Back to Page 1: Sales and Marketing Plans – What Works?
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Page 2:
How to Qualify Buyers and Present Effectively – Key Parts of Your Sales and Marketing Plans
Your Sales and Marketing Plans…
Now that you have identified your ideal-prospect, what’s next?
Just because you have identified someone who you believe to be an ideal prospect for your product or service, it does not always translate to a qualified ready buyer.
That’s why it is so crucial to stipulate in your sales and marketing plans how the qualifying process is conducted as early as possible in the selling process.
After all, it’s a waste of time to present to someone who is not interested or capable of buying, or who has no influence whatsoever over whether your product or service will be purchased.
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STEP THREE — Qualifying
(determining the buyer’s needs and interests)
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Effective sales and marketing plans define the specific questions and processes you will use to determine if this is an ideal prospect for you.
How do you know which prospects are truly interested in your type of product or service? Have you asked them or are you just guessing? This is a common problem, where salespeople guess when it’s really easy to ask the prospect.
So, how will you find out what your prospect really wants, and if your product is a match for that?
Also, is this person the true decision maker or is someone else involved in the buying process?
These are important issues to find out before you proceed with your presentation.
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STEP FOUR — Presenting
(show and tell – and ask)
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Now that you know you’re in front of an ideal and interested prospect, it’s time to make your case for why they should buy your product or service.
The sales and marketing plans need to outline a process to make sure your product is presented properly. Here are a few strategies that will help.
IT – US – NOW – THE 3 QUESTIONS OF EVERY SALE
The essence of every sale revolves around three questions: Does the prospect want to buy IT, from US, and NOW.
Your sales and marketing plans must therefore address how these questions will be addressed.
For example:
- The prospect must be sold on “it” –
THE PROSPECT ASKS:
Is this the right product or service for me? (Note that even business buyers will select products and services that are safe and beneficial to their career and their life.)
Am I interested in the features and benefits being offered?
Does the product or service solve a need or desire I have?
- Then they must be sold on “us” –
THE PROSPECT ASKS:
Do I trust this person and company that are trying to sell me?
Am I comfortable buying from them?
Do I feel safe buying from them? (Even IBM salespeople use the line, “No one ever got fired for using IBM,” indicating that even if the price is high, buying from IBM is the safest choice for your business and your career.)
- Then they must believe “now” is the right time to buy –
THE PROSPECT ASKS:
Do I have a reason to buy now?
Will I suffer some loss or problem if I delay?
Is there some incentive for me to act right away?
Since closing the sale is essential to reaching the goals listed in your sales and marketing plans, be sure you create a strategy to make it easy for your prospects to agree that:
“Yes I want it, I am willing to buy it from you, and I want it now.”
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See Page 2b: Understanding the Buyer’s Needs, Features and Benefits and Body Language as Part of the Sales and Marketing Plans
