Professional Selling Exam 2

Communication process

sender, encode, channel, decode, receiver

What are you trying to communicate in a first impression?

professionalism, good introduction (who you are), want to seem knowledgeable, be personable (warmth), show them you can add value

What communicates a first impression?

words, what you hear, and what you see/feel

Words can be:

as much as 40% of a first impression 

What you hear can be:

as little as 10% of a first impression (rate of speech, loudness, inflection, articulation)

What you see/feel can be:

as much as 50% of a first impression

Verbal Communication

the transmission of words in either face-to-face communication, over a telephone, or through written messages

Levels of Listening

Hearing, passive listening, active listening

General Listening Tips

Concentrate, avoid jumping to conclusions when someone is speaking, and trying to stay interested 

Becoming an Active Listener

repeat information (verbatim), re-state or rephrase information in your own words, clarify information, summarize the conversation, be tolerant of silences, and concentrate on the ideas being communicated

What you see/feel

facial expression, dress/grooming, posture, eye contact, touches, gestures, handshake

The first ____ minutes of an impression are critical.

two

Non-spoken forms of expression

body language, space, and appearance

Nonverbal signals are communicated through what channels of expression?

body angle, face, arms, hands, legs

Steps in the Sales Process

prospecting, pre-call planning and information gathering, approach, needs assessment, body of the presentation, handling objections, obtaining commitment/closing, follow up (PPANBHOF)

Prospecting

searching for new customers, identifying/developing potential customers

Pre-Call Planning and Information Gathering

before approaching the customer, you should learn as much as you can about the prospect’s organization and its buyers

Approach

sets the tone for your relationship, collecting information 

Needs Assessment

one of the most important parts of the sales process, ask lots of questions, builds confidence/trust

Body of the Presentation

should focus on benefits rather than features, use the information from needs assessment to build a relevant presentation

Handling Objections

rarely does a customer agree to buy right away, most have objections, view objections as an opportunity to uncover obstacles (instead of as a problem)

Obtaining Commitment/Closing

requires courage and skill, a large percentage 

Follow Up

responsibilities do not end with the sale (or order)

Prospecting is

the process of trying to find new potential customers to sell to

Common causes of customer attrition

one-time need or significant amount of time between purchases

relocation (outside the territory) 

firm merges with another or goes out of business

loss of a loyal customer (downsizing, retirement, job changes, illness, death) 

switches to a competitor 

Is every lead a prospect?

No; you must qualify the lead.

Questions to know whether the lead is a prospect

Does the lead have a want or a need that can be satisfied by the purchase of my product or services?

Does the prospect have the ability to pay?

Does the prospect have the authority to make the purchase decision?

Can the prospect be approached favorably?

Is the prospect eligible to buy?

Do we sell to leads? 

No; we sell to prospects. Qualifying the leads determines whether a lead is a prospect or not. 

Does every sales position involve prospecting as one of the job requirements?

No, not every position does.

Satisfied Customers method of prospecting

80% of satisfied clients are willing to give referrals

make a list of who your satisfied customers are, figure out what you want them to do, get contact info for referring company

Endless Chain Method

attempt to get at least one additional lead from each sales presentation that you make

Referral Letters and Cards

variation of the endless chain method where the salesperson asks the customer to prepare a note or letter of introduction (testimonial)

Traditional Networking

the art of making and using contacts to achieve goals

Social Media

your set of direct and indirect contacts

Center of Influence

establish relationships with a well-connected influential person who is willing to provide prospecting information

Databases and data mining

using sophisticated data analysis software and the company’s databases to generate leads

Cold calling

trying to generate leads by calling on totally unfamiliar organizations

Spotters

paying someone for lead information

Telemarketing

using phone and/or telemarketing staff to generate leads

Sales letters 

writing personal letters to potential leads 

Other sources

using noncompeting salespeople, people in his or her own firm, friends, and so on to secure information