At Solutions BD we subscribe to the view that most businesses achieve consistent sales when they focus on client relationships. This entails client relationship generation, development and maintenance.

This means sales emerge from the number and quality of relationships that your organisation has under management.

The key to success lies in continually growing the number of relationships under management as well as having a carefully crafted management process that fosters and develops these relationships into sales opportunities.

This article deals predominantly with the last element of the sales conveyor process. Click on the links below to access the other articles in this series.

To become expert in anything we must first understand the process. How well do you and your people understand your product or service offering? How well do your people understand the market and its needs?

Consider the following step by step process to begin formalising your sales conversion process.

1. The Now Analysis
   The Pareto rule allows you to group your clients by a given criteria . This process provides insight into the client profile of your organisation as it stands currently.
   
   Assuming the strategic plan is current, it should be easy to ascertain what the company has identified as its targets and competitive advantage.
   
   Once the market segments are clear developing the sales strategy becomes much easier.
   
   The competitive advantage provides a point of difference for the company overall and forms the basis of the organisations branding and profile development.
   
2. Client issues
   Make a list of the issues confronting the clients you are targeting.
   
3. Features
   Once the client issues are listed, outline the features (the individual elements that combine to make up your product or service.)
   
4. Benefits
   How does your products resolve or lessen each of the issues facing your target market?
   
5. SPIN
   Situation Ask questions that give you understanding of the clients present environment.
   Eg How confident are you (client)that you will meet your sales targets?
   Problem
   Ask questions that allow you to see the current pressing issues for the client.
   Eg How do you (client) ensure best practice?
   Implications
   Do you think you (client)may lose staff if your sales remain flat?
   Need How much extra revenue could you (client) earn if we could get your sales up by 10%
   
6. Proof
   Video / CD testimonials
   Literature that quotes satisfied clients
   Provide references
   
7. Cost benefit Analysis List the products to be supplied and the benefits to the client of each. Outline the overall return on investment for the client using your product or service.




8. Guarantee
   Guarantee each component of the Cost Benefit Analysis. This way there is less risk for both parties.
   
9. Closing The Sale
   a) Identify their outlook – eg Did you like our presentation / Proposal?
   b) What was the best / problem part?
   c) (Assuming problems were rectified) what would stop us from going forward?
   d) Set a time / take the order
   
10. Implement a Process Cycle
    Document the entire sales process
    a. Put in measures to evaluate each part of the process
    
    b. Train people in using the process to ensure a uniform approach to implementation.
    1. How to segment market
    2. Understand the products features and benefits
    3. Implementing SPIN
    4. How to complete a cost benefit analysis
    5. How to script a close
       
    
    c. Refine and update the process on programmed basis.

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