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78
By Biff Matthews
CardWare International
Optimal sales performance requires a system.
Numerous sales systems are available
– no need to elaborate here. If you, as a
merchant level salesperson (MLS), have not
received a sales system from your up-line, scout for a
system that reflects your personal and professional presentation
style.
As of this writing, Google had 23.4 million matches for the
phrase "sales system" and nearly three times that many
for "selling system." Something on the first or second page
of results from such a search will likely fit your needs.
A sales system begins with a numbers game (fill in your
own number for each X): targeting X dollars and X closes
by making X presentations as a result of X appointments,
which requires X phone calls from X number of leads.
If your up-line is doing its job, it should be providing you
with sufficient leads to allow you to reach your target.
Of course, not everyone you meet is a prospect. And
not all prospects can become good customers.
Sometimes there's just not a good fit in terms of your
solutions and a given prospect's situation. That's where
proper qualification comes in. It should be the first step in
your sales process.
Become a detective
Qualification means determining whether you want to do
business with a particular company or individual. A good
system leads to sound decisions about whether your products
and services are the right fit for a given prospect.
A good sales process also always contains well-defined
benchmarks. It could have five, seven or nine steps, each
of which requires a pause, a quick synopsis of where
everyone is in the discussion and a determination about
whether all parties want to advance to the next step.
Each benchmark produces, in essence, a yes or no conclusion
about whether you and your prospect are aligned. If
no is the answer, the merchant likely already has updated
or new equipment, excellent service and a competitive
rate. The idea is to uncover pain and problems, but not
everyone is beleaguered at any given moment.
The frequency with which you end up with prospects
who are delighted with the status quo depends on how
your appointments are made. If you encounter this situation
often, greater emphasis on prequalification is clearly
in order.
Education (continued)
The beauty of systematic sales
An effective MLS is as much detective as salesperson,
tasked with uncovering problems prospects don't even
realize they have. Probative questions should lead to revelations,
including, for example:
• I didn't know this equipment could do checks
• I didn't realize that auto settle at night could be
included
• Wow, this equipment would really authorize or guarantee
checks?
This approach demonstrates pain through education, and
it's a potential gold mine for creative MLSs.
So, follow the process; get those yeses; make the sales.
But never forget to embrace no, because it uncovers
hidden agendas and, more importantly, true pain. No
is a word to be loved; it's a calibrator. Both yes and no
are qualifiers that provide valuable intelligence about
your prospects.
Find your inner guru
The key is to be a good interviewer, one who asks the
questions that lead to logical conclusions through a
prospect's own answers. If this is beginning to sound a
little like Dale Carnegie Training, so be it. I believe there
is much to be learned from that organization (which Dale
Carnegie founded in 1912).
Carnegie's speaking class is of particular value because it
explores tonal qualities and body language. People absorb
new information differently.
Some do it visually, others learn by hearing or reading
– or a combination. Tuning in to the nuances of prospects'
responses will help you speak your customers' language
– in more ways than one.
A widely distributed cartoon (and the inspiration for
a paperback book, I discovered recently) says the sale
begins when the customer says no. I agree, though with
qualification. There are fine lines between, "No, I do not
agree with that," "No, you have not made your point" and
"No, I need to end this conversation." Understanding the
differences is critical, but three noes of any variety mean
you are out.
At the third no, understand that it's over. The fat lady is
singing. Ask for a referral, and do the wrap. That is the
conventional wisdom, and it is valid.
Stick with the plan
The leading sales systems in place today have been honed