opportunity

Obtaining Information The Internet -learn about prospects through a vast amount of info. -Hoover’s (free through Tx. State library) -InsideView, Jigsaw, & ZoomInfo. Secretaries and Receptionist -rich source of information -be courteous and treat with genuine success Noncompeting Salespeople -one of the best sources of information is the prospect’s own salespeople

Continued Traditional Secondary Sources -manuals and directories supply lots of company and industry information The Prospect -gather as much information as possible prior to the meeting Other Sources -trade show, list and directories, center of influence -hire an outside consultant to collect information if necessary

Setting Call Objectives Most important step in planning Salesperson should review what has been learned from precall information gathering Call objectives should not be created in a vacuum (take into account the firm’s goals, the sale’s teams goals, and the salesperson’s goals) (See examples in Exhibit 7.2 of the text)

Criteria For Effective Objectives An objective must be specific to be effective -should state precisely what the salesperson hopes to accomplish, who the objective targets are, and any other details Objectives must also be realistic - unrealistic objectives may not consider factors such as time and cultural influences Call objectives must be measurable - written set of objectives can be reviewed to see if a salespersons meets their goals SMART – specific, measureable, achievable, but realistic & time-based

Setting More Than One Call Objective Primary call objective- the actual goal salespeople hope to achieve (it is possible to have more than one primary call objective for a single call) Minimum call objective- the minimum salespeople hope to achieve Optimistic call objective- the most optimistic outcome the salesperson thinks could occur Secondary call objective-goals which are less important than the primary objective

Setting Objectives For Several Calls Develop a series of very specific objectives for future calls The salesperson needs to modify the sales call at times to suit the prospect or customer Some industries have a long interval between when a prospect is first visited and an actual sale is consummated (other salespeople may need to get involved in the selling cycle) Value proposition- written statement that clearly states how purchasing your product or service can help add shareholder value

Buyers setting goals Purchasing managers emphasize: On-time delivery; quality (meeting specifications); competitive pricing; proper packing/paperwork; technical support/service; quality of sales calls; level of technological innovation; & good emergency response. Use these benefits in your presentations

Making An Appointment Saves valuable selling time Appointments dignify the salesperson How To Make Appointments Dependent on the customer Attitude can have a tremendous impact on success The Right Person – Research shows that salespeople should look for the “go-getters” in a firm. Also important are the “teachers,” who share insights and ideas, and the “skeptics,” who tend to be cautious and slow down the process. Finally, you MUST find the ultimate decision maker. Consult the textbook for how this process varies in different cultures!

Continued The Right Time Generally 9-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-4p.m. are the best time Salesperson learns specific industry – best time The Right Place Technological advancements include: Videoconferencing- meetings via voice and video Webcasting- meetings broadcasted over the Internet Breakfast, lunch or dinner? Meals work! They must be in professional environments!

Continued Cultivating Relationships With Subordinates Gatekeepers-buying center members who influence the buying process by controlling the flow of information and/or limiting the alternatives considered Salespeople should go out of their way to treat all subordinates with respect and courtesy because: 1) It is the right thing to do 2) Subordinates can be key to the salesperson’s success or failure with an organization “Through the screen” – convincing gatekeeper “Over the screen” - namedropping to gatekeeper “Under the screen” – ignore the gatekeeper

Telephoning For Appointments (See Exhibit 7.4) The phone is most often used to make the initial appointment Salespeople need to use the phone correctly and effectively Active listening is important Voice mail: Cold call- best not to leave a message; find out from secretary the best time to call back Referral or prior introduction- leave a clear, concise message, including a suggested call back time Make the customer comfortable

Additional Planning Plan ahead Seeding- sending the customer important and useful things prior to the meeting