Relationship selling through service mkt 173 chap 7

Planning the Sales Call Is a
Must!

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright © 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Chapter

7


Main Topics
 The Tree of Business Life: Planning
 Strategic Customer Sales Planning–The
Preapproach
 The Prospect’s Mental Steps
 Overview of the Selling Process

7-4

Chapter

7


The Tree of Business Life: Planning

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Guided by The Golden
Rule:
Rule

 Plan how to help people solve
problems and fulfill needs.
 Plan every aspect of the sales call
so you will be organized and

prepared.
 Plan to present a specific solution
to each prospect’s unique set of
problems and needs.
 You will see that ethical service
builds true relationships.


What Is Success?
Purpose
Plan
Success


How Do You Define Success?
 A baseball coach might define success as
having more wins than losses.
 Her or his boss might define success as
winning the national championship or the
World Series.


How Do You Define Success?, cont…
 You might define success as making an “A.”
 Or you might define success as just passing
this course.


How Do You Define Success?, cont…
 A salesperson might define

success as making the sales
quota this year.
 Or he or she might define success
as being the top salesperson in
the company.


How Do You Define Success?, cont…
 What is success when
calling on an individual
customer?
 If your purpose, plan,
and goal are centered
on helping instead of
selling, can you fail?


Can You “Not” Make a Sale and Still Be
Successful?
 What if your customer did not have a
need? Did you fail?
 Yes or no?


Can You “Not” Make a Sale and Still Be
Successful?, cont…
 What if your product would not
help meet your customer’s
needs? Did you fail?
 Yes or no?

Can You “Not” Make a Sale and Still Be
Successful?, cont…
 There are reasons you may
not make a sale, but there
should never be a reason that
you do not meet the “purpose”
of your business
meeting….Why?


Can You “Not” Make a Sale and Still Be
Successful?, cont…

Your purpose is to help someone!


How Do You Define Success?
A. Sales Call Purpose – to make a contribution
B.
C.
D.

to the welfare of a person or organization.
Plan – a method of achieving an end.
Success – setting a goal and accomplishing
it.
To be successful doesn’t necessarily mean
to make a sale. It just means to serve the

customer in the best way possible.


Exhibit 7-2: The Preapproach Involves
Planning the Sales Presentation


Strategic Customer Sales Planning—The
Preapproach
 Effective Strategic problem solvers have the skills
and knowledge to:
Uncover and understand the customer’s
strategic needs by gaining an in-depth
knowledge of the customer’s organization
Develop creative solutions that demonstrate a
creative approach to addressing the customer’s
strategic needs in the most efficient and effective
manner possible
Arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement


Strategic Problem Solving
Strategic Needs
The salesperson who understands the full
range of the customer’s needs is in a much
better position to provide a product solution
that helps the customer progress more
efficiently and effectively toward achieving his
or her organization's strategic goal

Strategic Problem Solving
Creative Solutions
A customized version of a product and/or
service that efficiently addresses the
customer’s specific strategic goals
A mix of goods and services – including
competitors’ products and services – that
offers the best possible solution in light of
the customer's strategic needs


Strategic Problem Solving
Mutually Beneficial
Agreements
Salespeople and customers must work
together to develop a common understanding
of the issues and challenges at hand to
achieve a mutually beneficial agreement


Customer Relationship Model
Customers have strategic needs that salespeople
must meet through creative solutions
Both come to mutual benefit solutions
Leads to long-term relationships between the
customer and salesperson
Meets performance goals

Exhibit 7-3: Consultative Selling–Customer
Relationship Model


Strategic Customer Sales Planning–The
Preapproach, cont…
 Reasons for planning the sales call:
 Builds confidence
 Develops atmosphere of goodwill
 Reflects professionalism
 Generally increases sales


Exhibit 7-5: Steps in the Preapproach:
Planning the Sale

Determine sales
call objective(s)

Develop/Review
customer profile

Develop customer
benefits

Develop sales
presentation


Strategic Customer Sales Planning—The

Preapproach cont…
 Elements of sales call planning
Determining the sales call objective
Developing or reviewing the customer profile
Developing a customer benefit plan
 Developing the individual sales presentation
based on
 the sales call objective,
the customer profile, and
the customer benefit plan


Exhibit 7-5: Steps in the Preapproach:
Planning the Sale, cont…


Always Have a Sales Call Objective
 The sales call objective is the main purpose
of contact with a prospect or customer
 The exception is a survey call.