Chapter 2

Understanding Sales Process

Pre Sales Preparations
• The pre-sales process is the set of activities that occurs
before a business or organization acquires a customer.
It can also include the work that happens before the
product reaches the customer. A company may define the
presales phase as running from the initial point of contact
with a potential customer to the moment a sale closes.
• The presales process is particularly useful for companies
that provide technological solutions because their products
are customizable and routinely tailored to the client.
A Presales process covers all the activities that happen before
closing a deal. These include a wide range of tasks such as:

• Prospecting and qualifying leads

• Product research
• Market research
• Data and customer analysis
• Preparing call scripts
• Identifying solutions to customer pain points
• Conducting competitor analysis
• Crafting a unique selling proposition
• Managing deal qualification and proposals
 Difference between Presales and Sales activities

Presales Sales

Sales calls and client

Primary role Prospecting
meetings

Business Goal Lead qualification Follow-ups

Expertise Research Contract negotiation

Key Contribution Proposal prep and positioning Closing

Skills Capitalizing new opportunities Relationship building

What is Prospecting?
• Prospecting is the first step of the sales cycle.
• It involves identifying and engaging potential customers
who have a higher probability of getting interested in your
product or service, with the ultimate goal of conversion.
• The goal of sales Prospecting is to build a pipeline of
potential customers and opportunities.
• The process involves researching and gathering
information about potential clients, understanding their
needs, and assessing whether there is a good fit between
your offerings and the prospect’s requirements.
• To understand their requirement, you have to connect with
your prospect at a deeper level. But first, let’s understand
the basics of Prospecting.
Who is a prospect?
A sales prospect is a potential customer who has been qualified
as meeting specific criteria that indicate an ability and
likelihood to buy.
Lead versus Prospect

• Leads are people at the very top of your sales funnel.

While they are aware of your company and your product,
they have not been qualified and it won’t be clear how
promising they are as a potential sale.
• On the other hand, prospects are
leads who have been qualified and deemed likely to buy.
Essentially, prospects are potential customers who are
further along in your sales process than leads.
6 Characteristics of a Good Sales
Prospect
1. They’re aware of a need. Qualified prospects need to know they’re
facing a challenge. They might not know how to overcome this challenge,
but they know it exists. The sales professionals should ask questions to
reveal if a prospect is aware of a need.

2. They have authority to buy. No one wants to waste energy and

resources pursuing a prospect who can’t authorize a purchase. Richards
recommends asking in early conversations questions like, “Who else, other
than you, should be involved in the buying decision?”

3. They’re in a hurry to make a decision. Qualified prospects have a

sense of urgency. They know their problem and they want to find a solution
sooner rather than later. However, if a prospect isn’t certain on timing,
Richards says you don’t have to cut them loose fully. Just send the lead
back to marketing to continue to nurture until they’re further down the
sales funnel.
4. They trust you. Without trust in you and your company, a
prospect isn’t going to buy. Salespeople who can develop trust
from the very beginning of the relationship will often close the
deal.

5. They’re willing to listen. Qualified prospects are willing to

listen to what salespeople have to say. Pay attention to how the
prospect engaged with you. Are they attentive and involved in
the conversation? If so, consider this a good sign.

6. They’re aligned with your organization. Just because you

can sell something to someone, doesn’t mean that you should.
Sales representatives should consider the profitability of an
account and whether it makes sense for your organization to go
after it.
Prospecting and Qualifying Potential
Customers
Methods of Prospecting
1. Cold calling and emailing
• This is the number-one sales prospecting method and is one of the fastest
ways for you to grow your prospect list. Cold calling gives you the chance to
talk directly to people about how your product or service will benefit them.
• To ensure successful cold calling, creating a script that highlights the benefits
of your product and including answers to possible customer objections is
necessary. A call script creates a framework for the call and ensures that you
cover all important information. Don’t limit yourself to one form of cold calling.
Take advantage of email, social media, and snail mail. A mixture of these
techniques can increase the a prospect’s interest and give you a higher chance
of converting leads.

2. Social media
• Take advantage of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social
media platforms in your everyday sales prospecting as a way to grow your
prospect list. Successful prospecting on social media also happens gradually.
You can’t expect to have thousands of followers on Twitter or Instagram in just
one day—your audience will grow gradually as you consistently post on these
3.Referrals and networking
• This is another staple of the sales world and is one of the most effective
forms of sales prospecting. Referrals get you in direct contact with warm
leads and decision makers, which helps you grow your prospect list more
quickly. Referrals can come from anywhere—past customers, existing
customers, and prospects you couldn’t close. Each of these groups can help
you get in contact with other potential prospects. You can network in
various ways, like attending a trade show or keeping in contact with old
friends and colleagues.

4. Warm Calling
• Warm calling is the solicitation of a potential customer with whom a sales
representative or their firm has had some prior contact. It refers to a sales
call, a visit or an email that's preceded by some sort of contact with the
prospect, such as a direct mail campaign, an introduction at a business
event, or a referral.
5. Content Marketing
• Content marketing is the development and distribution of relevant, useful
content—blogs, newsletters, white papers, social media posts, emails,
videos, and the like—to current and potential customers. When it’s done
right, this content conveys expertise and makes it clear that a company
values the people to whom it sells.

6. Reference a script
• For new salespeople, referencing a basic script while prospecting can help
them reduce uncomfortable pauses, use the right language, and respond to
common objections
But whether you use a script or not, make sure to actively listen to your
prospects and customize your conversation based on their needs.
6. Endless Chain Method
The satisfied customers act as a good source of referrals; salepersons ask the
existing satisfied customers for names of relatives, friends, or businesses
associates who might need similar products or services. When the salesperson
contacts these prospects for sale they provide futher information or referrals to
more potential customers. This the process continues and hence is called the
‘Endless Chain’. Such a source has been employed for selling reader’s digest.

Other Methods:
7.Trade shows and exhibition method
8. Company’s Records
9. Retailers
10. Referrals/ Acquiring References
H/W
Importance of Prospecting??
Process of Evaluating and Qualifying Prospects
• After the salesperson has identified potential customers, he should
find out if they are valid prospects.
• After finding the valid prospects, the salesperson has to give the
presentation.
• The sales process begins with prospecting potential customers to
purchase a product or service.
• After a salesperson has searched for potential customers through
various methods they are known as purchase qualifying prospects.
• The salesperson works by creating prority list, seperating them into
different categories according to their quality, analyzing the relative
importance of potential customers.
• This gives insight of where to spend more time and labor to sell and
where to have low sales customers, where to spend less time to sell
and indulge labor.
For example: insurance companies reasearch six features,
including age, dependent number, average income, access
and financial condition to evaluate prospects.
Some companies use the questionnaire method to research
whether the prospect is qualifying.
For example: a salesperson of a machine and equipment
producing company sends a letter to the customer, asking
them questions about what they want to understand about
the customer. And based on the response from the letter
the customer is evaluated on which machine and
equipment the customer uses and evaluates the qualifying
prospect.
One approach to qualifying often calls MAAN (Money,
Authority, Approachable and Need) approach is given in the
next slide:
MAAN Approach
a. Money: Does the prospect have the money or resources
to purchase a product or service? The ability to pay is
very ciritical factor in qualifying a prospect. The
salesperson must be familiar with financial resource of a
prospect.

b. Authority: Does the prospect have the authority to

commit? This is particuar concern when dealing with a
corporation, gpovernment agencies or other large
organizations. Even while selling to a married couple, it
may be difficult to identify who makes the purchase
decision. A salesperson must identify the key decision
maker early to economize on selling time more
effectively.
c. Approachable: not all territory or place to purchase goods or services is
approachable. Similarly, not all buyers have access to a salesperson.
Because it is difficult for the general salesperson to approach and
communicate with the top executive of the organization and the partners
of the big firms. Similarly, a salesperson cannot reach all territories or
places. Also, salespeople and buyer cannot easily gather in the place of
exchange or territory. Therefore, the salesperson should analyse whether
the potential buyers he has listed can be easily approached, who is easy
and effective to go through which channel to meet, in which place or
territory the buyer can be approached in which place or territory the
product or service can be sold. At the same time, the salesperson should
analyse whether the media has access or not. Because the salesperson is
easily approachable, the place or territory is easily accessible, the place
where the transportation is accessible, the place where the means of
communication is accessible, the buyers can buy the product or services.
d. Need: Does the prospect need the product or service? If a salesperson
cannot establish that the customer will benefit from purchasing a product
or service, there is no reason to waste a sales call. The prospect either
will refuse the offer or will end up dissatisfied with the purchase. Before
proceeding futher the salespersonw houdl first appraise whether money,
authority and need exist with the prospect.
Pre Approach Planning
1. Knowledge about the prospects:
Successful salespeople need to know about prospects before they
approach prospects, buying objectives, educational qualifications,
financial ability, habits and behavior. Similarly, to be an instutional
buyers, a successful salesperson should get information about the
business, nature, size, transaction purchase policy etc. of the
organization. Such information makes it easire to behave effectively
when approaching.
2. Physical Preparation:
Salesperson should always consider physical personality, neat & clean
and health before approaching prospects. Similarly, the salesperson
should consider the dress he is wearing. There is a saying first
impression is always the last. The salesperson should not be approach
prospects with improper dressing. Such preparation can be effective in
approaching the prospect.
3. Mental Preparation:
The salesperson should be mentally prepared to approach
prospects. Mental preparation referes to the salesperson’s
enthusiam, confidence, memory power, laboriousness,
sharpness, education etc. therefore, the salesperson should
be fully prepared to explain what to prospects. It is
especially effective to apparoch prospects with all the
information about the name of the company, the history of
the company, its policy, and program and service terms etc
4. Preparation for demonstration:
the salesperson should also prepare for varioius
demonstrations while approaching prospects. In particular,
salespeople are more effective at approaching prospects by
placing documents like product samples, catalogues, price
lists, and order forms, appreciate letters, certificates, visiting
cards etc. in preparation.
Essential sources of information for
pre-approach
There are a number of sources of collecting information on
pre-approach. These sources are: Self observation. Local
newspapers. Fellow salesman. Prospects. Sales office.
Directories.
(i) Self observation
• A sale-minded salesman can find prospects everywhere. He
may discover prospects while walking on roads, attending
functions and travelling in buses. The salesman’s
acquaintance enables him to find out prospects everywhere.
The salesman is required to join different clubs and
activities to discover potential customers in these areas.
(ii) Local Newspapers
• Local newspapers serve as a rich source of information for
collecting names and addresses of the prospects.
Newspapers are full of advertisements. The salesman
collects names and addresses of familiar advertising
agencies. From, these agencies he collects names and
addresses of the potential customers.
(iii) Fellow-salesman
• The salesman collects names and addresses of the prospects
from non-competing fellow-salesman. By mutual interchange
among themselves the salesman are in a better position to
collect detail information on prospects. The success of the
salesman largely depends on his extracting nature.
(iv) Prospects
Each customer has his own circle of friends and relatives.
The customer will furnish every detailed with regard to
potential customers if they are asked by the salesman in
friendly spirit.
(v) Sales office
The salesman can collect a lot of information of the
potential customers from the advertising and research
section of the sales office. These sections maintain locality
wise detailed and classified information on prospects. The
salesman can make better use of this section to collect
details on probable customers.
(vi) Directories
• Telephone directories, trade directories, telephone guides
serve as a useful basis for collection of names and
addresses of likely customers.
(vii) Members of family and relatives
• The salesman has more liberty on the members of family
and relatives. They supply all necessary information on
various prospects and even they are prepared to introduce
prospects personally. A satisfied customer recommends his
friends and relatives to go for the product and therefore
they give every detail with regard to likely customers.
Pre Approach Planning Process
Before a salesperson makes a plan about how to approach prospects, jhow to have a
dialogue what to do about a demonstration, how long to have a presentation and
close the sale this called pre approach planning Such planning consits of the
following steps, which are as follows:
1. Determine the sales call objective
While formulating pre apparoch planning formulation, the salesperson must first
determine what the specific objectives of approaching all prospects are. Then other
secondary objectives should also be formulated at the base of the specific objective.
Of course, the objective of any salesperson approach is to sell or receive orders.
However, the salespersons presentation can be effective in determining specific
objectives such as what prospects can fulfill the needs what option might be best for
prospects, how much quantity you want to receive from the prospect of the delivery
of the product or service. Such specific objectives may be as follows:
2. To show and demonstrate the product
3. To create the customers interest
4. To tell all information about the product
5. To demostrate the technique of using a product
2. To develop customer profile
The salesperson should prepeare a list of different information about the
prospects and formulate specific and secondary objectives for
approaching prospects. The salesperson should mention the name of the
customer, address, personality, customers business, nature of the
business, nature of transaction and quantity etc. Similary, a list should be
prepared about the customers buying process, the person playing the role
in the buying process, the governing body, or the purchasing committee’s
authority. Such a list will make it easier for the salesperson to formulate a
plan on what and how to approach prospecting.
3. Develop Customer benefits:
After the salesperson has prepared a customer profile, he should
determine what the benefits are or choose the benefits of the product or
service to demonstrate. Because the salesperosn should choose the
specific reason or benefits of why customers should buy their company’s
product. Similary, they should make sure the customer can get the benefits
from the purchase of the product or service. For examples, the ultimate
customers can be fiven information about where the product is found,
product delivery, warranty, guaranty, repair and maintenance etc. if the
wholesaler and retailer benefit from the companies advertising, sales
promotion, trade fair etc information can be given as to why. Therefore, the
salesperson should make a plan about the benfits that prospects will
receive from the purchase of product or service.
4. Develop sales presentation
After the salesperson has prepared a profile of the benefits to the
customer he or she should plan how to apparoch the prospect, what
to present about the product or service, and what to demonstrate.
Creating formal courtesy and close relationship with customers when
formulating a sales presentation plan, creating customer attention
and interest, giving customer information about product features,
benefit and utility, formulating a marketing plan, demonstration of the
product and role playing, handling of customers objection, closing the
sale and departure etc should be mentioned.
Importance of Pre approach
1. A salesperson by means of pre-approach saves valuable time, effort
and energy by concentrating on the prospects exclusively who are
most likely to buy.
2. Pre-approach makes the salesperson more confident and
enthusiastic while meeting the prospects and putting forth the sales
proposition before them. Information about the prospects collected
during pre-approach. This gives an insight of the detailed background
of the prospect.
3. Pre-approach enables the salesperson to know beforehand about the
needs and requirements of the prospects in the most detailed
manner possible.
4. The sales person can plan out the sales talk in advance and present
the same on systematic lines for assured success. A salesperson that
has all possible socio-economic information about the prospects is
better placed in handling the prospects. This gives a better
effectiveness on presentation.
Approaching the Prospects
Importance of approach in selling
process
1. Impressing the prospect
This approach is considere more effective and powerful than advertising
or correspondence for sales as salespeople themselves approach
prospects. Because the salesperson gets the opportunity to directly
approve prospects. Then the salespersons can easily put a massive
impress the prospect with their behavior, skills (such as communication,
negotiation) and art.

2. Imply the information

Before prospecting and apparoching potential customers the
salesperson collects all the information about prospects. Such
information will keep the salesperson closer to prospects. Likewise,
when the salesperson receives the opportunity to apparoch the
prospect, they get all the information about their needs, interests,
behaviour and problems.
3. Convert attention into interest
Salesperson can easily convert their attention into interest towards a
product or service while approaching prospects directly. Because the
salesperson on one hand is approaching prospects frequently, on the
other the prospects are also getting information about the product or
service from other media. This leads prospects to focus on that
product or service

4. Sales potentiality
Frequently approaching prospects means selling a product or service.
The salesperson is likely to apparoach prospects directly as they deal
with their needs, interest, demand , and behaviour understands
problem behavior and keep the proposal. In fact, a direct approach
with prospects means encouragement and motivation to purchase
the product.
Models of Sales Approach
1. Stimulus Response model
The theoretical background for this approach originated in early
experiments with animal behavior. The key idea is that various stimuli
can elicit predictable responses. The sales person furnishes the stimuli
from the accumulated words and actions designed to produce the
desired response.
In other words the sales persons application of the correct stimulus
with the appropriate efforts for acquiring the desired response from
the prospect is defined as the stimulus response theory.
An example of the stimulus response view of selling would be
continued affirmation, a method in which a series of questions or
statements furnished by the salesperson is designed to condition the
prospective buyer to answer ‘yes’ time after until it is hoped, he or she
will be inclined to say ‘yes’ to the entire sales proposition.
This method is often used by telemarketing personnel, who reply on
comprehensive sales scripts read or delivered from memory. Stimulus
response sales strategies, particularly when implemented with a
canned sales presentation, have some advantages for the seller. The
sales message can be structured in a logical order.
Questions and objections from the buyer can usually be anticipated
and addressed before they are magnified during buyer seller
interaction. An inexperienced salesperson can rely on stimulus
response sales methods in some settings and this may eventually
contribute to sales expertise.
The limitations of stimulus response methods:
1. Most buyers like to take an active role in sales dialogue, and the
stimulus-response approach calls for the salespersion to dominated the
flow of conversation.
2. In case where the prospect is not fully assured with his/her purchase,
may even face the situation of post purchase disagreement.
3. This theory ignores the role of relationship management in carrying out
selling activities.
4. At times, a manipulative salesperson cheats on the prospect, by using
the consumers weakness as a stimulus for selling a product.
5. Considering the net effects of this methods advantages and
disadvantages, it appears most suitable for relatively unimportant
purchase decision.
2. Need Satisfaction Model/Approach
• Need satisfaction selling is a form of custom designed sales
presentation in which the salesperson first defines the needs of the
prospect and then attempts to provide a solution that meets those
needs.
• The need satisfaction selling methodology is viewed as one of mutual
satisfaction, in which both the buyer and the seller are satisfied. This
theory is founded on the concept of a win-win situation for both the
sales representative and the prospect .
• According to the theory, before presenting the product to the prospect
and closing the deal, the salesperson should investigate the prospect’s
needs and requirements.
• In this case, the salesperson should actively listen to the buyer’s
concerns and then respond to them while keeping the customer’s needs
in mind. Unless sales representatives recognize their prospects’ needs
and seem to have product knowledge, they will never be able to sell, or
keep customer satisfaction.
• The salesperson uses a questioning, probing tactics to uncover
important buyer needs.
• Prospects responses dominate the early portion of the sales interaction,
and only after relevant needs have been established does the
salesperson begin to relate how his or her offering can satisfy these
needs.
• Customers seems to appreciate this selling method and are often willing
to spend considerable time on preliminary meetings to define needs
before a sales presenttion or written sales proposal.
• Also this method avoids the defensiveness that arises in some prospects
when a salesperson rushes to the persuasive part of the sales manager
without adequate attention to the buyers needs.
3. Problem-Solution Selling/Approach
• In simple terms, problem-solution selling is a sales approach that
aims to solve customer problems rather than just focusing on
selling a product or service. It requires a deep understanding of
the customer's pain points and challenges, and the ability to present
a tailored solution that addresses those specific needs.
• Problem-solution selling goes beyond traditional sales techniques by
actively listening to customers and empathizing with their
struggles. It involves a comprehensive analysis of the customer's
situation and the development of a customized solution that brings
value to their business.
• By adopting a problem-solution selling approach, sales
professionals can establish themselves as trusted advisors,
guiding customers towards the right solution rather than simply
pushing a product or service. This customer-centric approach builds
long-term relationships based on trust and mutual success.
Advantages of Problem-Solution Selling
1.Customer-Centric Approach: Problem-solution selling focuses on
the customer's needs, making it more likely to close deals with
satisfied customers. By understanding their pain points and providing
tailored solutions, sales professionals can build trust and establish
themselves as valuable partners.
2.Strong Differentiation: By addressing specific pain points,
problem-solution sellers can differentiate their offerings from
competitors. This allows them to stand out in a crowded market and
position their solution as the most effective and relevant choice.
3.Greater Value Proposition: Solving customer problems creates a
stronger value proposition, making it easier to showcase the benefits
of the product or service. By highlighting how the solution directly
addresses the customer's pain points, sales professionals can
demonstrate the value they bring to the table.
4. Long-Term Relationships: Problem-solution selling fosters long-
term customer relationships based on trust and ongoing problem-
solving. By consistently delivering value and addressing evolving
needs, sales professionals can cultivate loyal customers who are more
likely to become advocates for their brand.
Example in a Consulting Context
• In the consulting industry, problem-solution selling is a common approach.
Consultants identify specific challenges faced by their clients, such as operational
inefficiencies or revenue growth obstacles. They then develop customized solutions
tailored to the client's needs.
• By showcasing their expertise and understanding of the client's pain points,
consultants can effectively position themselves as problem-solvers. This approach
builds trust and enables consultants to secure long-term engagements, as clients
see the value in their solution. Consultants work closely with their clients,
conducting thorough analyses and providing strategic recommendations to address
the identified challenges. They guide their clients through the implementation
process, ensuring a smooth transition and measurable results.
Example in a Digital Marketing Agency Context
• A digital marketing agency may use problem-solution selling to attract clients who
are struggling with generating leads and driving online sales. The agency identifies
the specific pain points, such as low website traffic or ineffective PPC campaigns,
and offers a comprehensive digital marketing strategy as the solution.
• Through case studies and success stories, the agency demonstrates how their
expertise can address these challenges. They showcase their track record of helping
businesses increase their online visibility, improve conversion rates, and achieve
their marketing goals. By presenting a clear solution to the client's marketing
problems, they can effectively close deals and drive tangible results.
4. Consultative selling approach
• Consultative selling (also known as needs-based selling) is a sales approach where
representatives act more like advisers than salespeople. Instead of pushing a
specific product, sales reps recommend various solutions to potential customers
based on their needs and pain points.
• Of course, the consultative sales approach isn’t always appropriate. It’s best used
in situations where your customer has already done basic research on products but
isn’t sure which one is right for them.
This strategy to be effective, reps must first develop a thorough understanding of
customers’ pain points by:
• Actively listening to buyers
• Asking questions
• Being objective
• Focusing on solutions (rather than on products or features)
• Providing customers with helpful information and resources (without asking for
anything in return)
Consultative vs. solution selling
• Consultative selling and solution selling are similar in concept. They’re
both sales approaches that focus on the prospect’s needs instead of on
the product. But these two sales strategies have one significant
difference between them.
• In solution selling, sales reps will seek out solutions for their prospect,
but they’ll often push offerings from their own company to fill the
prospect’s needs. This makes solution selling more transactional in
nature.
• Consultative selling is all about giving prospects the resources they need
to understand their problems and find a solution. Sales reps who use the
consultative sales approach are frequently seenThough it may not result
in a direct sale, this relationship-building sales technique helps reps
bond with their prospects, which could lead to future sales or referrals.
as more trustworthy.
3 roles of consultative salesperson
1. Business Consultant
Gone are the days in which a salesperson could simply walk into an office,
establish a good rapport with the client, show he/she had thorough
knowledge of their products and services and clinch the sale. Nowadays, the
emphasis is on establishing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships and
in order to achieve this, the salesperson needs to earn the right to continue
discussions with his/her client. Before they can proceed to sell their products
or services, the salesperson needs to reassure the client of their integrity,
reliability and ability to understand and recommend the appropriate solution.
They can do this by demonstrating;
a. Up-to-date knowledge of business news and current affairs
b. An in-depth understanding of the customer’s industry,
c. A readiness to exchange information and ideas between the supplier and
client organization.
d. The ability to listen and absorb information.
2) Strategic Orchestrator
To fulfil this role, the salesperson needs to be seen as the key person
responsible for engineering the appropriate solution. This involves
coordinating all of the information, resources and activities needed to
support customers before, during and after the sale. It means enlisting
support from specialist colleagues and hence the move away from the
“lone ranger” approach.
• According to our research, effective Strategic Orchestrators have
mastered the following competencies:
• Knowledge of their own company’s structure
• Expertise in developing and managing a team
• Ability to manage priorities and performance
• Ability to co-ordinate delivery and service to customers
• Efficiency
• Flexibility
3) Long Term Ally
Since the key to differentiation is in forging closer links with clients,
the role of Long Term Ally is a crucial one. Once the salesperson has
earned the right, it is important to develop and maintain the
relationship.
As the term suggests, acting as a Long Term Ally, involves
maintaining contact with the client even when there is no immediate
prospect for a sale. It also suggests that the salesperson needs to be
committed to the long-term development of the relationship. Our
research shows that top salespeople demonstrate this commitment
by continuously looking for ways to:
• Build interpersonal trust
• Create and maintain a positive image of the sales organization
• Inspire respect for their company
• Show genuine concern for their customers’ short and long-term
interest
• Identify ways to strengthen the quality of their business relationship
• Help the customer meet needs within his or her organisation
5. Mental state approach
Mental state selling AKA “formula Approach”
Assumes that every buyer is same and takes them through same mental states or steps in
the buying process i.e AIDA (Attention, interest, desire, action.)
A positive feature of this method is that it forces the salesperson to plan the sales
presentation before calling on the customer.
It also helps the salesperson recognize that timing is an important element in the purchase
decision process and that carefull listening is necessary to determine which stage the buyer
is in at any given point.
A problem with the mental state method is that it is difficult to determine which state a
prospect is in.
Sometimes a prospect is spanning two mental state or moving back and forth between two
states during the sales presentation.
Consquently the heavy guidance structure the salesperson implements may be
inapparopriate, confusing and even counterproductive to sales effectiveness. This method is
not customer oriented.
Although the salersperson tailors the presentation to each customer somewhat this is done
by noting customer mental states rather than needs.
By a thorough research, investigators have concluded
the sales reps to falling in one out of 5 profile from
below
The Hard Worker: Goes the extra mile, doesn’t give up easily, is self-motivated and likes
feedback and development

The Relationship Builder: Builds strong customer advocates, generates customer loyalty, is
generous with giving their time to help others and gets along with everyone.

The Lone Wolf: Follows their own instincts, is self-assured and independent.

The Problem Solver: Is reliable, ensures all of their customer’s problems are solved and is
detail-oriented.

The Challenger. Has a different view of the world, understands the customer’s business, loves
to debate, pushes the customer to get out of their comfort zone.
Challenger sales model
The Challenger sales model and methodology is built around a sales
process that focuses on teaching, tailoring and taking control of a sales
experience.

Using the Challenger sales model, Dixon and Adamson argues that with
the right sales training and sales tools sales reps can take control of any
customer conversation.

The Challenger profile allows reps to build up to a sale by creating

constructive tension. Challengers intentionally dispute their customer’s
way of thinking and force them to contemplate a new perspective. This
creates some slight tension in the form of a casual debate. By
encouraging their customers to consider new opportunities, the
Challenger sales rep can begin to offer an alternative way forward.
• "Challengers aren’t so much world-class investigators as they are world-
class teachers. They win not by understanding their customers’ world as
well as the customers know it themselves, but by actually knowing their
customers’ world better than their customers know it themselves,
teaching them what they don’t know but should.”
The three Ts of sales
#1. Teach
A challenger sales rep uses the teach-for-differentiation technique to understand the needs of their
customers, using their ability for a two-way dialogue during the sales interactions.
#2. Tailor
Based on the economic needs and expectations of their customers, challenger sales reps tailor their
message to convince clients to purchase their products or services
#3. Take control
Since challenger sales reps spend time trying to understand their consumers’ financial needs, they can
take control and discuss money matters and use strong persuasion techniques to close sales deals.
The challenger sales model is primarily a teaching-based sales model that focuses on two key factors,
insights into an underlying problem and the solution to that problem.
Sales presentation

• A sales presentation is a live meeting where your team showcases your

product or service and why it’s the best option for your prospect.
• Although the terminology differs from company to company, a sales
presentation is not always the same as a sales pitch.
• A sales pitch is what your sales professionals do all day long, on the
phone, over online platforms or in person with clients.
• A sales presentation (although it’s still a sales pitch) is a point-in-time
event that usually happens when your sales team is trying to close a
more lucrative deal. It’s not a simple phone call, as it often involves a
meeting and a demo.

Importance of sales presentation planning? CLasswork

Steps of Sales Presentation Planning
1. planning and preparation
Obviously done prior to the presentation itself, preparation prevents poor performance!
Do your research. Know who you are talking to, their position in the company and/or
particular needs and wants. What is it about your product or service that will truly
appeal to them? How will it solve their problem? What will be their likely objections?

2. Introduction and opening

Any and all introductions and openings are primarily a means to build rapport. Get to
know who you are talking to and let them get to know you a little too. Even if you are
addressing a large group you can do this right at the start. Just by asking questions like,
who is from marketing and who is from operations? Or, who has a businesses between
two and five people? If you are in a one on one meeting have a small group you can use
small talk to find out issues of interest, bring up a significant event for the company or
economic event. Anything that can build rapport quickly.
3. Questioning
Questioning to grind out everything you can about the prospect's need, wants and ways
of viewing the world. Ask yourself. What is important to them right now? How does what
you are selling fit? What are the key features and benefits they could be looking for?
What is the most important aspect of the company providing the product/service? How
are they going to make the purchase decision? Who else needs to be part of the decision
making process?
It is important to start this questioning process with open questions to avoid the meeting
becoming like an interrogation. An open question encourages the prospect to talk broadly
about what they need and why they need it, not just answer specific questions. You might
find that they have something different in mind to other prospects and you need to know
this. Once you have started with general open questions you then move to open but
directional questions like "What are the most important problems you are looking to
solve?" or "How else would you solve this if not using our solution?" After directional open
questions you start to get into the specific questions in order to discover just what they
know and what they don't. For example, "Have you bought in this category of product
before?" "How did this go for you?" "What did you like and dislike?"
4. presentation
• The presentation itself might be one you have prepared previously, like a PowerPoint
presentation. The questioning should have uncovered the key concerns or triggers
for the prospect and enable you to put emphasis on points which you think will be
important to make the sale. Don't be afraid to stray from the PowerPoint during this
time or even ignore it completely if you don't think it will be of benefit and have the
confidence (or other materials) to deal with the contact's concerns more directly.

5. Objections handling
• In almost all sales meetings handling objections is the key to making a sale. The use
of the FAB sales technique (Features Advantages Benefits) throughout your sales
presentation is handy here as it helps you to keep coming back to the most salient
points and ensures you are consistent when overcoming objections which have been
brought up. Once an objection arises you can simply clarify that objection and then
use the most appropriate FAB selling point to overcome it.
6. Closing
• How to close a sale is something which should start to come apparent out of the sales
objection handling phase of your sales presentation. If you have gone through the
process well the prospect may be ready to close already. Closing a sale is simply the
final process of the objections handling process. However, you often need to
specifically ask for the sale at some stage. There are many closing techniques but the
most effective "What if" statement is one of the best. So an example sales close
might be "What if we agree on these three points and we can start from there?"
7. After Sales follow up
• Quite simply, do what you say you are going to do. If you have closed effectively and
handled the main objections most sales will simply flow through from there.
Types of Sales presentation
1. The Scripted Path: Standard Memorized Presentation
(Structured)
• Standard Memorized Presentations, often dubbed as ‘canned
presentations,’ bank on the precision of a meticulously prepared script. By
covering every nook and cranny of a product or service, they ensure not a
single crucial detail slips through the cracks. They allow the salesperson to
deliver a well-rehearsed, seamless presentation, leaving no room for
potential inaccuracies or misinterpretations.
Pros of a Standard Memorized Presentation
A. Major advantage of Standard Memorized Presentations is the uniformity
they bring. They ensure that every salesperson delivers a consistent
message, thereby maintaining the integrity of the product or service
description.
B. This type of presentation is extremely detail-oriented, reducing the risk of
accidentally overlooking critical points about the product or service.
Cons of a Standard Memorized Presentation
A. Standard Memorized Presentations also have their drawbacks. Given
their scripted nature, they may come off as robotic or impersonal,
lacking the genuine warmth that can be critical in establishing rapport
with the customer.
B. Furthermore, their rigid format offers little flexibility, limiting the
salesperson’s ability to react spontaneously to unexpected situations or
queries from the customer.
2. The Flexible Approach: Formulated Sales Presentation
A Formulated Sales Presentation is akin to a guided improvise performance.
While it rests on a structured outline, it offers room for salespeople to tweak
and adjust their presentation in real time based on the customer’s reactions.
This flexibility means the sales presentation is not set in stone but evolves to
cater to the client’s preferences and queries.

Pros of a Formulated Sales Presentation

• The Formulated Sales Presentation’s standout feature is the balance it
strikes between rigidity and flexibility.
• It ensures the salesperson stays on track, it allows them to tailor the pitch to
resonate with the specific needs, interests, and pain points of the customer.
• This approach fosters personalized selling, making the customer feel valued
and understood.
• Cons of a Formulated Sales Presentation
• However, this improvisational aspect can also be a double-edged sword. It
requires the salesperson to think on their feet and adapt quickly to
changing situations.
• This can lead to potential inconsistencies if not carefully managed, which
may confuse the customer or dilute the primary selling points of the
product or service.
3. The Customer-Centric Style: Need-Satisfaction Presentation
(Unstructured)
• The Need-Satisfaction Presentation pivots toward a customer-centric
approach. In this style of presentation, the salesperson concentrates on
understanding and satisfying the customer’s specific needs. The emphasis
here is on creating a dialogue rather than delivering a monologue, inviting the
customer into an interactive exchange that revolves around their unique
requirements.

• Pros of a Need-Satisfaction Presentation

The Need-Satisfaction Presentation stands out for its highly personalized
nature. The salesperson focuses on meeting the customer’s unique needs,
making the customer feel heard and understood.
This interaction fosters a sense of connection, enhancing engagement and
satisfaction.
By encouraging two-way communication, this approach not only uncovers the
customer’s needs but also builds a rapport, vital for long-term customer
relationships.
• Cons of a Need-Satisfaction Presentation
• Despite its benefits, the Need-Satisfaction Presentation does present some
challenges. It requires exceptional listening and empathy skills from the
salesperson to truly understand the customer’s needs.
• Moreover, its highly interactive and tailored nature makes it potentially more
time-consuming than traditional, streamlined sales presentations.
• For sales teams dealing with high volumes of customers, this could prove a
logistical challenge.
4. Outline presentation
5. Program/Survey Presentation
Product Demonstration
A product demonstration or demo is a technique to display, introduce and
promoting how a product or service works, typically showcasing its
features, functionality, and benefits.
• Product demos are commonly used by businesses to introduce new
products to potential customers, highlight key aspects of existing
offerings, and illustrate how their solutions can solve specific problems
or meet particular needs.
Types of Product Demonstrations
Different types of product demos are:
1. In-store product demo- Demos done in stores and retail outlets
2. In-home product demo- Demonstration done through visit into
customers; home
3. Trade shows & Fairs having people showing demos at kiosks
4. Demos using TV & online advertisements

Note: For detail look into your book for reference

Advantages of Product Demonstration
1. Product demonstration stimulates interest through a touch and feel factor.
This is especially true if the key selling points and unique features of the
product design, such as with fashion, lifestyle, furnishings, etc. The ability to
see, feel and sometimes smell your product is generally more attracting to
the prospects than merely hearing the sales pitches.

2. It conveys a sense of ownership. Example- free trials of products.

3. Product demos provides a ready proof. The product, sample, video,

brochures, pictures and other tools used in any demo are known as devices
for providing the proof of the product. They show a tangible evidence which
effectively compliments what the sales person says. Buyers’ general
assumption is that all sales people talk good about the product. They would
never inform any bad. Showing what the product offers, what it is capable of
doing, making the customers experience it, further stamps the proof.. For
example, food samples help grocery shoppers experience the taste quality
and know all the ingredients themselves.
4. Product demonstration helps combat all the product related concerns of
the buyer. Sometimes due to the market reviews the buyers have wrong
information have a set of pre conceived notions. Demonstrations help break
into these and provides a clear knowledge about the product.

5. Such demos helps to grow sales faster by helping the customer

experience the product. So, there is a faster conversion rate.

6. The customer can check if the product fulfills his wants and has the time
and authority to trial and test before he purchases.

7. Tackling discernible problem becomes easier during the demonstration

and the resolution of the problem almost confirms the sale

8. Product defects and lacuna are easier to point out

Disadvantages of Product Demonstration

Certain drawbacks of such product demos are:

1. Increase in Cost- Product demos may require home visits and lot many
sales persons for the task. Also, products meant for the purpose of
demonstration have to be produced and kept at all places. These add cost
to the company.

2. Invest of time in wrong prospects- Many a time, customers may take

test and demo of the product but they don’t purchase it. Investing time on
such non-potential customers yields no benefits to the company.

3. Increased product wastage- Customers during product demonstration

are likely to identify defects in products or frequent demonstration may
even render products defective. These demo products turn into wastes for
the company which is additional loss for the company.
Objection handling
Objection handling is when a salesperson addresses a prospect’s
concerns about the product or service they are selling so the sale
can move forward.
It’s a natural part of the sales process and requires a sales rep to respond
in a way that eases concerns and fills customer knowledge gaps.
7 Sales Objection Handling Tips/ Techniques
1.Listen to your prospects attentively. When people have sales objections, it’s essential not
only to talk but also to listen. Proactive talking can’t help you figure out prospects’ reasons and
arguments for not buying from you, but listening can. Ask open-ended questions to identify
customers’ concerns and understand their needs. Listen to every word they say to understand
their point of view. Avoid interrupting leads when they share their concerns with you. Give them
time to speak up about their problems and objections related to your product.

2.Repeat their concerns. After potential customers finish their speeches, you need to repeat
back what they said. It’ll help you make sure that you understand everything right. Besides
identifying potential clients’ reasons for rejecting your offer, you can show you care and value
them. It will positively influence their trust in your brand.

3.Acknowledge their objections. Once you understand why prospects refuse the product, you
need to show empathy and demonstrate that you acknowledge their point of view. However, this
doesn’t mean you should continue your sales pitch or recommend your competitor’s solution. You
need to be wise when choosing words. Show them empathy by saying “I understand your point of
view.” Let’s imagine that you sell photo presets, and a prospect is concerned about how to use
them if he has never done it before. In this situation, you can say “I understand your concerns,
but our team of specialists will help you start using the presets and provide you with all the
necessary tutorials.” This way, you show that you acknowledge their point of view and provide a
solution.
4. Ask questions to continue the conversation. Sometimes prospects share their concerns and
are unwilling to continue the conversation. To prevent potential customers from leaving, you need to
ask open-ended questions. This way, the conversation will continue, and you’ll be able to find out more
about this lead’s problems and point of view. The more concerns they share, the more time you have
to close a deal. Use the information provided to your advantage and give counterarguments based on
what you hear.

5. Provide social proof. Use information about your customers who successfully implemented your
solution. You need to find success stories of clients with similar concerns and share them with your
prospects. It will demonstrate to them that the fear they have is unjustified.

6. Give some space for leads to think and connect with them at a specific time. When your
prospect needs more time to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of your product, you need to
determine the time to follow up. Discuss the time and date when you can call these leads back to
listen to their decision. Mention that they can reach you anytime if they have some unanswered
questions about your product. Make sure to provide detailed answers when they make up their
decisions.

7. Prepare for objections. Concerns and points of view from customers happen often. So it’s better
to get ready for them. You can use previous conversations with customers to make up a list of concerns
people frequently have with your product. Prepare counterarguments for thoughts potential customers
might have on your product. It will help you avoid pauses, wrong language, or unnecessary
statements. You should talk to the point to convince buyers that the team will help them with
onboarding, features, the technical side of the product, etc.
Types of customer objections
1. Lack of need
2. Lack of Urgency
3. Lack of Trust
4. Lack of Budget
5. Product Objection
6. Source Objection
7. Time Related Objection

• https://gtmnow.com/
Methods of Handling Objections
1. Boomerang method
The boomerang method is an effective way to handle objections in any
situation. By using this handy sales technique, you can flip a prospect’s
negative viewpoint into a positive outcome and
maximise your likelihood of success.
Much like the flight of a boomerang, this method ‘hurls’ the prospect’s
objection back at them to help them see the situation from a different angle.
Then you dive in with a legitimate solution to further nudge them to sign the
deal.
An example can illustrate this concept clearly. Let’s say, when a salesperson is
selling a well-advertised product to a retailer, the retailer might ask, ‘Why does
your company spend so much on advertising this product? If you had cut down
the advertising, the prices would have low and I could keep the product in my
shelves.’ The salesperson replies, ‘That is exactly the reason why you should
keep this product with you. Since the company spends so much on advertising
this product, the customer is already aware of the product and its benefits. You
do not have to make any extra effort to make the sale.’ The salesperson can
pitch more about the short shelf life of the product due to greater exposure it
2. DIRECT Method/ Direct DENIAL - This involves directly refuting or
denying what the prospect has stated. It’s considered a high-risk method,
but in some cases what the prospect has stated or believes may be very
wrong or misperceived. In any case, if this misperception is left
unaddressed, the prospect will probably not buy.

Prospect: “I understand that your company has filed for bankruptcy.”

Salesperson: “That’s not true.”

3. INDIRECT Method/ Indirect DENIAL – Sometimes the customer’s

concern is completely almost completely valid. Here the salesperson will
acknowledge that the prospect is partially right. This is a “soft” and
“conditional” denial.

Prospect: “I understand that you have hired a lot of new people at the
hotel recently; to me this seem that there may be internal problems.”

Salesperson: “You’re right, we have hired many new people but this is due
4. TRIAL-OFFER – This involves giving the prospect an opportunity to try the
product without making a major purchase commitment. This has often been
used in the case of large Association meetings where a smaller “Board of
Director” meeting for the association is given a very inexpensive rate so that
the association decision makers can try the property out.

Prospect: “We really can’t make a commitment for our annual association
meeting at this time.”

Salesperson: “I know that you have a board meeting coming up soon, what
if we could host it for a very small cost to you? You can look at this as our
marketing cost to acquaint you with our property.”
5. THIRD-PARTY TESTIMONY – In consultative selling this is
powerful. Third-parties are people who refer business to you or are neutral
parties who agree to act as a referral source.

Prospect: “I really don’t know anything about your company. Sounds good,
but I’m not sure.”

Salesperson: “Were you aware that Bob Shoemaker, the VP of Marketing in

your company’s Medical Division held a successful meeting here two months
ago? If you would like, I will give him a call and have him call you. How does
that sound?”
6. DEMONSTRATION – This is used when you have the opportunity and
when you know both your and your competitor’s product/service very
well. The idea here is that, “seeing (and experiencing) is
believing.” Demonstration is very powerful and can effectively overcome
concerns. Often used in combination method approaches.

Prospect: “I really don’t know anything about the level of service that your
property can provide. I don’t know anything about you.”

Salesperson: “Why don’t you and your family come and stay, as my guest,
over a weekend. We would love to host a mini-vacation for you. You could
relax and simply check us out.”
7. Superior-Point Method
• Sometimes, the customer may make a good point with an objection. In that
case, you should fully acknowledge their concerns, but be sure to counter
them with product benefits or special features that adequately address
those concerns.