Fresh out of my Carew training and waiting for my wings to dry, I realized just how powerful building relationships can be! Listening to your customer’s needs, acknowledging their requests, asking questions to understand their Gaps, and THEN giving a solution that will truly help them – bonding before responding!
Closing a sales deal is often seen as the grand finale, the drumroll moment that either validates your exploratory and presentation process efforts or sends you back to the drawing board. But what if I told you that closing is less about that final “yes” and more about the steps that lead up to it?
A Strategic Selling Plan is a disciplined system of selling that takes into account all of the dynamics in the total customer-sales professional relationship. Strategic planning includes WHAT we want to do – our Objective, HOW we’re going to do it – our Strategy and the tactical elements – Action Steps.
Every interaction, be it in sales, customer service, or daily communications, holds the potential to strengthen or weaken a relationship. At the heart of these interactions is the ability to genuinely recognize and address concerns. But how do we ensure our acknowledgment is heard but also felt? Especially when dealing with our customers!
So, you’re primed for the big leagues. You know your organization’s systems and processes like the back of your hand, deeply understand your market and customers, have mastered time management, and consistently exceed your sales targets. Now you’re ready for a more impactful leadership role.
One of the (many) things I absolutely love about Carew’s sales training programs is that we don’t just train sales professionals and sales skills. As our CEO Jeff Seeley likes to say, “We train people skills” – listening, effective communication, negotiation skills, rapport, relationship building, presenting, conflict resolution, and the list goes on. These are all things that people across all professions use every single day.
At Carew, you will hear us talk a lot about the Gap. So, what exactly is it? The Gap is what exists between your customer’s ideal and actual – the Gap between what could be and what is. Gaps are always outcome-oriented and can almost always have an up or down arrow associated with them.
Schools must operate like a business, whether for-profit, private, or public. And students, like traditional customers, deserve to have an enjoyable experience as they decide which school is best for them. And how do they make that decision of what’s best for them? Through their interactions with an Admissions Advisor, first and foremost.
In the fast-paced and ever-evolving landscape of selling, staying informed about the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities can be crucial to your success. Whether you’re a sales veteran or just starting your journey, these statistics will provide valuable insights, challenge your assumptions, and fine-tune your sales approach.
As sales professionals, it can be quite challenging when top management/senior executives (or even your boss!) become involved in your customer interactions. And chances are, if you have spent enough time in sales, you have witnessed or can personally relate to all the types of involvement shared below. Here are some expert tips on handling situations when top management gets involved in the sales process with your customers.
