If you could snap your fingers and make one thing in business more straightforward, it would be sales, right? But what if I told you that there are digital systems and strategies in place to make the complex process of increasing prospects and converting them into revenue more manageable? You’d ask, “Who’s doing all this work to create these systems? Are they available for purchase?” Spoiler alert: They are.
As you are preparing to meet with a prospect, getting your talking points together? They are doing so as well. They have their system, and it is to gather as much information as possible without giving the “sleazy” salesman any leverage.
We, as humans, operate as systems. We just do not notice them. Your morning routine is a system that helps you remain on track every day to get out the door and be at work on time. I am presuming you have the same point-to-point procedure every morning? So should prospecting.
One might ask, “Who compares morning routines to a system?” It is effective and efficient. That is why we do it.
Systems Thinking
Systems run businesses, and people run the systems. CEOs are in the position they are in because they are system-oriented; they see the big picture. Because systems are put into place to analyze consequences, they concentrate on giving feedback. Executives need to ensure their vision is being carried out from the bottom up, a leadership style that is known to be very effective. The goal in system thinking is to have an endpoint and work towards achieving that with the least effort and resources possible.
Why Have A Sales System
Salespeople, too, require a system. Otherwise, prospects will trap them in a never-ending game of cat and mouse. As previously said, systems establish an endpoint, and if the system is followed, the odds of that imagined conclusion becoming a reality increase. The process is a step-by-step sequence of how you do tasks. Each system point represents an action, and salespeople must execute each step to acquire control of each variable and anticipate results. The strategy should depict a methodical sequence to prevent ambiguity, allowing you to gain the upper hand and close more sales.
A system is a form of control and refrains the salesperson from engaging the buyer-seller dance. The dance begins with the salesperson having no proper understanding of the prospect’s situation. When the awkwardness of the dance is happening, the salesperson provides solutions to undefined problems in the prospect’s business. The issue here is that the salesperson is not trying to relieve pain points, and the prospect will likely kick them to the curb. Closing efforts will be invaluable or at the wrong time because the buyer has no perceived need for the product or service. At this point, you have found yourself in the prospect’s system.
Sandler’s System
Sandler has techniques in place to uncover issues before trying to convince the prospect of anything. In fact, Sandler believes so heavily in selling with a system that they have developed their own. It begins with Bonding & Rapport, establishing a harmonious relationship that allows the prospect to be vulnerable with the salesperson. Then moves to Up-Front Contracts, which provides equal opportunity for both parties to avoid unfulfilled expectations. Next is Pain, and the salesperson is at work trying to uncover gaps of where the prospect currently is and where they would like to be. Determining pain is an essential step in qualifying an opportunity. Budget is the second qualifying step. This step brings the salesman and prospect together to choose if they are willing to invest in each other mutually. The final qualifying stage is Decision, which reveals the parameters of the prospect's purchasing decisions. For example, what the criteria would need to be if they were to buy the product or service right now in an ideal world. Fulfillment is the first step in closing the deal, and it results from completing each step prior and gaining acceptance from the prospect that your product will meet their needs. The last step is Post-sell, which pushes efforts to facilitate the true nature of the prospect and lock up the sale. It is natural to second guess decisions; thus, this step squashes any lingering thoughts from the prospect.
Control is the shiny key, and a system should provide comfort, allowing the salesperson to lead the dance. A salesperson should never allow the prospect to think they are in a sales meeting, and they do this by enabling them to discover through pain that they genuinely need the product. The Sandler system provides an order of specific steps to define how something is done, creating a more perceivable endpoint during the encounter. Not only are systems great for everyday life, but they are treasured in sales as they make a more efficient and effective result while also increasing valuable resources like time. As David Sandler says himself, “Never ask for the sale. Make the prospect give it up.”
