To reiterate an important point, a solid sales process separates the successful from the mediocre . It’s not luck, or education, or personality that makes a great salesperson, although these things can certainly help. Previously, I discussed the ways that having a sales process in place can benefit an agency’s internal operations. Now, I’ll explore the ways that an established sales process benefits you when you’re actually interacting with prospects to close more new business sales.
- Disqualify Faster
Having a sales process allows you to develop a solid questioning strategy, so you know exactly what kind of questions to ask prospects and when to ask them. Now, knowing this, a sales process ultimately allows you to disqualify a lead faster, which saves you time and money. As discussed in our article “Why is No the 2nd Best Word in Sales”, it’s important to disqualify a prospect sooner rather than later, so you don’t waste your precious sales time chasing an unqualified lead.
- Sets a Level Playing-Field
Without a sales process, you become subservient to your prospect and are constantly chasing them down to try to close a sale. You aren’t in control without a sales process. However, if you do take the time to establish a solid and strategic sales process, you can better forecast what will happen next with your prospect, since you have logical steps laid out ahead of time. This takes the guesswork off the table, and allows you instead to focus your efforts on qualifying your lead and being in control of the entire nurturing process from pitch to close. Instead of coming across as desperate, you are prepared and confident, which can go a long way in sales.
- Close the Loop
The point of selling is, well, to close a sale! With a sales process, you are able to close the loop and complete the sales cycle, whether it’s today or sometime in the future. The only way out of the loop should be through a sale (or lead disqualification). Even if a lead doesn’t become a customer right away, it’s still important to keep track of your interactions and keep them in mind for the future through nurturing. With a sales process, you can ensure that nothing slips through the cracks and a lead isn’t forgotten or lost just because they don’t buy something right away. A sales process allows you to get organized, keep track of your prospects, and eventually close the sales loop one way or another.
Having a sales process in place is the key success factor for any strong salesperson. No matter how smart, how charismatic, or how caffeinated you are, ‘winging it’ just isn’t going to be good enough to drive home persistent new business growth. By utilizing a sales process, you can quickly disqualify a prospect, set a level playing field, and close the sales loop. When interacting with a prospect, a sales process helps you to stay focused and save time, paving the way to more closed business.