What To Do When Your Team Isn't Selling -- Part Three
In Parts One and Two of this series, we discussed the key communication tactics that must happen between the sales leader and his or her team members. This included outlining sales expectations clearly to the employee as well as creating a unified foundation of what selling (providing service) is really about -- the Olympic rings model. As a result of these conversations, we now understand where each team member stands in terms of service confidence and sales skills.
We will now consider the final step, which is to provide a roadmap to develop the best skills in each team member so he or she can contribute effectively to the organization’s sales goals.
We need to:
- Give our sales team a progression of skills they can use to first assess client needs.
- Explain the value of our products and services, and how they will help clients.
- Let the customer close the deal.
Regardless of whether this interaction takes 30 seconds (as in the case of a bank teller helping a client make a deposit or withdrawal) or is hours long (in the case of real estate agent helping a client buy a house), the progression really works.
The five stages of the EXCEL technique, described below, will create a trusting and viable service atmosphere:
Establish Rapport – the initial greeting and conversation used to gain the trust of the client as well as help the employee truly focus on the client without distractions.
- Focus on the client only
- Get them talking and make them feel important
- Listen to how they feel
Xcellent Listening Skills – it is here that most of the interaction should take place. Even more important, it is critical that the sales or service representative simply listen for up to 80% of the time to the clients needs.
- Ask open-ended questions
- Locate and rephrase their needs
- Create the value in this relationship
Create the Value – the customer needs to understand how his or her needs can be fulfilled using your organization’s products and services. Substantial product knowledge will be useful here for your team member.
- Repeat the major needs of the customer
- Demonstrate how your product/service will help them
- Translate your products/services into features and benefits
Explain and Negotiate – this is an opportunity for both parties to resolve any challenges or misunderstandings in a win/win manner.
Empathize with your client regarding any hang-ups and show how these concerns can be overcome.
Let the Client Close – rather than pushing for a “yes” and having the “success” of the interaction lie completely on a hard sell, let the client close the interaction. This does not mean that your employee cannot offer some direction on what the next step may be but in the end, let the customer feel like they have the freedom to make that decision.
Have faith that the customer will close the transaction because the value of what you are providing far outweighs the investment they will have to make!
Providing elite customer service (while maintaining an open mind to sell products and services WHEN needed) is truly a learned skill that your employees need to develop.
Using the skills discussed in these articles combined with solid action plans and additional training that can be learned from seminars from companies like SkillPath (http://www.skillpathseminars.com/) will propel your team’s performance to the level you desire.
For additional information, please use the following websites for resources:
http://www.waterhousegroup.com/
http://www.integrityselling.com/
For tips to effectively train your people and streamline your organization, and for other solutions to your staffing challenges, visit www.traininginabox.com. Sign up for our free newsletter at www.quicktrainingsolutions.com to make your HR training and development life easier. Corey Nielsen designs and delivers innovative and effective training solutions for businesses through NTG, his business development and training company.
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