(gentle music) Have you ever wondered where do I start in the sales process? Let's explore the characteristics of a successful salesperson, the basic principles of sales, and useful sales techniques. In this lesson, you will learn how to properly introduce your business and product, and ask the right questions to determine the needs of your customer, which will help you create a presentation highlighting the features and benefits needed to close a sale. Mastering the action steps in a sales process will make you feel more confident in your approach. The sales process begins before you meet with a customer, and can continue even after the sale is made. Depending on the company you work for, a standardized process may already be in place. This could be a trusted method that has been researched and designed specifically for your product or service. While there may be a few or many steps, the overall objective is to have your customer complete the sales cycle. In most cases, the sale process or funnel begins with prospecting. This step may also be combined with qualifying leads in some companies. Leads are people who have expressed a need for, or who have shown interest in your product or service. A lead becomes a prospect only after the qualification process. While in the qualifying phase, you want to find out as much as you can about your potential customers. You can conduct online research, use referrals, or get information from your customer relationship management system, or CRM. This step may also be referred to as the preparation stage. You want to get to know as much as possible about your customer's needs, and whether your product or service will be a good fit. And while you may not be directly involved in this process, it can affect your sale. Once you identify your prospective customers and learn where they are in the purchasing process, it's best to figure out who the decision maker is. You can also find out other important information such as their budget, or the timeframe for when they need your product or service, and what their goals and objectives are. Once this is done, you can begin customizing your approach. The next step in the process is creating your sales pitch or presentation. While you may work for a company with established guidelines, you should incorporate your personality and strengths into your pitch because this makes your customer interactions more authentic and engaging. When delivering your pitch, you want to display knowledge and passion for your product, and emphasize how the product addresses your customer's needs. You may find yourself in a situation where you must deliver a remote presentation, and it's important to practice using the right software or systems to your advantage. Anticipate what technical problems could arise and have a solution in place. You may need to be innovative to engage a virtual audience because the typical face-to-face presentation involves very different techniques. Next, you'll most likely have to answer questions or address objections. You want to anticipate as many objections as possible beforehand. For example, you can cover payment and financing options during the presentation, so the customer can begin thinking about how this works within their budget. After delivering a successful sales pitch, it's time to close the deal. This is the part of the sales process that involves a final decision or negotiation. Here, make sure to restate key points and remind your customer of the benefits of doing business with you. The final step is asking for feedback or follow up. A salesperson's goal is to make a sale, but this isn't where the sales cycle ends. In following up, you'll want to: Solicit feedback from the customers. Survey the level of satisfaction with their purchase. Determine if the product met expectations. And find out if they need any further assistance. This often includes emails, surveys, and phone calls. You should let your customer know you will be following up with them so they can expect to hear from you again. This is also where you can find out their preferred communication method, and possibly schedule a future meeting. This ensures you have open communication to help maintain positive customer relationships.