1. Planning the Sales Call
is a Must! 7
Chapter
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ABC’s of Selling, 10/e
Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Main Topics Defining Success The Tree of Business Life: Planning
Strategic Customer Sales Planning–The Preapproach
The Prospect’s Mental Steps
Overview of the Selling Process
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3. How Do You Define Success?
A baseball coach might define success as having more wins than losses.
Her or his boss might define success as winning the national championship or the World Series.

4. How Do You Define Success?, cont…
You might define success as making an “A.”
Or you might define success as just passing this course.

5. How Do You Define Success?, cont…
A salesperson might define success as making the sales quota this year.
Or he or she might define success as being the top salesperson in the company.

6. How Do You Define Success?, cont…
What is success when calling on an individual customer?
If your purpose, plan, and goal are centered on helping instead of selling, can you fail?

7. Can You “Not” Make a Sale and Still Be Successful?
What if your customer did not have a need? Did you fail?
Yes or no?

8. Can You “Not” Make a Sale and Still Be Successful?, cont…
What if your product would not help meet your customer’s needs? Did you fail?
Yes or no?

9. Can You “Not” Make a Sale and Still Be Successful?, cont…
There are reasons you may not make a sale, but there should never be a reason that you do not meet the “purpose” of your business meeting….Why?

10. Can You “Not” Make a Sale and Still Be Successful?, cont…
Your purpose is to help someone!

11. How Do You Define Success?
Sales Call Purpose – to make a contribution to the welfare of a person or organization.
Success – setting a goal and accomplishing it.
To be successful doesn’t necessarily mean to make a sale. It just means to serve the customer in the best way possible.

12. What Is Success?
Purpose
Plan
Success

13. The Tree of Business Life: Planning
Guided by The Golden Rule:
Plan how to help people solve problems and fulfill needs
Plan every aspect of the sales call so you will be organized and prepared
Plan to present a specific solution to each prospect’s unique set of problems and needs
You will see that ethical service builds true relationships T T
Ethical
Service T T T T T T T T
Builds
T r u e
Relationships T C I
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14. What’s a Plan? A plan is a method of achieving an end.
The foundation of your plan must be based upon the truth.
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15. Exhibit 7-1: Only Through Truth Can Trust Be Supported to Bridge the Gap between People
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16. Begin Your Plan with Purpose
The constant truth that guides your business life
Directs how you approach each sales call
Your purpose for any sales call should be to make a contribution to the welfare of the person.
Plan to Achieve your Purpose
Plan each day, and carry out your plan adjusting to circumstances as you go.
At the end of each day evaluate your day to ensure a successful tomorrow.
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17. Exhibit 7-2: The Preapproach Involves Planning the Sales Presentation
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18. Strategic Customer Sales Planning–The Preapproach
Strategic problem solving involves
Strategic needs
Creative solutions
Mutually beneficial agreements
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19. Strategic Customer Sales Planning—The Preapproach
Effective Strategic problem solvers have the skills and knowledge to:
Uncover and understand the customer’s strategic needs by gaining an in-depth knowledge of the customer’s organization
Develop creative solutions that demonstrate a creative approach to addressing the customer’s strategic needs in the most efficient and effective manner possible
Arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement

20. Strategic Problem Solving
Strategic Needs
The salesperson who understands the full range of the customer’s needs is in a much better position to provide a product solution that helps the customer progress more efficiently and effectively toward achieving his or her organization's strategic goal

21. Strategic Problem Solving
Creative Solutions
A customized version of a product and/or service that efficiently addresses the customer’s specific strategic goals
A mix of goods and services – including competitors’ products and services – that offers the best possible solution in light of the customer's strategic needs

22. Strategic Problem Solving
Mutually Beneficial Agreements
Salespeople and customers must work together to develop a common understanding of the issues and challenges at hand to achieve a mutually beneficial agreement

23. Customer Relationship Model
Customers have strategic needs that salespeople must meet through creative solutions
Both come to mutual benefit solutions
Leads to long-term relationships between the customer and salesperson
Meets performance goals

24. Exhibit 7-3: Consultative Selling–Customer Relationship Model
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25. Strategic Customer Sales Planning–The Preapproach, cont…
Reasons for planning the sales call:
Builds confidence
Develops atmosphere of goodwill
Reflects professionalism
Generally increases sales

26. Exhibit 7-5: Steps in the Preapproach: Planning the Sale
Determine sales call objective(s)
Develop/Review customer profile
Develop customer benefits
Develop sales presentation
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27. Strategic Customer Sales Planning—The Preapproach cont…
Elements of sales call planning
Determining the sales call objective
Developing or reviewing the customer profile
Developing a customer benefit plan
Developing the individual sales presentation based on
the sales call objective,
the customer profile, and
the customer benefit plan

28. Exhibit 7-5: Steps in the Preapproach: Planning the Sale, cont…

29. Strategic Customer Sales Planning–the Preapproach, cont…
Always Have a Sales Call Objective
The precall objective – have one or more!
Focus and flexibility
Customer focus your efforts on the objective when you are with the customer
Be prepared to switch to another objective if needed
Make the goal specific
Move customer conversation toward the objective
Set a SMART call objective
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30. Always Have a Sales Call Objective
The sales call objective is the main purpose of contact with a prospect or customer
The exception is a survey call.

31. Strategic Customer Sales Planning—The Preapproach cont…
Always have a sales call objective – set objective for every call
The precall objective – have one or more
“If this call is successful, what will result?”
Be focused and flexible – know where you are going
Focus your efforts on the objective when you are with the customer
Be prepared to switch to another objective if needed

32. Strategic Customer Sales Planning—The Preapproach cont…
Make the goal specific
Not just to “…get an order.”
Move customer conversation toward your objective
Guide the customer to preplanned outcome
Set a SMART call objective

33. SMART Call Objective S M A R T pecific easurable chievable ealistic
imed

34. Strategic Customer Sales Planning—The Preapproach cont…
Set a SMART call objective
Specific—not just “…get an order”
Measurable—quantifiable (number, size, etc.)
Achievable—not too difficult to fulfill
Realistic—not too easy to fulfill
Timed—at this call, or before EOM, EOY, etc.
Customer profile provides insight
Customer benefit plan: what’s it all about?
The sales presentation is where it all comes together

35. Exhibit 7-5: Steps in the Preapproach: Planning the Sale, cont…

36. Customer Profile Provides Insight
Review information to create customized presentation.
See what your customer has done in the past to determine future needs.
If you do not have customer profiles, get one for each customer.

37. Customer Profile Provides Insight
It Should Tell You
Who makes the buying decisions?
What is the buyer’s background?
What are the desired business terms and what are the needs of the account?
What competitors do business with the account?
What is the history of the account?

38. Exhibit 7-6: Information Used in a Profile and for Planning
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39. Exhibit 7-5: Steps in the Preapproach: Planning the Sale, cont…

40. Customer Benefit Plan: What It’s All About!
1. Select features, advantages, and
benefits
2. Develop your marketing plan
3. Develop your business proposition
4. Develop a suggested purchase order based on customer benefit plan

41. Customer Benefit Plan: What It’s All About!
Steps in creating the customer benefit plan:
Step 1: Select FABs for product discussion
Step 2: Select FABs for marketing plan discussion
Step 3: Select FABs for business proposition discussion
Step 4: Develop suggested purchase order based on first three steps

42. Exhibit 7-7: Examples of Topics Contained in the Marketing Plan Segment of Your Sales Presentation
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43. Exhibit 7-8: Examples of Topics Contained in the Business Proposition Segment of Your Sales Presentation
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44. Exhibit 7-5: Steps in the Preapproach: Planning the Sale, cont…

45. The Sales Presentation Is Where It All Comes Together

46. The Sales Presentation Is Where It All Comes Together
Write out all FABs for steps 1 – 3.
Step 1: Select FABs for product discussion
Step 2: Select FABs for marketing plan discussion
Step 3: Select FABs for business proposition discussion
Write out suggested purchase order.
Now you are ALMOST ready to create your sales presentation.

47. Exhibit 7-9: Major Phases in Your Presentation: A Sequence of Events to Complete in Developing a Sales Presentation
Rapport-building
Uncover needs
Attention, interest, transition
Features
Advantages
Benefits
How to resell (for reseller)
How to use (for consumer and industrials user)
What’s in it for your customers?
Recommend what to buy in order to fill the needs uncovered in the presentation
Ask for the business!
Do not give up!
Act as a professional
Leave the door open
1. Approach
2. Fully discuss your
product
3. Present your
Marketing Plan
4. Explain your
Business Proposition
5. Suggested
purchase order
6. Close
7. Exit

48. What is Left in Creating Your Sales Presentation?
As shown in Exhibit 7-9 you need to create your:
Approach – covered in Chapter 9
Close – covered in Chapter 12

49. Before You Can Pick Your Approach You Must:
Select which presentation method to use – covered in Chapter 8.
Prepare for anticipated objections from your prospect/customer – covered in Chapter 11.

50. In Planning a Sales Presentation, You Should Consider:
The prospect’s mental steps
What would the prospect be thinking as you give your presentation? ? ? ? ? ?

51. Exhibit 7-10: The Prospect’s Five Mental Steps in Buying

52. The Prospect’s Five Mental Steps
Attention
Interest—determine buying motives
Desire—use FAB
Conviction—develop
strong belief in product
Purchase or Action

53. How Do You Obtain Someone’s Attention When You Begin Your Presentation?
Show you are there to help!
The proper approach is important! (Chapter 9)
Your goal is to determine a need or problem.

54. How Do You Keep Someone’s Interest in What You are Presenting?
Show you are there to help!
Quickly present major FABs that:
Fulfill a need
Solve a problem
Show and tell as discussed in Chapter 10

55. How Do You Build Desire for Your Product?
Show you are there to help!
Using your trial closes, determine if prospect is interested in benefits
Watch for nonverbal signals!
Green
Yellow
Red
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56. How Do You Establish The Conviction Your Product Will Solve Needs or Problems?
Show you are there to help!
Let the customer see how your product’s FABs will solve her needs or problems
Your trial closes will reveal whether the customer ready to buy
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57. How Do You Know if Customer Ready to Purchase So You Can Close?
Show you are there to help!
Trial close response(s) give nonverbal signals that indicate positive beliefs that the product will fulfill needs or solve problems
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58. Overview of the Selling Process
Getting the prospect’s attention and interest by having the prospect recognize a need or problem, and stating a wish to fulfill the need or solve the problem
Uncovering and answering the prospect’s questions and revealing and meeting or overcoming objections results in more intense desire
Desire is transformed into the conviction that your product can fulfill the prospect’s needs or solve problems.

59. Exhibit 7-11a: The Selling Process and Examples of Prospect’s Mental Thoughts and Questions

60. Exhibit 7-11b: The Selling Process and Examples of Prospect’s Mental Thoughts and Questions

61. Exhibit 7-11c: The Selling Process and Examples of Prospect’s Mental Thoughts and Questions

62. Summary of Major Selling Issues
Careful planning of the sales call is essential to success in selling
Planning builds self-confidence, develops an atmosphere of goodwill, creates professionalism, and increases sales
Sales call planning
Have a sales call objective that is SMART
Develop or review the customer profile
Develop your customer benefit plan
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