Finding Focus and Direction

I gave a short synopsis of my current situation in my intro, but Skip Anderson was kind enough to encourage me to continue the dialogue.
I face significant challenges with the management and (lack of) leadership in my office. That aside, Skip asked me the following:

What are you struggling with?
I certainly have no fear of making calls, but I don't feel I have the product knowledge needed to be confident in conversations with prospects. I'm not afraid to say "I don't know, but I'll find out" but it would be nice to have a majority of the answers
What are you good at?
I have a good sense of humor, I follow up and do what I say I'll do, and I'm likeable. I've never had a problem asking for the business, either.
What have you tried?
That's a difficult question to answer. I've only seen one way of making the sale and I use that method. It's a basic Sales Funnel, but the problem is with the number of people who stall out in the funnel. They don't progress toward closing and I don't know what to do about it.
I took this question to my manager, and he answered my question with "Well, what do you think they need?"

IF I KNEW THAT, IT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM NOW, WOULD IT? Sheesh! I guess that's his way of say he doesn't know.
I've read Customer Centered Selling (it's OK) and The New Strategic Selling (I like this one) and I'm trying to figure out how to apply it to my position.

So there's the laundry list. I would like to be able to end with a definitive question to ask, but I don't know exactly what I'm asking for. I'm really floundering.
Anyone want to chime in here?

It sounds like you're struggling with product knowledge. That should be one of the easier things to accomplish. There's got to be a way you can get some resources together to tackle that one. Your manager should be willing to help you out there, or someone else in your company, or hopefully you have some printed materials, manufacturers reps, vendors, etc. who can help with that one. PK is important, but it is not the most important thing in selling.

The people part of it and the sales skills part of it are the most important, in my opinion. And from your response, you seem to have a pretty good grip on those, which is fantastic. Asking for business is key, and you mention that you feel you've got that under control, so good for you.

What I'm not clear about is where/how the sales are "stalling out" as you describe. Maybe you'd like to share a little more. And maybe some other experts would like to hop into this one, too.

I agree with Skip. It seems like you need to focus on understanding the features and benefits of your product. It's great to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out". The problem as we all know is getting back in front of the prospect. So having the answers right then and there is key.

Secondly, you need to master the sales process and part of the process is your attitude. You should know the sales process so you can do it in your sleep. At that point you can really focus on the prospect and the non-verbal communication. These are all keys to becoming a sales star.

I'll give you a bit more detail on our selling process, then let's see what comes up.

90% of our sales are done over the phone. Not a big deal until you consider the fact that the average cost of the product is in the neighborhood of $20,000. We do well with this model. We're actually the leading supplier in the industry. I'm not sure if this selling model is very good though. I don't have any control over it, so I suppose it doesn't really matter what my opinion is.

Anyway, the stall seems to come when we talk dollars and cents. I've presented and built value, but they still stall, make excuses and balk. Does that help?

My tip for improving product knowledge would be to not just talk to your internal folks - but to speak to current, satisfied (or better yet, deliriously happy) customers. Find out from them, in their language, what benefits they get from your products and why they buy them. You'll find they often differ from what your company thinks they are.

Ian

If you are having large numbers of people who stall out in your funnel, that means you're probably not qualifying them enough up front.

You want to ascertain early in your sales process whether or not you are 1.) speaking with a decision-maker and 2.) speaking with someone who is going to take action.

You want to ask questions like: "If this product/service is the solution you're looking for, will you move ahead?" "What might stand in the way of you from moving ahead?"

You might also ask, "How have decisions like this been made in the past?" This will give you a sense of the prospect's process.

Ask: "When do you need to have this issue resolved/program installed/product delivered...?"

Bottom line: You want to figure out whether your prospect is serious or just window shopping before you invest enormous amounts of time courting them.

Wendy Weiss
The Queen of Cold Calling

Thanks for the advice. I'll use a deeper probing in the qualification stage to get a better idea of the buying process for each company.
I'll also talk to some of our customers and find out what they really do like about the software.
I knew I could count on you's guys!

	#1
Mr Paul	Finding Focus and Direction I gave a short synopsis of my current situation in my intro, but Skip Anderson was kind enough to encourage me to continue the dialogue. I face significant challenges with the management and (lack of) leadership in my office. That aside, Skip asked me the following: What are you struggling with? I certainly have no fear of making calls, but I don't feel I have the product knowledge needed to be confident in conversations with prospects. I'm not afraid to say "I don't know, but I'll find out" but it would be nice to have a majority of the answers What are you good at? I have a good sense of humor, I follow up and do what I say I'll do, and I'm likeable. I've never had a problem asking for the business, either. What have you tried? That's a difficult question to answer. I've only seen one way of making the sale and I use that method. It's a basic Sales Funnel, but the problem is with the number of people who stall out in the funnel. They don't progress toward closing and I don't know what to do about it. I took this question to my manager, and he answered my question with "Well, what do you think they need?" IF I KNEW THAT, IT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM NOW, WOULD IT? Sheesh! I guess that's his way of say he doesn't know. I've read Customer Centered Selling (it's OK) and The New Strategic Selling (I like this one) and I'm trying to figure out how to apply it to my position. So there's the laundry list. I would like to be able to end with a definitive question to ask, but I don't know exactly what I'm asking for. I'm really floundering. Anyone want to chime in here?

	#2
Skip Anderson "Top Sales Expert"	It sounds like you're struggling with product knowledge. That should be one of the easier things to accomplish. There's got to be a way you can get some resources together to tackle that one. Your manager should be willing to help you out there, or someone else in your company, or hopefully you have some printed materials, manufacturers reps, vendors, etc. who can help with that one. PK is important, but it is not the most important thing in selling. The people part of it and the sales skills part of it are the most important, in my opinion. And from your response, you seem to have a pretty good grip on those, which is fantastic. Asking for business is key, and you mention that you feel you've got that under control, so good for you. What I'm not clear about is where/how the sales are "stalling out" as you describe. Maybe you'd like to share a little more. And maybe some other experts would like to hop into this one, too. __________________ Selling To Consumers Sales Training to Sell More™ Free sales tips newsletter at www.SellingToConsumers.com

	#3
Jim Klein "Top Sales Expert"	I agree with Skip. It seems like you need to focus on understanding the features and benefits of your product. It's great to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out". The problem as we all know is getting back in front of the prospect. So having the answers right then and there is key. Secondly, you need to master the sales process and part of the process is your attitude. You should know the sales process so you can do it in your sleep. At that point you can really focus on the prospect and the non-verbal communication. These are all keys to becoming a sales star. __________________ Jim Klein - The "Sales Advisor" Helping salespeople achieve mastery, come "from the heart" and positively impact lives with perfect solutions. http://www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com

	#5
ianbrodie "Top Sales Expert"	My tip for improving product knowledge would be to not just talk to your internal folks - but to speak to current, satisfied (or better yet, deliriously happy) customers. Find out from them, in their language, what benefits they get from your products and why they buy them. You'll find they often differ from what your company thinks they are. Ian __________________ Ian Brodie Lighthouse Business Consulting Management Consultants Specialised in Sales Strategy and Business Growth

	#6
Wendy Weiss "Top Sales Expert"	If you are having large numbers of people who stall out in your funnel, that means you're probably not qualifying them enough up front. You want to ascertain early in your sales process whether or not you are 1.) speaking with a decision-maker and 2.) speaking with someone who is going to take action. You want to ask questions like: "If this product/service is the solution you're looking for, will you move ahead?" "What might stand in the way of you from moving ahead?" You might also ask, "How have decisions like this been made in the past?" This will give you a sense of the prospect's process. Ask: "When do you need to have this issue resolved/program installed/product delivered...?" Bottom line: You want to figure out whether your prospect is serious or just window shopping before you invest enormous amounts of time courting them. Wendy Weiss The Queen of Cold Calling

Finding Focus and Direction

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