A process is necessary to bring about the change you seek to make.
The sales process is the steps we go through to grow sales.
The defined steps we take a customer through to either land new accounts or expand existing ones have similarities to Systems Theory.
My favorite quote on Systems Theory is:
“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.”
W. Edwards Demming
A process leads to outcomes. By fine-tuning the process, we can generate more desirable outcomes. We can make the system more efficient so that things flow more smoothly. When there are fewer barriers and less leakage, there is faster cycle times or speed.
But without a system, it’s hard to know how to improve.
Where Sales Methodologies Fall Short
When I talk to people about a selling system or a sales process, many people think about CRM programs. CRM or even the newer Customer Engagement software, are tools that facilitate a sales process. Sometimes we expect a CRM to do the selling, and it is better to design a process and have these steps delineated in the CRM.
Depending on the sales methodologies you subscribe to, the sales process will have different flavors. I’m a Sandler guy, which aims to position the salesperson as a trusted advisor, focusing on qualification and closing at each stage.
One of the first methodologies I came across is SPIN Selling, popularized by the work of Neil Rackman. The name SPIN is based on asking questions are Situation, Problem, Implication and Need-Payoff. The process is great for getting agreement between buyer and seller.
Another popular methodology is Conceptual Selling developed by Miller Heiman Group. It uses pointed and strategic questions, with an emphasis on active listening, to sell a ‘concept’ or desired outcome the solution represents.
These methodologies are great in theory, but in practice, they don’t seem to work like they used to.
It is harder and harder to build trust. There is so much misinformation about the opportunity, or buyers not being forthcoming with all the details, out of fear (I assume) of being taken advantage of.
One time in a negotiation with the VP of Supply Chain at a large helicopter manufacturer, he was more versed in SPIN selling than I was. He kept turning the questions back around on me about the situation or solving the problem and asking, “What would that look like?”
The sales landscape is changing so rapidly. In B2C, buyers are much more informed, engaging salespeople later in the process. This is the case in B2B, but in more complex sales, the buying group is much larger. They also have a buying process, with more stakeholders, and the committee makes purchasing decisions.
Buyers know the traditional sales methodologies and don’t submit to it. There is a bigger power play at work.
Customer Transformation
In complex sales and an increasingly competitive market, selling is a lot more than getting an order. We need to consider WHO we are helping our customers to become.
In the sales process, customers are transformed from strangers to a healthy relationship where buyers and sellers depend on each other.
You need to have a process, but also be able to improvise. Remaining clear on the overall objective and trying different tactics.
Like a jazz musician learns the scales and chords, but then can improvise endlessly, creating unceasing delight!
Establishing “Fit”
Selling is the process of taking someone from what they are to what they want to become. The only thing that is for sure is that it is going to be a bumpy road.
Both parties come into the process, know what they can do and what they can achieve. It is important to remember that the process will also shape the outcome. The magic is in being able to bring about a better outcome than anyone expected.
To ensure that you are not filling your pipeline with fluff, you need to be clear on what makes a great customer.
If you come across a potential customer, how would you know if they could become a great customer?
What about your company, if fully recognized by a customer, would make you an ideal vendor?
Regenerative Process
Systems in nature and ecology are a regenerative and cyclical process. There is a lot we can learn from trees and the changing seasons when creating a sales process.
The goal is to create an outcome or situation where your solution is essential in getting them where they need to go.
Creating buy-in at the start is essential so that buyers remain engaged to make it through the process.
Most of the sales process can feel like things are going nowhere, or even backward! Like a tree in winter, it can look like it is dead. Most of the work is happening underground, and this struggle will help define the outcomes. How can you work through the challenges?
Until the Spring, signs of life start to appear. You start to see leaves and flowers appear. You begin to solidify how you can work together.
Then there is the Summer when you climb the tree and load up baskets full of apples. Or bring in the bacon.
But, change is always inevitable, and trees once again drop their leaves. This is when you drop what got you here because it won’t help you get you where you need to go.
We need to be willing to chart a new course and ready to make drastic changes if necessary. We need to be able to cut deals that are not productive and prune those that are dead on the vine.
If the sales process was like seasons:
FALL – Initiate a change.
WINTER – Struggle through the challenges.
SPRING – Solidify “how we can work together.”
SUMMER – Enjoy the fruits of a productive relationship.
—
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
Psalm 96:11-12