Does Your Sales Process Need An Upgrade? How Will You Know?

Let's face it: In sales, your buyers have only four possible choices when they consider making a purchase:

1. They can do nothing at all.

2. They can buy from someone else.

3. They can decide to do it themselves.

4. They buy from you.

Needless to say, your Sales Process should steer your buyers safely towards making?decision Number Four?above. ??

Before we go any further, allow me some quick clarifying points about this article:

Sales process, sales cycle, sales funnel and sales journey are all more or less terms for the same thing: The sequence of steps you follow to first attract your ideal buyers, fending off your competitors along the way, and then lead them all the way on to a transaction.

I actually go one step further and advocate that the sales does not end with a transaction. If you are doing the right thing by the customer, you will give them such a great post-purchase experience that they not only come back for more, but they will also refer new business to you.

In this article I refer to B2B sales only, not to B2C or FMCG sales.

My business specializes in B2B Technology and B2B Services sales, so please keep in mind that this article is written predominantly for that audience.

Having said all that, let's now dive into the subject matter.

1. How do you know your Sales Process needs an upgrade?

Simple: Either?do this quick online test, or ask yourself these key questions:

1. Do we have a sales process? (You'd be surprised how many businesses just muddle through without one)
2. Is it structured, documented and applied in a consistent manner by our reps? (If not, then your buyers' buying experience will become a lottery that varies from rep to rep.)
3. How effective is our current Sales Process? (Tip: Check your win/loss ratio.)
4. Is our current Sales Process scalable? (As you grow your sales team, can your sales process handle the increased volume and pace?)
5. THIS IS THE BIG ONE: Is our current Sales Process buyer-focused? (Or, is your sales process focused on what you're selling and on how your reps want to sell it, instead of on your buyers and on how the want to buy from you?)

The Big Questions is this:

Is your current Sales Process seller-focused,

or buyer-focused?

2. What should your ideal Sales Process look like?

Well, of course it should feature all of the qualities listed above. In reality though, there is more to it than just that.

Your Sales Process should give you, your reps, and your buyers absolute clarity on the following ten points:

1. WHO are our ideal buyers?
2. WHERE can we find them?
3. HOW do we reach out to them and engage them in a sales conversation (or, even better still, a business conversation)?
4. WHAT are we really selling (think of the buyer outcome and how clear is it to your buyers)?
5. WHAT kind of buying experience can our buyers expect from doing business with us?
6. WHAT are our unique value proposition and our unique selling proposition (that differentiate you from the rest), and what is our killer introduction line (that makes your ideal buyers curious and want to know more about you)?
7. HOW do we successfully fend off your competitors and end up winning the deal?
8. HOW can our proposal process give us an unfair advantage?
9. WHAT customer experience are we giving our buyers so that they come back for more?
10. HOW can we turn our customers into advocates that happily refer new prospects to us?

Here is an illustration (hint: Move your Sales Process from the old one on the left to the new one on the right):

So, back to the original question:

3. Does Your Sales Process Need An Upgrade Now? How Can You Know?

If you're now wondering where your current sales process sits in comparison to the new buyer-focused one I described above, then I invite you to spend just 5 minutes to find out, by doing this free online test:

You will receive a personal report and a summary of your exact areas for improvement. Then, you'll be offered the opportunity to find out how you build and implement your very own shiny new Buyer-Focused Sales Process.

So, go ahead and take the free test now.

Here's to your selling success,

Peter Strohkorb

About

Peter Strohkorb?is the Founder and Principal of?Peter Strohkorb Sales Advisory, the international Sales Process Design & Implementation Specialists with a growing list of clients in the b2b services and tech space in the USA, in Australia, and in the UK.

Our motto is "Sell Smarter, Not Harder", and that is exactly what we deliver to you, our clients.

Since 2011, we have been delivering certainty and growth to many businesses just like yours.

I invite you to a commitment-free conversation about how you can modernize your sales process and lift your revenues, too.

Contact Me

Contact Us?to discuss and solve your sales challenges and opportunities.

Phone Australia: +61 (0)411 865 301??|??[email protected]

Phone USA:?+1 (628) 246-1242??

peterstrohkorb.com