Techniques and techniques for effective sales. Types of active sales to individuals. Customer centric sales methodology

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In life, you often have to make concessions. An experienced manager knows that the hardest part is choosing between principles and benefits.
Cyril Parkinson

Indeed, the salesperson has to make this difficult choice all the time, and compromise often becomes almost synonymous with success.

It is unlikely that such a decision always fully satisfies both parties, but in any case it gives them a chance to come to an agreement, therefore the Compromise sales method is effective in different areas of sales.

It happens, of course, that the seller enters into a deal to his own detriment - with an eye to the long term and future benefits. However, in general, the correctness of the German economist Ludwig Erhard should be recognized, who argued that

"Compromise is the art of splitting the pie so that everyone is confident that the best piece goes to him."

Effective selling methods: from plus to minus and vice versa

How do you proceed to get the best piece of the pie? The main thing here is to remember that in sales, discounts, bonuses and gifts are not handed out “for beautiful eyes”. Otherwise, it will already be called charity.

There must be a return on the part of the client and, preferably, such that he also finds the deal profitable. Balancing requirements and discounts will help you meet two strategies.

Methodology of active sales "from plus to minus"

"Plus" is consumer benefits, which in this case are declared at the beginning of the trade offer, to "warm up". "Minus" - the conditions that the buyer will have to fulfill in order to get what he wants.

These requirements are put forward by the seller at the stage when the "client is ripe" and ready to compete for tempting bonuses. The strategy is simple and, probably, that is why it is in demand.

It is very clearly illustrated by the “Bring a friend” campaign actively used in the sale of goods and services. Car repair shops, shops, veterinary clinics, TV companies are ready to provide good incentives in exchange for new customers.

Here's what, for example, a beauty salon can offer ("pluses"):

free manicure
three free 5-minute sessions in the solarium
model haircut with 50% discount

In exchange for what? ("minuses"):

if the client brings two friends
he will do this within the next month.

Such proposals always resonate. As you can see, the disadvantages for the buyer are rather arbitrary here. He loses practically nothing, just a little time and effort.

On the other hand, the salon will most likely pay for all the discounts provided. Of course, you have to take risks to some extent, but in fact it is the risk today, according to the business coach Brian Tracy, - "the main constituent element of trading."

In addition, it is in the interests (and in the power!) Of the seller to provide services of such quality that each newly acquired client wants to become a permanent one.

Sales methodology "from minus to plus"

This is a flip-flop strategy in relation to the previous one. This method of selling services is quite effective, for example, in a situation when the client begins to hesitate at the stage of making a decision and needs to be "nudged" a little.

To do this, at first, the seller colorfully depicts the "cons": problems that arose during the transaction, as well as requirements for the client - in case he wants to avoid these problems. The buyer who made the right choice in the end is rewarded and receives well-deserved "pluses".

For example, a young man pre-registered for an intensive training in a foreign language. By this, he already indicated his interest in the rapid study of, say, English. However, the start date of classes is rapidly approaching, and the potential client does not even think to pay for the course.

And a few days before the start of the training, he receives the following message from the organizers:

« Dear Customer! We are forced to warn you that there are only two free places in the group. The number of pre-submitted applications significantly exceeds our capabilities. An additional set will be made for an additional fee only! However, if you decide to pay for the course within 24 hours (this is where the "cons" end), You can do this at the previously announced price. In addition, only in this case you will have access to all the bonuses intended for the participants of the main stream:

free city tours with a native speaker guide
lectures by leading experts
meeting with an English speaking celebrity
competitive selection for a trip to England under the exchange program.

The "pluses" listed at the end will surely dispel the doubts of the young man and prompt him to hurry up with the payment. It seems that both sides will be satisfied with the result.

There is nothing supernaturally complicated in the described techniques. Perhaps many salespeople use them intuitively, based on life experience.

Nevertheless, the analysis of strategies once again proves that, regardless of the methodology for increasing sales, it is very important to know a person's psychology - the motives that drive him and the brakes that hinder him.

This importance is highlighted by marketing and mass communications expert Bill Bishop: “If you want to be successful in business, then try to understand what is going on in people's heads and makes them do this and not otherwise.”

The prosperity of the company depends on the effectiveness of sales. Even a company that sells the best product in the world cannot develop without good sales managers. The basics of sales management for beginners.

The most popular and demanded training in the organization is sales training. Effective sales are the key to the prosperity of any organization. Even if a company sells the best product in the world at the best prices in the world, it cannot grow without good sales managers.

Do you want to get a job as a sales manager, but have no idea how to sell correctly? Is it too expensive for you to attend sales training now? Let's try to understand the sales model!

The main stages of the sale are as follows:

Identifying the prospective customer.
Preliminary preparation for the sale.
Getting in touch with the client.
Product presentation.
Dealing with customer objections.
Completion of the transaction.
After-sales interaction with the client.

Let's see why these stages stand out and what is the main point of each of them. In order to make it clearer, I will give examples based on the experience of selling cosmetics in bulk.

Prospective customer identification phase

Before dealing directly with the sale of goods, you need to determine the circle of potential buyers. In the wholesale of cosmetics, potential customers can be:

wholesale companies of our and other cities (at this stage we assess the possibility of delivery to the city we require, otherwise the client may leave the group of potential customers, we also estimate the cost of delivery and the market of competitors);
retail companies in our city (small retail companies in other cities usually buy goods from wholesale companies in their city or center of the region);
large retail chains in the nearest region.

When identifying a circle of potential customers, it is necessary to take into account the price range in which the company operates. Companies working with an elite assortment usually do not work with a product of a low price niche, and vice versa. Some companies work with only one or a few groups of products, other products are prohibited to them.

The stage of identifying potential buyers must be creative. Practice the first thing that comes to mind first. Then get creative. For example, it's a good idea to sell cosmetics to companies that sell clothing from catalogs. Beauty products here act as ancillary products and sell very well. Think about what custom options you can use for your product.

Preliminary preparation for sale

Before you start your first conversation with a client, thoroughly prepare for the meeting. Find out as much information as possible in the following areas:

what is the client company, what business is it, what position in the market it occupies, the main assortment of the client, leading positions in the assortment, what level of service it provides, the estimated volume of purchases
who is the person who makes the purchasing decision (DM), try to find out his personal characteristics, main interests, factors that he is guided by when making decisions.

The seemingly complex scheme is actually quite simple. Let's look at an example.

- Manager: Hello, Ivan Ivanovich. My name is Maria Ivanova, and I am the leading sales manager of the Cosmetics company.

- Client: Hello Maria. Sit down please.

- Manager: While I was walking through the trading floor, I drew attention to your windows. Your company has a fairly wide range of cosmetics!

- Client: Yes, indeed, we carefully select the assortment for sale. We recently signed a contract with the French cosmetics company R.

- Manager: Yes, I saw the catalog. Indeed, the design is simply impressive! As I have noticed, you also sell an assortment of X cosmetics.

- Client: Yes, it sells pretty well.

- Manager: How interesting, I understand that you prefer to work with your suppliers. How well do they meet the terms of delivery?

- Client: Everything is good, in general, they are doing it. Sometimes, however, interruptions in the assortment do occur. But, in general, we are working quite closely.

- Manager: So, do you experience interruptions in the assortment?

- Client: Sometimes it happens.

- Manager: What impact on your sales do the supply outages have?

- Client: Of course, this causes dissatisfaction of our customers and a decrease in sales.

- Manager: If you did not have any interruptions in the assortment, how would this affect the work of your company?

- Client: I think we could increase sales for this position by 35-40%, which would allow us to increase profits.

- Manager: Is it important for you to have a reliable supplier without interruptions in the assortment?

- Client: Of course it is important.

- Manager: If I guarantee you the full availability of the range for this position, would you agree to cooperate with our company?

- Client: Of course, this option could be considered. What are your guarantees based on? (...)

As you can see from this dialogue, the manager used all the necessary questions, identified the main need of the client (he needs a supplier without interruptions with the assortment) and smoothly translated the deal to the presentation. At this stage, you may find that you are unable to meet the identified customer need. In this case, it is necessary to decide whether something can be done in this situation. Maybe it's just not your client.

Presentation stage

After identifying the needs of the product, you can proceed to the presentation. To make a presentation, you must know very well:

information about the product;
information about its price;
information about the value of the product.

You must have a thorough understanding of what you are selling. It is non-negotiable that you must know all the technical, technological and other characteristics of the product, its consumer qualities, all the pros and cons. Also, you must understand how much you can move in price. However, as experience shows, often prices for the same product from different suppliers do not differ much. With the same product and fixed prices, the only way to sell better is to increase the value of the product.

The value of the product for the buyer includes:

The ratio of the quality of a product to its price.
Psychological characteristics.

The psychological characteristics of a product include all the psychological characteristics of a product, your company and you as a seller selling this product. Psychological characteristics play a decisive role when the price-performance ratio is not decisive for the client.

For example, a good psychological characteristic will be the additional services provided by the sales manager: provide recommendations on the sale of goods, support with the necessary information. It is best if your additional services are based on the needs of the client.

For example, in the above example, the customer is worried about assortment problems. You can offer the client to keep track of his running positions, which he constantly lacks, and to reserve this assortment for the required period in his warehouse. The presentation should focus on the following points:

On information about your company and the history of its work.
On the information about the product, the experience of its sales, for each characteristic, indicate the economic and psychological value.
On information about yourself as a reliable and experienced employee who inspires confidence;
On the guarantees and recommendations of other customers.
At the heart of your business proposal.

At the end of the presentation, it is necessary to check the client's readiness for the deal. For this, an open-ended question is asked, for example:

“How do you like our offer?”;
"How do our conditions suit you?";
"What do you think about it?";
"To what extent does this solve your problem?"

These questions will help you understand how ready a customer is to purchase. You are not asking a customer to buy an item directly. After all, a direct question can cause the same direct answer, often the answer is "No". The answer "No" is much more difficult to work with. After answering your test question, you need to either continue with the presentation or move on.

Dealing with customer objections

It is impossible to imagine negotiating without objection from the client. It is this stage that shows what a sales manager really is, because only with successful work with objections is it possible to sign a contract.

It is best to start dealing with client objections before meeting with the client. Write to yourself all the main customer objections you have heard or can imagine. Come up with multiple answers to each objection and use them as appropriate. In some companies, objection banks are formed using the combined experience of all managers. When writing basic responses to objections, try to follow these guidelines:

Don't leave any of your objections unanswered.
Try to get ahead of the client's objections: "At first glance, it may seem that the price is quite high, but please note that this price includes additional services ...".
Clarify objections: "What do you mean when you say that the price does not match the quality?"
Never tell a client that they are wrong, even if they are 100% wrong. First, agree that the client has a right to doubt. Understand his feelings and fears, show genuine interest. Then state your point of view.

Here are some basic phrases to get you started with objections:

“I understand your doubts ...”;
"I understand you are concerned about this question ...";
“I'm very sorry that ...”;
“Yes, of course, we understand your concerns. To make a decision, it is necessary to analyze this issue from different angles. What additional information might you need? ”;
“I understand your desire to think, this is certainly a very important question. I think you may need more information to think about or against our proposal. What information do you need to make a decision? ”;
“You say that our product is of poor quality. How is it shown?";
“Do you think this model is too expensive? I understand that you want to keep your costs as low as possible. That is why I propose this particular model, it has an optimal price-quality ratio ... ".

Experience shows that the first place of all objections is taken by the price objection: "Very expensive", "Your competitors have cheaper", "We are not satisfied with the price." The main thrust in dealing with this objection is value addition. We talked about this in the last chapter.

On closer examination of the objections, it usually turns out that clients put forward constant certain objections, the number of which is no more than 15-20. Work on the algorithm for answering these objections in advance, then when you meet with the client, you will be 95% ready. This means that only five percent of the time you will encounter an unfamiliar objection.

Completion of the sale

At this stage, it is important to carefully check whether the buyer is ready to complete the transaction. If the buyer is not ready for the deal for any reason, then a direct offer to conclude a contract may lead to refusal. You can check the readiness for a deal with the following phrases:

"What do you think about that?";
“How does this meet your needs?”;
“To what extent is my proposal of interest to you?”;
"If we do the first trial delivery on Wednesday, will that be okay for you?"

After you have decided that the client is ready for the deal, proceed to the completion. The main ways to help at this stage are the following options:

Receiving a distraction from the main decision by discussing secondary conditions. In this case, the conversation is conducted as if the decision to purchase has already been made. For example, "I will put additional catalogs for you with the product, and I think delivery will be done tomorrow afternoon." This technique is usually used with indecisive buyers.
Application of alternative questions: "Is it more convenient for you to receive the goods on Monday or Wednesday?" This method also assumes that the purchase has already been resolved.
Reception of repetitive yes. The manager asks the client several questions, to which a positive answer is expected. After that, the main question about the transaction is asked, and the client automatically answers "yes" to it.
Reception of increasing the value of the transaction. To do this, you inform the client, for example, that the price of the product at the end of the month will increase, that the discount is valid only until the end of the week, that you have specially reserved a rare product only until next Wednesday.

And now the long-awaited moment! your offer has been accepted! You should not continue to advertise your product, because this may provoke further objections! End the conversation with the client on a positive note, you can thank for the trust and express hope for a long and fruitful cooperation. Now the main thing for you is to fulfill all the promises you made to the client.

After-sales customer interaction

Long-term successful mutually beneficial cooperation is possible only when building close relationships with the client throughout the entire period of work. Don't forget your promises and guarantees. Call the client periodically and ask about his success, congratulate him on the holidays and report on sales and promotions.

We have briefly discussed the scheme of the sale. However, it should be borne in mind that this is a rough negotiation scheme. Use your intuition to guide the conversation. Sometimes you should skip certain stages if you see that the client is ready to make a deal. Sometimes, on the contrary, several times during the conversation you have to return to work with objections.

Try to make the phrases you have prepared sound harmonious. Nowadays, all clients are fairly well trained in the various tricks used by sales managers. Experienced clients can negotiate according to their own scenario, they already calmly get out of the funnel of questions prepared for them and can confuse any manager with their questions.

However, prior training and experience will help you become more confident and effective managers. Use this scheme as a support when conducting a conversation, but use your experience to build a sales system, constantly hone its effectiveness! We wish you success in this interesting business!

Ever wondered what is more important - the sales process or the methodology? Do not rush to claim that this question is incorrect, since the sales process and methodology are one and the same.

This point of view is very common: many experts often equate the two concepts. However, the methodology and the sales process are certainly different things. And which of them is more important, let's try to figure it out in our today's post.

What is the sales process?

The main idea is to develop a plan for working with clients. This plan is highly specialized: it describes a specific offer, and all other questions regarding marketing policy remain outside the brackets. Analyzing the sales process helps you assess whether you are moving in the right direction or whether you need to change something.

Are your actions helping to shorten the purchase cycle, increase your ROI, and increase your overall revenue? If not, you should consider optimizing your customer experience.

Ideal sales model

There are no two absolutely identical companies in the world - they all consist of many elements, including strategy, and the scale of the business, and features of the corporate culture. This is why it is impossible to create a reference model of the sales process that would satisfy any entrepreneur.

With regard to optimizing this process, first of all, you should determine the direction in which you plan to move, and understand to whom and how you are going to sell your product.

Of course, no one can stop you from paying attention to the behavior and experience of other market participants. But it's important to remember that simply copying successful competitor practices is unlikely to enable a business to grow. Even the most effective methods often need adjustment.

What is a sales methodology?

Sales methodology is a unique approach to improve the efficiency of customer interactions. These kinds of methods are usually developed by specialist methodologists: there are many companies that offer sales skills services, and each of them uses its own methodology. Here are just a few examples:

"Selling a solution" ( Solution Selling) - a methodology that involves the search and targeted impact on them
"Customer-centric sales" ( Customer Focused Selling) - focus on meeting customer needs and creating maximum value.
"Provocative sales" ( Provocative Selling), the essence of which was detailed in his book by Carsten Bredemeier.
"SPIN sales" ( SPIN Selling) - a methodology that involves the active use of surveys to identify consumer problems
"Large-scale sales" ( Large Account Selling), in which the company seeks to work with large customers
"Advisory sales" ( Consultative Selling), or the process of jointly searching for a solution to his problem with the client, etc.

In some methodologies, the greatest attention is paid to the initial stage of the sales funnel, in others, on the contrary, to its final stage.

Unified \u003d ineffective

Small companies, for the most part, do not have the opportunity to invest money in developing their own sales methodology. However, today this is not a problem: as already mentioned, numerous firms can provide ready-made solutions, in addition to the methodology, including a unified sales process. However, the use of standardized solutions in business is not the best practice in terms of efficiency.

Unification assumes that software, industrial equipment, sportswear, and any other product can be sold using the same methods. Agree, this is unlikely to work in real life.

Problems also arise when your competitors use the same sales methodology as you, and the lack of differentiation inevitably leads to lower profits. Therefore, before contacting a company that offers ready-made methodologies, make sure that they provide services for tailoring the sales process. Otherwise, you risk putting your business in a very difficult position.

How to choose a sales methodology?

When choosing a sales methodology, you should first focus on the strengths of your company. Are you able to conduct user surveys? Or are you showing great results when working with large customers? Be that as it may, try to find a methodology that suits your current needs and makes the most of the company's potential.

If you are not satisfied with the ready-made solutions, you can take the best of several methodologies and develop your own unique approach. However, be careful: creating a "hybrid" version requires a significant investment. At the same time, there are no guarantees that the technique you have developed will be truly effective.

It's no secret that any business is based on mutually beneficial relationships, usually built on sales. And the success of a commercial enterprise depends on what types and techniques of sales are used in the work. Today, there is a fairly wide typology of sales that use their own methods of implementation. Next, we will consider the general characteristics of the most common ones, since this topic is perhaps the most suitable for getting to know the sales process in general.

Active and passive selling

Active and passive selling is the first thing to say. The basis for dividing sales into these two types is who initiates the contact:

In passive sales, the contact is established by a customer (buyer) interested in a product or service.
With active sales, the contact is established by a sales manager or a seller interested in selling a product or service.

Each of these types of sales can be very effective, but the sequence of actions in both cases will be different (we will introduce you to the classic algorithm of active sales, which are considered the most common, later).

Personal and impersonal sales

The division of sales into personal and impersonal is due to the role of a person in the sales process:

Impersonal sales are those where a person (salesperson, sales manager) does not directly participate in the communication process. This category includes sales through vending machines, Internet sites, self-service points, etc.
Personal sales are those where a person (salesperson, sales manager) interacts directly with the customer / buyer. This type of sales is considered the most popular, and most sales trainings are devoted to it.

It is also worth noting that personal sales have their own classification: they can be based on stimulating response, on management, on meeting needs and on solving a problem. Consulting sales are also included in personal sales.

Direct and indirect sales

The basis for dividing sales into direct and indirect are different sequences of seller actions, based on the segmentation of customers / buyers:

Direct sales are aimed at the direct (end) consumer of a product or service, who himself consumes the product or uses the service.
Indirect sales are made through intermediaries who resell the goods or services further.

This separation should be considered when it is required to increase sales through an existing customer base. It is also important that the algorithm of actions of the seller (sales manager) depends on what customer base he has to deal with. Sales standards are developed individually.

Project, industrial, large, complex, long, complex and easy sales

Under all these names, in fact, one and the same type of sales is hidden, differing in a number of characteristics:

Long trade cycle
Repeated meetings ending in an uncertain result
Non-obvious customer / buyer decision-making cycle
Many participants in the process of discussing the transaction from the client / buyer

The division of sales into simple and complex is based on the principle of making a purchase decision for individuals and legal entities.

Regional sales

Regional sales stand out as a separate type, because possess a set of their technological features. They are also divided into distribution and wholesale sales. depend on the algorithms of the regional sales manager and the typical tasks that he needs to solve; sales standards change in different cases.

B2B and B2C sales

The essence of B2B and B2C sales can be understood by decoding their abbreviations:

B2B sales are business-to-business when corporate clients and legal entities become buyers.
B2C selling is a customer / consumer business where individuals become buyers.

Sales in each of these cases can be direct and indirect, active and passive. In the case of B2B, they can also be regional. Among other things, B2B sales can serve several purposes: to increase sales in a city, a specific region, or a number of regions. This also implies the fact that for the implementation of these goals it is customary to use different algorithms of work.

Sale of goods, services and franchises

The division of sales into the sale of goods, services and franchises is due to the specifics of the subject of sale:

Sale of goods is the sale of a material object.
Selling a service is selling an intangible object
To increase the sale of services, special sales technologies are used
When selling services, it is necessary to take into account the differences between sales to individuals and legal entities
When selling a franchise, the beginning of the sales process takes place a long time before the moment when the sold franchise package is created, plus the sale of a franchise is characterized by more complex technologies and a long investment of time

Two-cycle sales

The essence of two-cycle sales is that the process is carried out with the participation of two specialists - a seller and a technical specialist, who discusses special technical nuances with the client / buyer. This type of sales is more typical for the equipment market, industrial market and IT-sphere. As a rule, the effectiveness of two-cycle sales depends on the specifics of the organization of the commercial service and the actual business processes within the company.

Conveyor sales

Pipeline sales assume a special approach to the sales process structure. This approach is based on the following principle: sales should be organized so that the activities of the sales department resemble a conveyor belt. The sales process is divided into several separate stages, for each of which different specialists are responsible. For example, one of them calls clients and sends a warm contact to the manager (or makes an appointment with the manager), the manager starts working with the client, etc. By the way, conveyor sales have become the basis of info-sales, used in Russia as a sales system on the Internet.

Box sales

To put it in the language of salespeople, boxed sales are sales according to a specific sales system that you can simply purchase and "install" into your business. The system is a package of documents that describes a "universal" sales system that does not depend on situations and characteristics of the product market.

Despite the efficiency voiced by the suppliers of such "boxes" (sales systems), in most cases they require improvements and efforts to be introduced into the organization's work system. In addition, it is quite problematic to find out what the name is inside the “box” until it shows itself in action, and the results from the application of innovations will be available only in a few months, and there is no guarantee that they will be positive.

These are the general characteristics of the main types and types of sales. But our course is mostly devoted to active and direct selling, so in the next lessons we will consider issues related to them. The first lesson, as already mentioned, we will continue with the description of the classic sales scheme, and in the third block we will tell you in detail about the sales funnel - an effective tool that professional sellers and sales managers use in their work.

Classic sales scheme

The classical sales scheme is used in most cases for active sales, but its foundations can be used for sales of other types and types. The sales structure according to the classical scheme is built in five stages. Each of these stages is expressed in a specific format of directed interaction with a client - a potential buyer.

In the future, we will analyze the stages of the scheme in detail, but for now we will only give a general description of them:

Stage one - establishing contact (sometimes called attracting attention). It is carried out through the direct appeal of the seller to the client. The goal is to create a positive atmosphere for communication. You can start a conversation with a neutral question or statement that does not even concern the subject and the selling process in general. But it is necessary to build a phrase so that the client agrees with it or answers the question positively.
Stage two - determining the need. At this stage, the seller is faced with the task of identifying urgent problems, needs and wishes of the client. It is recommended to use general and leading questions. Here it is extremely important not only skill, but also the interlocutor.
The third stage is the presentation of a product or service. The third stage is built on satisfying the client's needs through your product. It is very effective to give examples from life, tell real stories, successful, unsuccessful, funny cases with customers who have dealt with a product that is relevant for the current situation.
The fourth stage is.It is considered one of the most difficult stages, and almost no sale takes place without it. According to statistics, in the process of interaction with the seller, the buyer may have an average of five objections. All of them can be nominated at any time. By eliminating them, you need to try to maintain a positive atmosphere, but direct the client in the right direction. In most cases, experienced managers and salespeople have prepared answers. there can be a limited number of objections to the terms of the transaction or the product.
The fifth stage is the completion of the transaction.The buyer must be encouraged to conclude a deal with the help of leading questions or offers to try the product, to make a test order. If you do not motivate the client, there is a risk that he will either lose interest, or think that they want to cheat him, "dissolve" (especially often this situation occurs when a person is actively convinced of the benefits of the product).

It is always necessary to “work through” the client in stages. If suddenly at one of the stages contact with the client is lost, this signals the presence of errors at the previous stage. Therefore, the entire scheme should not only be worked out, but also supported by practical experience. However, we will talk about this later.

Now let's move on to the third topic of today's lesson - the sales funnel, its functions, tasks and structure.

Sales funnel: definition, functions, stages

Increasing sales figures is a matter of concern to literally everyone who is involved in the trade, from ordinary salespeople to management. If there are no sales, it means that things are going very badly, and this, in turn, can lead to serious losses and even bankruptcy. Different tools can affect the deplorable state of affairs, one of which is the sales funnel. It is she who allows you to understand what stages the client goes through on his way before making a purchase, as well as to identify mistakes in sales made by managers and sellers, and to predict sales volumes in the future.

How the sales funnel appeared and what it is

Not every person has heard of a sales funnel, but it is not an innovation at all, because talk about it began in the 19th century, when the American advertiser Elias St. Elmo Lewis coined the term "consumer funnel" in 1898 and gave a description of the four stages that a buyer goes through before making a purchase.

Introducing the customer to the product
The emergence of interest in the product
Formation of desire to purchase a product
Making a purchase

St. Elmo Lewis was convinced that the consumer funnel helps to understand the specifics of the buyer and, as a result, sell him more goods and services.

In simple terms - without using specific marketing terminology, you can describe a sales funnel something like this: a tool that describes the process of selling a product and clearly shows the number of buyers going through all stages of interaction with a sales manager. A funnel is an excellent illustration of all the cycles of a sales scheme, from establishing contact to closing a sale. The funnel looks like this:

Visually, a sales funnel is similar to an inverted pyramid, and at each stage of the transaction, a specific number of potential buyers will be eliminated. As a result, there will be much fewer people at the final stage (completion of the transaction) than at the initial stage (acquaintance with the product).

What functions does the sales funnel perform?

Many people without special education, whose activities are related to trade, often prefer not to use a scientific approach in their work. Meanwhile, the sales funnel has several very useful and important functions:

Promotes control of the sales process. Selling as such is a multi-step process. By knowing and understanding their customers well, a salesperson can expect to see a significant increase in their sales.
Contributes to the control of the sales manager's effectiveness. If you are a leader and use a sales funnel in your work, it will be much easier for you to analyze the performance of your employees, i.e. determine who is performing with the best performance, and whose job requires any changes and adjustments.
Facilitates conversion analysis of various stages of the transaction. With the help of a sales funnel, you can determine how many potential buyers passed after getting to know the product to the next stage, and how many were eliminated. Exceeding the permissible norm (at the first stage) indicates that it is necessary to make improvements in working with the target audience.

But the value of the sales funnel as a practical tool lies not only in the functions performed. In addition to this, it is designed to solve a whole range of serious problems.

What problems does the sales funnel solve?

If in your work you began to notice the presence of problems related to the implementation of your product, you should not waste your time waiting for the situation to improve by itself. Instead, immediate action must be taken. But in order to understand what exactly needs to be done, you just need to turn to the crow of sales.

The sales funnel allows you to solve the following problems:

Identify the difference between a successful manager and an unsuccessful one. In most trading companies there is always a person whose sales figures are higher than others; the one who works great with clients and brings the most income. The sales funnel not only allows you to determine who it is, but also the most direct impact on the performance of managers with low performance.
Increase the number of potential buyers. If the sales funnel shows that at the first stage the number of people getting acquainted with the product is extremely low, you should apply all kinds of methods to attract the attention of the target audience to your organization and your product, for example, start a new advertising campaign.
Identify the stages at which the maximum customer dropout occurs. For example, if 100 people got acquainted with your product, but only a few are interested in it, it is worth taking measures to correct the situation.
Increase the number of people going through all stages of the sale. At the final stage of the transaction, the largest number of customers is screened out. It even happens that people who are very interested in the product are “cut off” at the stage of making a purchase. The sales funnel allows you to find mistakes in your work and then analyze them.
Increase your profit margins. By correcting mistakes in your work and achieving an increase in the number of people going through all stages of the sale, you will thereby increase your profits.

Obviously, the sales funnel has not just gained popularity and found wide application in trade. But to use it effectively, you need to know about the stages that form it.

Sales funnel stages

As we have said, in his consumer funnel, Elias St. Elmo Lewis identified four stages that a person goes through before making a purchase. But today there is incredible competition in all areas of trade, and the clients themselves have become more sophisticated in their choice. Based on this, the modern sales funnel consists of six stages, and they should be guided by salespeople and sales managers who want to be successful in their business.

The six stages of a sales funnel are:

First step - formation of a unique offer. Before starting work with a buyer, you need to create your own unique offer. This is required in order to interest the representatives of your target audience with the product. To do this, the product must be presented in the most favorable light.
Second phase - cold contact. This assumes that your customers are not yet aware of your interest in them. For example, you can make a list of potential customers - those who are generally able to be interested in your offer. Then this list will be used to make calls or mailings.
Stage three - drawing up a proposal. At this stage, you need to come into direct contact with the potential client and convey to him the essence of your proposal. Because here it is very important to arouse interest in a person, you need to formulate a sentence very clearly and briefly, monitor your speech and intonations, have a presentable (appropriate to the situation) appearance, competently answer the interlocutor's questions and avoid excessive pressure on him so as not to cause irritation. The third stage plays a big role, and if mistakes are made, the sales funnel will not form correctly, and the profit will be lost. There is only one explanation for this: it is at this stage that a person develops an interest in your product, so this interest must be maintained.
Stage four - conviction. In practice, there are almost no situations when a customer is ready to make a purchase after hearing an offer. A person does not need to be convinced only when he has come to a specific place for a specific product in order to satisfy a specific need (as people go to a store to buy groceries). To maximize the number of people moving to the next stage, it is necessary to convince them competently, smoothly and unobtrusively, and for this you cannot use pressure, threats, aggressive strategies and other "techniques".
Fifth stage - completion of the transaction. If all the previous steps have been passed sequentially and correctly, there is no doubt that. In the end, everyone will be happy: the buyer will receive the desired product, you will receive a profit.
Sixth stage - analysis of results. By and large, you can stop at the fifth stage, because the main goal has already been achieved. But this should only be done when the bulk of your customers have purchased a product or service, and the sales figures are commendable. But if the indicators still leave much to be desired, it is recommended to analyze each stage passed - this will give you an understanding of whether mistakes were made, at what stages they were committed, and what needs to be done next to avoid these mistakes in the future in order to increase the number of people who made a deal with you.

And one more remark, which will not be superfluous: in order for the sales funnel to form correctly, already at its second stage, you need to attract the maximum number of potential buyers. In simple terms, you need to use a variety of advertising and promotion tools for your product, so you can come into cold contact with a large number of people who are ready to reach stage 5 and make a purchase.

And, in fact, to illustrate the use of a sales funnel, we will give one small example.

Sales funnel application example

Let's look at the use of a sales funnel using the example of an online store.

Imagine that you have an online store, and it has 10 thousand subscribers. Considering that sales have dropped in the last period, you decide to increase their level through subscribers. To do this, you send each subscriber a letter, where you tell about your proposal, and wait for feedback.

Suppose that at the second stage, 1,000 people sent you the answer, who want to ask some questions, clarify unclear points, learn about discounts, etc. In other words, 1,000 potential customers are interested in your offer but aren't ready to close the deal yet. Let's calculate the conversion rate for this stage of the sales funnel: 10,000 / 1,000 * 100% \u003d 10%. As a result, the conversion of the second stage is 10%.

As soon as 1,000 people clarified the information, 100 people remained, promising to think it over again. The rest dropped out and your offer is not considered. Thus, after simple mathematical calculations, the conversion of the third stage will be 1%.

Let's schematically represent:

It's not hard to see that conversion rates are very low. But to change this situation, you need to think about what you did wrong in the second or third stage, when the bulk of customers are eliminated. And, having already found gaps in your work, you will be able to correct actions, which means, increase conversion rates and profit.

If you do not neglect the use of a sales funnel, you will soon be able to see its effectiveness as a tool leading to great results and high income. To understand it is not difficult at all - it's just a matter of practice, but, as we understand, it won't rust with you.

And, logically continuing the conversation about tools that increase sales efficiency, we move on to the second lesson, in which we will consider the best sales techniques. We will talk in detail about the classic sales algorithm with all its stages, spin technologies, the price division technique, the technique of showing the result, and a number of others.

Test your knowledge

If you want to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. In each question, only 1 option can be correct. After you have selected one of the options, the system automatically proceeds to the next question. The points you receive are influenced by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on passing. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are mixed.

It is very important for a sales manager to master the technique of effective sales. The final result of such an employee's activity depends on the knowledge of techniques and the ability to apply them. Of course, in order to significantly increase conversions, you need to understand the logic of customer decisions.

For this reason, the results of psychological research are often used to penetrate the consciousness of a potential audience of clients. Understanding the intricacies of the human psyche and the reasons that cause certain reactions in the brain, you can find the very effective approach to the client. If you do this as successfully as possible, then the costs will be much less, and the profit will increase significantly. This is why the salesperson's sales technique is key in realizing the goals of the organization.

Classical technique

There are many methods and ways to sell a product. Sales technique "5 stages" of the manager is a classic, the basis on which the work of such specialists takes place. The professional level of a person depends on the ability to implement this technique. The "5 steps" includes a specific order of actions that the manager must follow to achieve the desired effect.

The first step involves getting to know and establishing contact with the customer. The point is to immediately leave a positive impression, to predispose the person. This requires asking more informal questions that will ease the tension. The client will feel more relaxed and comfortable. For example, a sales manager for household appliances at this stage should introduce himself, understand the problematic of the issue and enter into a phase of active interaction.

Second stage of the sale

For whatever reason, they like to avoid this stage, and in fact it is almost the most important point of the entire technique. The sales manager's technique should involve identifying the needs of the person. Indeed, even regardless of the plan or the task set by the management, the employee must first of all listen and build on the client's wishes. Often the buyer himself does not clearly know what he wants. And it is at this moment that you can turn around, because thanks to the methods of suggestion and manipulation, it is easy to achieve the desired result, satisfying the consumer.

The third stage of the technique

This stage includes conveying information about the proposed product and about the company itself. For example, a sales manager for household appliances should tell not only about the model itself, but also about the manufacturer. It is necessary to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the characteristic features of an object.

Don't forget, too, that the presentation stage must be contained in this sales stage. The methodology implies precisely the third stage, since by this moment the employee has found out the needs of his client. Many people make the mistake of putting this stage first. The increased rejection rate is not surprising then, because it is impossible to hit the target without finding out the person's desires. The presentation will be most effective only if the buyer is a priori interested in this object. Again, by playing on the consumer's sentiments, it is possible to conduct a demonstration in a certain way. This moment is purely individual.

The fourth stage of the methodology

The sales manager's sales technique also includes working with complaints and objections. An employee is obliged to understand a person not only at the stage of his desires, but also to be able to extract from clients what does not suit them. There is nothing good in the fact that the client does not express any comments, but the transaction is not completed. This only means that people are afraid or for some reason do not want to voice their opinion.

The responsibilities of a sales manager for household appliances include correcting mistakes, but in the absence of information, there will simply be nothing to analyze. After all, only by understanding your mistakes can you correct them, and establish the workflow as a whole. All stages of the sales manager's sales technique can generate objections from the client. They need to be able to handle them professionally and competently. That is, perhaps the reason for the refusal is an unidentified interaction with a potential buyer, a poor presentation, a lack of understanding of needs, or simply distrust.

The fifth stage of the technique

The job of a sales manager for technology involves the application of many different techniques and techniques. It is necessary to remember the various techniques and tools of influence, and always apply them in practice. Much also depends on the type of client the manager deals with. An important moment in this process is the completion of the transaction. This action must also be carried out correctly.

Clients themselves are often indecisive in this matter and need to be nudged towards the end of the deal. Very rare people themselves ask for a purchase and are interested in the delivery time of the goods. A good manager, seeing satisfaction and agreement on the part of consumers, will definitely ask for conclusions. The technique of closing the deal is applied even when the person does not show signs of readiness to pay for the goods. The reason for this may be a reluctance to take responsibility for making a decision. In such a case, the choice made by the alleged manager, but according to the needs of the person, will greatly alleviate the client's uncertainty.

All of these five steps are classic sales techniques that you can follow to get good results. But it is necessary to take into account at each stage some of the nuances that allow you to individualize the approach to each customer.

Getting into trust

Sometimes, in order to induce a person to make a purchase, he needs to provide additional incentive. Most people turn out to be very indecisive in their choice, since they simply do not know what they want. In order to overcome this barrier, you need to penetrate into the trust of a person. This is possible thanks to a mixed type of marketing research. These include:

home-test;
hall-test.

Such techniques make it possible not only to identify a person's needs, to determine why a product is not being sold or how a new product will be treated. An important advantage of blended marketing research is that it demonstrates the product's capabilities to potential buyers. Seeing with your own eyes, trying and feeling is much more important than hearing from a consultant in words. Nothing will demonstrate all the advantages of an object like the possibility of testing it.

The first type of marketing research, home-test, gives a person time to get used to a product or service. In this way, such products are demonstrated, which cannot be evaluated instantly. The trial period increases the likelihood that the person will get used to the object and will not be able to refuse it. For example, a sales manager for computer equipment, offering any demo version of his product, can count on a positive result of the transaction. Most often, people want to continue using the product, and even for money.

The second type of marketing research, hall-test, gives instant results. Its essence lies in the fact that the client immediately expresses his opinion after testing the product. For example, a car sales technique for managers often includes a test drive offer. It is difficult for a person to make any decision in principle, and as for such a large and serious purchase as a vehicle, it is even more difficult. But when the buyer has tested the product, it is much easier for him to make a choice. This method is not only good for products like cars. It is often used in grocery sales.

The big advantage of this barrier-breaking method is its free base, which is very attractive to many people. It is only important to correctly formulate the proposal itself. It should be soft, unobtrusive. There should be no pressure on the potential client, but the wording should be as attractive as possible. You can create several options in order to understand in the process of work which method is more effective.

Power of persuasion

It is not for nothing that the resume of a sales manager for equipment includes not only information about education, work experience, performance at the previous workplace, knowledge and skills. The personal qualities of the seller are also important. Such a profession requires not only responsibility and sociability, but also the ability to convince other people, to enter into their confidence. Not everyone can predispose a person to himself, and the result of the work depends on this.

The main thing in a manager's work is to convince a person of his uniqueness, originality, as well as the importance of his opinion. Only when clients feel needed do they actively contact. This makes it much easier to connect with a potential audience. Various methods of suggestion are based on the psychology and subconsciousness of a person, which is why they are so common in marketing campaigns, namely at the stage of product promotion.

Market segmentation

To choose the most effective way to influence your customers, you need to isolate your target audience and understand their desires. The market can be segmented according to three classification criteria. These include:

geography;
demography;
psychotype.

The first sign narrows the circle of buyers according to the area. First, the coverage area is highly dependent on competitors. If they are not there, then people will travel great distances in order to acquire what they want. For example, a sales manager for agricultural machinery can be sure that his potential audience can be concentrated not only within one locality.

The second characteristic, demographic, includes various indicators that characterize the client. These include age, gender, religion and nationality, social status, material security, marital status, and the presence of children.

The third sign, psychological, is the most interesting for marketers, as it allows you to narrow down the circle of potential customers as much as possible. The factor is determined by the degree of security, education, the nature and psychology of making a choice. Depending on this, the following psychotypes can be distinguished:

Motivated. These are people who have limited finances. They pay attention to all kinds of promotions and discounts, as they try to make purchases in the most profitable way. This group includes pensioners and students.
Conservatives. These include many people in the middle segment. This type is characterized by steadfastness of decisions. They clearly trace the line between value for money. Clients of this type are constant in their choice and preferences.
Self-sufficient. These are people who prefer to purchase branded goods in order to satisfy their vanity. They are a little selfish. But, making an expensive purchase, they are guided only by their capabilities and the thought that they deserve it.
Careerists. This type is a bit similar to the previous one, especially in the love of expensive things with a well-known brand. But unlike self-sufficient, the purpose of their purchases is to demonstrate their superiority over others.
Individualists. It is very difficult to adapt to this type, since its representatives prefer to go against the stream. They choose everything unusual and only in order not to be like the rest.
Hedonists. For these customers, the pleasure of the purchased is important. They pay attention to everything beautiful, the aesthetics of the perceived is important to them. Often the decisive factor for them is packaging and appearance.
Imitators. This type is most easily affected. Their own opinion is not clearly expressed, they prefer to be guided by the choice of other people, whether they are just acquaintances or celebrities from the screen.
Innovators. These include mostly young and energetic people, those who do not like constancy and monotony. They yearn to experience everything that has not happened before.
Intellectuals. These clients are concerned about the spiritual component. Most often, educated and highly moral people belong to this type. Family values \u200b\u200band traditions are important to them.

Admitting mistakes

Sales manager safety techniques include minimizing negative customer reviews. One way to do this is to admit your mistakes. The result is not always dependent on external factors and prevailing circumstances. Often the reason for failure is the very policy of the company and the work of the staff. Having noticed and corrected the shortcomings in time, the sales manager of computer equipment can increase his rating not only among buyers, but also in the team.

By apologizing for what was done, the company makes it clear to its client that such cases are not ignored by the management. This restores customer confidence in the organization again. It is also important to note that the situation will not only be corrected, but will not happen again.

Telephone sales

Demonstrating a product and convincing a person with just the power of voice is a real art. This is important for a specialist like a construction equipment sales manager. That is, it is relevant in the case when it is very difficult to visually present a product. In this case, you need to be persistent, but not intrusive, as this will only alienate potential buyers and damage the reputation of the company as a whole. People simply won't answer calls.

Using the method of telephone sales, it is important not only to have information about the product itself, but also about the person. Indeed, in this case, a potential buyer should not be chosen at random. You need to understand who and what to offer, and how the product will help a person in solving his problems.

Interaction with the client

Establishing contact with a customer is the key to successful sales. Only this can be done using various techniques. One of these is the search for common ground. So, you need to show that the client and the company are one in some idea. Similar intentions for many are the deciding factor when making a purchase.

The good name and reputation of the company is also important for attracting customers. If the name is always heard, there are good reviews, then the potential audience will not have doubts about the quality of the product or service, as well as the integrity of the company. In this case, you should always have on hand quality certificates, licenses and other documents confirming a good level of organization and goods.

Interaction with customers is also about the constant maintenance of interest from buyers. A tool for maintaining interest can be not only new items, but also interesting, unusual approaches to work. In this way, customers will always be satisfied.