SALES Strategies : New versus Old – which is better ?

strategies sales old versus new About this Article
  • This is a highly useful in interesting article comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the old approach to sales versus the new approach to sales!
  • Means what is the role and outcome of an old approach based on attention, interest Desire, and action in sales matters.
  • Versus to the new approach where more focus is given to rapport in sales & the role of solution in sales. Plus the role of closing a deal in sales.
  • The new approach when adopted with the old one helps to increase the sales manifold.
  • So also then the article evaluates how to identify the right kind of people that are the decision-makers. Plus who are the influencers, and who are the actual users of the solution services or the product or the solution the sales guy is providing.
  • The core idea is to increase the sales speed. So a good overview of the sales buying Decision Process in any organization is also discussed.
  • Once again How a problem is recognized for sales and how the parameters for evaluations of sales are evaluated is discussed. so also how the alternative vendors are evaluated by the organization and how to get the best out of this kind of situation is discussed.
  • So also what is the Purchase department’s Decision in the implementation of a system? lastly, the core questions of how to handle tricky sales questions by the customer are given .
  • like for example why are the prices so high or why should I buy now or today etc.
  • Also what is the guarantee or the credibility of the salesperson and what is the turnaround time is discussed in this article.
  • So also at the end of the article you can try for FREE, our  Unique and Powerful SALES Enhancer which helps to scale your sales at least by 30% or more. You will be surprised by the results and accuracy and feel that you get. 🙂
conventional approach to sell What is the conventional approach to Sell ?
  • The classical or earlier approach of sales works on things like attention, interests, or desire and call for action .
  • Once these things are mastered, one could get good results in sales. The latest approach for sales is discussed later in this article. First, the basic ingredients of the classical approach and its details in brief are discussed below.
Attention
  • The basic game of sales is the first step to Spark curiosity or interest in the other person.
  • So that could be done by several methods like talking about the USP, or say asking for working questions regarding the needs of the customer.
  • So again good visuals can help in this direction.
  • Something similar can be done by sending compelling advertisements.
  • Something similar can be done by sending compelling advertisements.
Interest
  • So also the goals To generate interest the information about the product and services in the end customer.
  • So for this more personalized information is given to get better traction from the customer and keep people interested.
  • Like it could involve storytelling or Giving more interactive demonstrations to enhance the interest of the end customer.
  • Basic ideas to increase the tailored nature of the inputs to the end customer.
Desire
  • Next is to tackle the desire of any customer. So once the sales have been made the basic game is to give the feeling transfer or the emotional connection to the end customer.
  • That includes talking about the practical value that is delivered plus the feeling factor of the solution of the product.
  • One should Focus on suggesting exclusiveness of the solution and creating in essence urgency in the end customer.
  • Further enhancements in sales effectiveness can come by giving case studies and other proofs to the end customer and many had advantages at one gets in the process.
Action
  • So now in the final stage, one has to go for the call to action.
  • This could include action by either the person purchasing the services or maybe there is a sign-up for the services or maybe there is a schedule for a consultation.
  • So also to generate more traction maybe one can say that one has better easy payment options. Or there are limited-time offers for the solution of the service.
  • So one can see that the entire momentum of the sales process is used to get the sales Done!
The new strategy or approach for better sales
  • This new strategy or approach looks at the role and value added by the rapport that cone can bring in while interacting with the customer, or a solution-oriented approach or techniques to close sales with core focus
Role of Rapport in Sales
  • The most important thing is to build up rapport with the end customer.
  • To enhance the trust, the salesperson and customer should feel the value. so also the salesperson has to understand d his wants and needs .
  • All this happens with better communication giving a chance to the salesperson have better insights into the needs of the customer.
  • Now is the key to repeat business or getting references.
  • If given the same kind of product quality or services by two people. The customer would naturally try to buy from a person’s home they are more comfortable with rather than looking at only pricing solutions.
  • So what is needed for building more trust is better empathy being a good listener and showing good interest in the end customers’ problems and needs.
  • No success comes with not only the first sales but with repeat business.
  • And it is a strong relationship factor with the end customer there is a higher chance of sales this time and so also repeat business.
Role of Solution in Sales
  • One of the approaches to sell with the new approach is to harp about the features or big features of the solution to the customer.
  • The other one is to adapt the sales to the customer’s situation of needs and suggest how the product or solution would help him or her to do his job better or get better results.
  • Utilizing the experience of salespeople who have good expertise to understand the customer and then solve the problems as per the customer’s need is a good hit for good sales.
  • This approach gives a very good comfort feel to the end customer.
  • So an approach which solves customer problems like how it would save time or say enhance the customer experience improve it or maybe improve the efficiency of improve some parameter like profits or ROI of the customer helps.
  • Consistency is the key to super success in sales.
  • So Respect from the end customer the salesperson has to build up for repeat business .
Role of Closing a Deal in Sales
  • Now at the end of the day sales have to happen, and some action has to happen. So the saying goes always ask for the order.
  • Closing the deal is very important in the entire sales process and it is very crucial as well.
  • The goal of the salesperson is to get the customer’s commitment in some form maybe make him sign up or give some signup amount or the full amount whatever works in the situation.
  • So this kind of sales required very good communication comfort and confidence in the salesperson and the ability to address the last minute objection or the concerns of the customer.
  • There are two extremes to closing sales. one is creating Haste that would naturally create more resistance and suspicion in the end customer.
  • Other could be going too slow, but then the downside is that that customer could come back with issues or other problems and get deviated in the sales process.
  • So the basic approach for closing the sales is an urgency approach like OK it is urgent because the deal would be over soon etc.
  • The other is incentive-based. That if you buy now I’ll give it a 10% discount or something like that.
  • The basic goal of the salesperson is to read the buying signals; by body language words or small sentences which the customer says.
  • Now closing the deal is not the end of the life.
  • So that has to be very smooth focused and professional to get repeat business.
  • To get long-term customers we need to go in a very focused manner to do the closing.
company influencers How to identify the people that count in a company in the Sales process ?
  • Here the basic focus goes to identify the core buyer, decision-maker influencers, or the actual end user of the solution or product to make it more effective.
Who is the Buyer?
  • Now what does identifying the buyer mean? That is to identify the group of people or be it an individual who buys is very important.
  • Someone is entitled to negotiate the terms and manage the budget that is the pricing of the product or services. So the focus has to be on that person. This person also negotiates terms for service or solution.
  • Defining or identifying this person is very important.
  • Generally such people have the authority to approval of the sales or the Purchase process.
  • Else interacting with the wrong person could mean a waste of time
  • So the next core goal of the salesperson is to find out the budget of the buyer constraints the buyer faces and the priorities the customer has.
  • Any figure of merits that the buyer has before buying. Like speed is figure merit in say buying a washing machine etc.
  • Now we have two situations there is a business where there is a procurement department or a financial manager who manages all this.
  • So also in the 2nd situation, the retail, the buyer is typically the customer who is directly buying the stuff.
  • Here Personalizing the communication and connecting to the specific needs of the salesperson we increase the chance manifold for the Sales .
  • The core question is why would anyone get engaged in the buying process?
  • So this question or concern can be better handled by offering better efficiency improvements or better return on investment or say cost savings.
  • So generally in real-life situations, people have multiple salespeople interacting with them. So the USP or unique selling position preposition should be there to outsmart others.
  • That also includes the pricing. That may be better pricing or say better reliability or efficiency of the product or even better post-sales support could be leveraged to make the sales happen.
Who is the Decision Maker?
  • So we can see now that the decision maker is the final person who decides whether the sales will go through or not.
  • The decision maker figures out if the product or the Alliance aligns with the strategic goals of the company .
  • The decision-making could also be evaluated by an executive of the company.
  • So to reduce failures the salesperson should ask questions that are tactful to directly get this information regarding the decision maker.
  • For example asking what is your approval process, if one could kindly share.
  • So also What are the key factors your company cultural before making a purchase etc.
  • Solution or product has to go through a technical acceptance. So the technical person would look at the product specifications, and that if it goes through or not.
  • But a decision maker is generally interested in the long-term value or strategic value of a solution product or the solution.
  • So also one of the considerations is to Reduce the risk or the financial impact.
  • So at the end of the day one needs Proper data to support the same testimonials and case studies, that help to convince the customer or decision makers regarding the solution’s benefits.
Who is the Influencer?
  • The influencer is someone who may not be directly involved in the buying decision process but can change the buying decisions or the decision-making process itself.
  • If technology is involved and we have technical experts, & if finances are money flows are involved then we have financial experts. Even senior employees or people around could handle a lot of such decision-making.
  • These people provide good insights and validation for the purchase speed
  • The person has to connect with the influencers as well at the early sales process stage; to understand their basic concerns and Expectations.
  • From this they will make the recommendations in general. Generally, the influencers have good knowledge of the product or solutions.
  • That is Technical or financial questions or comparative study of the solution one provides concerning the competitors.
  • So addressing their concerns and building credibility can help the sales better as influences would help in the sales process.
  • Impressing the influences and building the right kind of relationship with them is very important to get the deal through.
  • So if the influencers are convinced and the solution you suggest provides value they can help the sales process.
  • So the influencers should also have access to case studies and maybe white papers and demonstrations of the product or solution to enhance their confidence or conviction regarding the product or solution.
Who is the Actual User of the Solution or Service?
  • It mostly happens that the actual user is a person who directly uses your product or interacts with a product on a daily or weekly basis.
  • This hands-on user may not be the direct decision maker or the influencer.
  • But there can significant impact of theirs in the purchasing decision process.
  • So also users could be the customers who in the end use the product or services.
  • Say for example one is trying to sell a laptop to a team team.
  • Then the IT team person is the user.
  • So that person should be comfortable and the solution should be user-friendly to this user for better acceptance.
  • At the end of the day it is a user who will use the solution of the product and they should give positive feedback.
  • Solution should be easily usable and practical and should the expectation of the actual user. So now to mitigate the issues that the user might face later. One can provide training or customer support so this can improve customer satisfaction and long-term retention can be there.
buying decision making process What is the Sales or Buying decision-making process for any organization ‘in general ?
  • Looking at various ways to look at the buying process by the company. How the problem a company faces is recognized internally, so also how alternatives are evaluated internally by the company, & then how the purchase or vendor chosen and implementation decision done effectively in any company or organization is looked into below.
Problem Recognition
  • So the first part of the sales is to look at the need for a solution at the customer end like we discussed above.
  • This could come up due to some new solution that the salesperson has come up with or some need to be identified by the company as discussed above.
  • This can be handled by assessments or based on employee feedback or even market research.
  • So the basic problem definition is to improve the efficiency of any business reduce cost and enhance overall performance.
  • One needs to look at how critical the issue is that would propel the customer to go towards the buying of the solution of the product that the salesperson might be providing.
  • So the game is to get into the fray or sales mode before the competition gets in.
  • The basic goal is that the end customer has recognized the problem at their end .
  • Then usage of high-class PPT presentation interactions is needed to educate the customer.
  • So in addition to this real reports data has you presented to them to show that something tangible can be done for them with the solution you offer.
Evaluation of Alternatives
  • Typically for the organization once a need is identified then various vendors are checked so also possible options of product and services and features versus pricing are checked.
  • This is the validation of the option through financial experts or technical experts.
  • Now with multiple vendors providing the same solution or similar solutions the basic goal is to check the return on Investments or gains that the organization would get on each solution offered..
  • So also they could look at the other customer reviews and the references for the previous sales of each vendor.
  • This would help the organization to get to the most effective vendor.
  • The way to engage the customer is to suggest what is the differentiators by the salesperson.
  • That we call the USP unique selling points.
  • So also solving specific problems or concerns of the customer and suggesting that the value that is delivered is also important.
  • So with proper graphs, comparisons, free trials, and testimonials the core idea is to build confidence and interest of the customer in the solution or product.
Purchase Decision and Implementation
  • So if finally when a proper vendor is finalized then the next step is to come down to proper terms and maybe approve the Purchase.
  • The core focus in contract or negotiation is to look at primary factors like the price or the ROI reliability or even the product the vendor’s reputation and also after-sales support .
  • Once the sales happen, the implementation of the solution or product happens with the product or solution getting integrated into the main system.
  • It could also entail employee training to use the solution. The learning curves of the learner have to be handled to show a seamless transition.
  • So also sales involvement is one of the fundamental things that needs to be handled for repeat customers and renewals of the contract.
  • This basic proper support after sales has to be given to the end customer.
handle sales questions How to handle important sales questions?
  • Here we discuss Various effective ways to handle sensitive sales queries or questions of the customer; like why the prices are higher, what’s the hurry to buy, or what’s the guarantee and what turnaround time? so are given below .
“Why Are the Prices High?”
  • One of the core concerns customer has is that your prices are high; so how do you justify this ?
  • You can talk about the better quality or the value that you offer and maybe the better features that other products or solutions don’t have. Or even say savings that the end customer would get in the long term. which in turn would help the customer so they would like to invest then that.
  • And one could also talk about the key differentiators which like innovation or good support or friendly support or the competitors would not be able to provide this kind of niche etc.
  • Support documents like testimonials or case studies would also help here.
  • Now again talk about how the cheaper alternatives to your solution may have lesser accuracy or may be hidden costs for the same maintenance etc. So also the solution you provide is efficient and needs fewer reviews or replacement.
  • So also being flexible with open options would help to engage the customer better.
  • Again the pricing has to be put as an investment rather than an expense investment. So the people get excited that okay if I invest I get something in return.
“Why Should We Do It Now?” or “What Is the Rush?”
  • One of the goals of sales is to create a sense of urgency.
  • Logical reasons to motivate the customer for the sense of urgency.
  • like something that is a very new industry or if they don’t buy now then maybe they will miss on the opportunity cost.
  • Increase the operational inefficiency of that sector.
Another way to create urgency is by demonstrating the potential gains of an early adoption.
  • If your solution can improve productivity, increase revenue, or resolve immediate pain points of the customer it would be great. so also emphasize the benefits of acting now!
  • Show real-life examples of businesses or individuals who benefited from making a timely decision rather than postponing it.
  • So also specific benefits for buying it now or early should be mentioned.
  • One could also suggest that It helps you be ahead in the race or something of that guy.
  • “What Are the Guarantees of Your Credibility?”
  • Guarantees for the credibility are very important.
  • So that to ensure the customer’s mindset is on the right track and they get a confident feel that they are not buying with someone with questionable credentials.
  • For that one has to show certifications or awards or partnerships with other companies and years of experience most help comes from testimonials or case studies and success stories of the past. so one can see referrals are also very important.
  • The second goal for making the buying decision to happen is to reduce the risk of the customer like giving them money back if it doesn’t work or providing some warranty for the solution you provide.
  • Being transparent and flexible and giving good sales support is also important for success.
  • Media coverage would also help in sales.
  • “What Is the Turnaround Time?”
  • People generally have a child-like mentality so quick turnaround time is always helpful for support for better sales.
  • Especially if one can do things better than competitors that is always a good selling.
  • If the Turnaround time improvement is there for the customization issues. or say if there are some dependencies or some work that should be communicated to the customer helps to maintain the expectations of the customer
  • So also overall efficiency of a solution or project can be enhanced more to build a for trust with him or her.
  • If There are priority service options, then that has to be indicated.
  • Setting proper Expectations would help in better delivery speed .
  • effective sales presentation How to Make an effective Sales Presentation?
  • The details below give methods to create effective sales presentations! plus it also gives clear-cut dos and don’ts of creating a presentation.
  • How to create an effective sales presentation
  • As one can guess a successful presentation should be keeping in mind a deep understanding of what customer needs.
  • Research on the audience needs plus the current trends could help to tailor the presentation as per the needs of the customer.
  • Something should be there to catch the customer’s attention and make it very thought-provoking.
  • So again suggesting the benefits of the production service or maybe stories of success and Real-world examples would help a ton .
  • The presentation should be logically developed; moving from basic core problem identification and what is the solution to are plan of action for the same.
  • So again keeping it interactive reduces any gaps in understanding of the audience .
  • Finally the end should be with the proper closing statement summarizing the proper takeover and encouraging the next step be it going for a trial-free demonstration or one more meeting or purchase etc.
  • Do’s of a Sales Presentation
  • The most important thing is to make a customized presentation rather than making it generic the data or information and studies and the testimonials support examples should be reliable to the industrial business.
  • So keep the audience engaged by proper interactive discussions answering their queries of storytelling or giving some visuals.
  • Or giving some handouts which make it more memorable.
  • So practice makes a man perfect. So t everything should be well rehearsed before giving the presentation.
  • One should proactively try to see what kind of questions are asked, plus proper time management is very important.
  • One should not overwhelm the customer with extra information.
  • Don’ts of a Sales Presentation
  • The key thing is not to give too much information or overload the audience.
  • Jargon had to be avoided.
  • Message should be very simple in clear and not a long monologue should be followed.
  • One needs to go through the presentation in a very relaxed manner and engage the audience properly.
  • The feedback of the audience is very important and one doesn’t need to rush through the objections or dismiss any questions because that’s where the key likes.
  • The answers to the problems the customer might be facing.
  • Relax approach not pushing things and focusing on building more trust and delivering the maximum value is the key to good.
  • Conclusion
  • In conclusion we see that When We combine the old approach with the new approach we get the best results!
  • So the key role of the new approach, of problem identification and giving a solution is looked into which helps in better results in sales.
  • And inside into the decision-making process of the company and how to get the best out of it. so staying focused on the right kind of people also helps significantly.
  • Plus at the end of the day before closing the sales or during the sales what are the kind of questions were could expect and how to address them to make the customer buy is also very interesting in the article.
  • So also the issues or problems are discussed at length with these two different kinds of sales strategies old & new both .
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