| The sales and marketing process is simple in concept, but fraught with pitfalls in real life. Consciously or unconsciously, all successful salespeople use a sales process—they consistently repeat the steps that they have successfully used in the past. Recognizing the patterns of success is the first step to understanding the importance and impact of a sound selling process.
Every graphic communications organization should have a well-defined selling process. The most effective organizations identify and manage the selling activities that are critical to achieving the desired business objectives. While the terminology may vary from organization to organization, the fundamental concepts are consistent:
1. Identification of target markets and prospecting
2. Pre-call planning and developing a thorough understanding of the target market’s business problems, issues, and need for your products and services
3. Gathering detailed information about the specific targeted company
4. Making the initial cold call with a strong value proposition that will turn the prospect into a warm lead
5. Engaging in a consultative approach to the customer that includes a comprehensive needs analysis and development of solutions that will solve the client’s business problems
6. Effective solution implementation
7. Working with the client to expand the sale
With so many objectives to consider, how do you know where to begin? This document provides an in-depth discussion of the entire sales process from start to finish and offers suggestions for every step of the way. It explains how to target the right customers, how to select your prospects, how to plan for a productive sales call, how to pitch your solution, how to overcome resistance, and how to capitalize on your success once the sale is complete.
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