Surprises can be fun. As a child, you probably looked forward to your birthday with great anticipation. If you’ve ever had a birthday or Christmas present spoiled beforehand, you know how disappointing that could be. As a salesperson, however, surprises are not your friend. Sandler’s third core concept of sales is “No mutual mystification.” If you and your prospect are not on the same page about how the sale is supposed to go, you just may lose that sales opportunity. Surprises may be fun sometimes, but they are usually bad news in a selling situation.
Up-Front Contracts
After the rapport-building phase, the next step in the Sandler Sales Submarine is the up-front contract. An up-front contract is a verbal agreement of how the sales call will go and the expectations on either side of the transaction. Up-front contracts are intended to reduce the likelihood of surprises in the sales process and create a sense of comfort for your prospect. As intuitive as they may seem, however, they can be easy to miss in a sales call.
Elements of an Up-Front Contract
The Sandler method recommends five basic things that should be present in an up-front contract in every sales encounter.
Purpose: Be on the same page about the purpose of your meeting or future communication.
Prospect’s agenda: Understand what your prospect/client’s agenda for the meeting is. What do they expect to happen and what do they want out of it?
Your agenda: Be clear about what you expect out of the meeting. If you have any expectations of your prospect, tell them.
Logistics: This step seems obvious but leaving your client in the dark can make them feel wary of the sales situation. Agree on a time, place, and duration of the meeting before it happens.
Outcome: Communicate what your expected outcome of the meeting is. Is it another appointment with that individual? Is it an appointment with a higher-up? If there are any steps they need to take, let them know. Also make sure they know it is okay to tell you “no,” and vice versa. Establish an understanding at the outset that if either party is uncomfortable with the sale, it can be called off. Establishing this sooner rather than later can save you lots of time and save them a lot of frustration.
Avoid Sales Surprises!
These agreements may seem obvious, but they are vital to having a successful sales meeting. Don’t risk losing a sale because of an easily avoided misunderstanding between yourself and a prospect. Up-front contracts can help structure your sales meetings and prevent surprises for yourself or your prospect.
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