The Selling Process

Learn key sales concepts that will make you a pro in the selling process.

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Course: On-Demand

(lively upbeat music) Welcome to the selling process. In these lessons we'll go over sales concepts like prospecting, pre-approach, presentations, closing the sale, and following up. Prospecting is simply defined as looking for prospects to turn into customers. Every person who may have a use for your product or service is a prospect. Prospects may come to you, or you may have to search for them. If you are in a retail or store location, prospects come to you. For example, if you sell cars, prospective customers walk into the showroom. However, if you sell life insurance, customers may walk into your location, but it's more likely you'll have to solicit your own leads. Sales guru Joe Gerard compares prospecting to filling seats on a Ferris wheel. You must continually load the sales Ferris wheel with prospects. You can find them from multiple sources, which include referrals, directories, centers of influence, trade shows, networking, cold calling. Let's take a closer look at some of these sources, starting with referrals. When you close a sale, ask your customer for the names of others who may have a use for the product or service. Referrals are an excellent way to boost sales. If your current customer is satisfied with their purchase, they will likely tell others. Capitalize on this satisfaction and ask for a referral. Their introduction can go a long way to getting your foot in the door. Directories such as the Polk City Directories can be an excellent source for leads. Polk provides information on local companies, large organizations, and manufacturers. Using the online or print versions of the databases, you can find information such as company name, address, executive contact information, including email addresses, Standard Industrial Classification and North American Industry Classification System codes, number of employees, and sales volume. D&B Hoovers is also a source for leads. According to D&B Hoovers' website, it has information on more than 170 million global and local organizations. Additionally, the site gives a sales organization the ability to build targeted customer lists. If your company allows you to participate in trade shows, consider doing so. They can be an excellent way to generate excitement or buzz about your product or service. Make sure that you have a method for capturing leads. It can be as simple as a bin or bowl for business cards, or as sophisticated as lead software that captures all contact data.

Intermediate Provider : Tami Glasco 6 Lessons · 16m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Urdu, Chinese

Course Description

Traditional selling and marketing, with its focus on getting new business, is giving way more and more to a modern style of selling. Modern companies are recognizing the long-term benefits of gaining repeat business through building and maintaining relationships with their customers. Because of this, salespeople are becoming the goodwill ambassadors for their company or brand, the face that represents the values, quality, and reliability of the company. The good news is that you don’t need to have a background in sales to be successful in this new environment. The most effective salespeople will be those who are able to engage in genuine, honest interactions with their customers, learning how to listen and find solutions to satisfy and meet the customers’ needs.

In this course on The Selling Process, you will learn about the “sales Ferris wheel” of prospect sources, and key elements of each resource on the wheel. You will understand the difference between pre-approach and approach and the best practices for success in both stages. You will also gain best practices for giving effective sales presentations and how to customize them for your prospects. Finally, you will discover the different methods for closing the sale and why follow-up may be the most important aspect of your sales process.

What You'll Learn

Use the sales Ferris wheel and its prospect-source resources to locate prospects
Distinguish between the pre-approach and approach stages and identify the key elements of each
Compare the different presentation models and determine which one best fits your prospect
Apply common closing techniques and choose the one best suited to your situation
Follow up with customers to ensure their satisfaction and continued business
Customize sales presentations to fit individual prospects

Key Takeaways

Traditional selling focused on new business is giving way to a modern style built on repeat business and long-term customer relationships.
Salespeople act as goodwill ambassadors who represent their company's values, quality, and reliability.
A sales background is not required to succeed; the most effective salespeople engage in genuine, honest interactions and listen to find solutions that meet customers' needs.
The sales Ferris wheel organizes prospect sources, and each resource on the wheel has key elements to understand.
Follow-up may be the most important aspect of the sales process for ensuring customer satisfaction and continued business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

It is suitable for anyone interested in modern selling, including those without a sales background, since the course explains that you don't need a sales background to be successful in this environment.

What topics does the course cover?

The course covers prospecting and the sales Ferris wheel, the pre-approach and approach stages, sales presentations, closing the sale, and follow-up.

What skills will I gain from this course?

You will build skills in presentations, closing sales, prospect management, and sales strategy.

Does this course explain how to close sales?

Yes. You will discover the different methods for closing the sale, learn common closing techniques, and determine which is best for your situation.

Why does the course emphasize follow-up?

The course presents follow-up as possibly the most important aspect of the sales process and shows its value in ensuring customer satisfaction and continued business.