Bottom Line:

Buyers are already sold… by their selves!

Sales Myth Number 2
“Selling is an Art”
Ask a salesperson to follow a procedure, write a report,
or update the sales system, and they will tell you they do not
have time. They’ll tell you, “Sales is an art.”
Is sales a process or is it something created for each sale?
Is it okay to occasionally update the Sales Force System? Is it
really necessary to update the Customer Relation Management system? Or do you get a
free pass? Do you really need
to follow the procedure that requires a follow-up letter
going out within 24 hours, or can you skip it because. . .well,
you are not in the mood?
I bet you would get upset if your commission check was
late because someone decided not to follow the procedures.
www.unleashingthepowerofconsultativeselling.com 3
What if the accountant said: “Well, is it really necessary
to enter this information into the commission system today?
Do I really need to check to see if the correct amount was
entered? After all, accounting is an Art.”
If you believe any aspect of business is simply an “Art”,
just ask the Enron CFO if that works?
What is the purpose of a procedure? It’s not having to
reinvent the wheel each time, but most important it is:
Procedures produce
predictable and repeatable results.
Sales is a series of processes or procedures comprised of
generating a lead, qualifying a lead, interviewing the client,
preparing a proposal, developing a price, signing a contract,
delivering the product or service, and managing the account.
The Undocumented Tragedy
The first areas to look to for change are within your own
sales processes:
✔ Are your procedures current?
✔ Do your procedures produce the results
you expect?
✔ Are all procedures documented?
✔ Is the staff trained in their use?
✔ Do you have metrics?
✔ Do you monitor the implementation
of your procedures?