5 Elements of the Sales Process

It looks great on paper the sales process.  In the real world it's somewhat more fluid...dare I say chaotic!  Despite your best laid plans, leads, suspects, prospects and customers don't behave in a linear manner.  It's frustrating...it's reality!  Use a CRM to keep on top of all activities of the sales process is one piece of advice I give frequently.  The other is to be ready to overcome objections...the obstacles to closing the sale and keeping your customers happy!

Until next time...
Chris Morales

Seven Steps of Personal Selling

At my first sales job back in the day, here's what I got from my Sales Manager:  Here's the phone book...those are your leads...now get out there and sell!"

In some industries things haven't changed.  But there is hope, especially with all the information on prospects that is available now via simple Google searches.

I teach a course at a Toronto Community College to adults looking to improve their personal selling skills.  Many are not professional sales people...they want to learn how to apply professional selling in their business lives:  to get jobs, promotions, new jobs!  The principles are basic and they apply to everyone.  Here are seven steps of personal selling that I believe in and teach:

None of these are more important than the other.  You will fail if you short-circuit the process.  As you gain experience you will learn how to adjust your pace based on the situation...and the needs of the person you are selling t!

Until next time...
Chris Morales

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The Art of Personal Branding

What do you stand for?  Do prospective employers and or clients know what you do?  More importantly, what you can do for them?

Branding 101:  The value of your brand is determined by your customers!  How they perceive what value they get from you and your services.  This applies to businesses and individual.  Build your brand from that starting point.
 

 

Until next time...

Chris Morales

 

Is the Art of Selling Dead?

Is science overtaking the art of selling? It depends...

On the Art side, being personable, listening, asking questions, improvising are all top skills.  Learning your prospect's needs and working to fill them with value-added solutions is the name of the game. 

On the Science side, response times, lead management, CRM systems power the selling process.  Using an integrated contact approach involving email, text and phone along with a more guided approach makes it more clinical.  

No, the art of selling is not dead...and it is not going to be replaced by science.  Professional Sales people today combine art and science to prospect for new customers and 'sell to' current ones.  For more, check out this infographic:

 

Until next time...

Chris Morales