© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Planning the Sales Call Why should salespeople plan their sales calls? What precall information is needed about the individual prospect and the prospect’s organization? How can this information be obtained? What is involved in setting call objectives? Should more than one objective be set for each call? How can appointments be made effectively and efficiently? Some questions answered in this chapter are: 8-2 CHAPTER 8 McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 8-3 McGraw-Hill/Irwin “I finally accepted that a good plan doesn’t stay constant but instead is constantly changing to reflect current conditions.” ~Rachel Fisher

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The buyer’s time is valuable The seller’s time is valuable Planning must fit into the salesperson’s goal for the account –Some accounts have greater strategic importance and require more planning 8-4 Why Plan the Sales Call? McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Obtaining Precall Information The more information the salesperson has about the prospect, the higher the probability of meeting the prospect’s needs and developing a long-term relationship. There are costs involved in collecting information. Can reduce embarrassing situations. Don’t assume that your knowledge of the account is automatically up-to-date. Information gathering is not usually quick and easy. 8-5 McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 8-6 A Flow Diagram of the Planning Process McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Personal –Name (including pronunciation) –Family status –Education –Aspirations –Interests and disinterests –Social style Attitudes –Toward salespeople –Toward your company –Toward your product 8-7 The Prospect/Customer as an Individual McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Relationships –Formal reporting relationships –Important reference groups and group norms –Bonds that the prospect has already formed with other salespeople Evaluation of product/services –Product attributes that are important –Product evaluation process 8-8 The Prospect/Customer as an Individual (continued) McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Demographics –Type of organization –Size, number of locations –Products and services offered –Financial position and its future –Overall culture of the organization Prospect’s customers –Types –Benefits they seek from the prospect’s products and services Prospect’s competitors –Who they are –How they differ in their business approaches –Prospect’s strategic position in the industry 8-9 The Prospect’s/Customer’s Organization McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Historical buying patterns –Amount purchased in the product category –Sole supplier or multiple suppliers – why? –Reason for buying from present suppliers –Level of satisfaction with suppliers –Reasons for any current dissatisfaction with suppliers or products Current buying situation –Type of buying process –Strengths and weaknesses of potential competitors 8-10 The Prospect’s/Customer’s Organization (continued) McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 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 cycle –Policies and procedures –About salespeople –About sales visits –About purchasing and contracts 8-11 The Prospect’s/Customer’s Organization (continued) McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Resources within your company –Sales portals –Selling center The Internet –Prospect company’s own Web page –Personalized Web pages –Hoovers, JustSell.com, etc. Secretaries and receptionists Noncompeting salespeople 8-12 Sources of Information McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Traditional secondary sources The prospect Other sources –Trade show –Lists and directories –Center of influence –Outside consultant –U.S. government’s export portal –U.S. Commercial Service market research library 8-13 Sources of Information (continued) McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Review what has been learned from precall information gathering Understand what relationship the firm wished to have with the prospect Call objectives should be developed while taking into account: –The firm’s goals –The sales team’s goals –The salesperson’s goals If you don’t know where you’re going, you may wind up somewhere else 8-14 Setting Call Objectives McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. All objectives should be: –Specific –Realistic –Measurable Set objectives that require a buyer’s response SMART –Specific –Measurable –Achievable –Realistic –Time-based 8-15 Criteria for Effective Objectives McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Setting More than One Call Objective McGraw-Hill/Irwin Secondary call objectives Remaining objectives after the primary objective. Minimum call objective The minimum a salesperson hopes to achieve. Primary call objective The actual goal the salesperson hopes to achieve. Optimistic call objective The most optimistic outcome the salesperson thinks could occur.

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Keep good records Make necessary adjustments in long- term call objectives Prepare for the next sales call A good primary objective for a first session is to have another chance to visit Consider whom to call on in upcoming meetings 8-17 Setting Objectives for Several Calls McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Based on perceptions of how the salesperson’s product or service can add value What buyers look for to increase value: –On-time delivery –To-spec quality of products –Competitive pricing –Proper packaging/paperwork –Technical support service –Quality of sales calls –Level of technological innovation –Good emergency response 8-18 Buyers are Setting Goals Also McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Making an Appointment The right person –Focus of receptivity –Focus of dissatisfaction –Focus of power The right time The right place 8-19 McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Making an Appointment (continued) Cultivating relationships with subordinates –Work “through the screen” –Go “over the screen” –Go “under the screen” –Bypass the screen 8-20 McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Most often used to make the initial appointment The goal is to make the appointment, not sell the product or service Salespeople need to anticipate objections and decide exactly how to respond 8-21 Telephoning for Appointments McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Plan how to make a good impression Plan how to further uncover the customer’s needs and strengthen the presentation Plan to answer anticipated questions and concerns Practice Seeding 8-22 Additional Planning McGraw-Hill/Irwin

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Planning of sales calls is critical. Salespeople need to gather as much information about the prospect as possible before the first call. A call objective should be: –Specific –Realistic –Measurable Salespeople should make appointments before calling on customers. A number of methods can be used to make appointments Summary McGraw-Hill/Irwin