The New Rules Of Sales Cycles

Salespeople are under more pressure than ever to sell. But more selling is not the answer. That is because, generally speaking, it does not help buyers to buy. So, what exactly is required to progress buyers who show an interest?

Sellers have come to realize that what happens from the point of the first meeting to just before the proposal is submitted has a major impact on the likelihood of a sale. This is what we call the effective management of sales cycles or opportunities and it offers the greatest potential to boost sales success.

This chapter will challenge your beliefs about the role of the sales process, how to accelerate the sale and the way buyers look at needs and solutions. It will demonstrate how sellers can help buyers to navigate their internal buying processes and move in the direction of the buying decision.

More Selling Is Not The Answer

Sales professionals at all levels must realize the new basis for competition is not selling, but buying. Those sales organizations who really understand how buying has changed and who successfully adapt how they sell to reflect these changes, will outsell their competition.

The role of the salesperson is to help the buyer to buy. For professional sellers this is a major shift in mindset. However, this shift will prevent a mad dash for the order, the futile preparation of ‘hit and miss’ sales proposals and misguided attempts to accelerate the sale.

Adopting the Buying Perspective

To improve win rates salespeople need to embrace the Seven New Rules in respect of how sales cycles are managed:

1.       Think Buying Process, Not Sales Process.

2.       Think Business Decision, Not Buying Decision.

3.       To Speed Up, Slow Down.

4.       Access is a Privilege, Not a Right.

5.       First Needs, Then Solutions.

6.       Think Total Solution.

7.       Review Early and Often.

Posted by Ray Collis on 4:17 pm. Filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry