Quotas quotas quotas. This is normal the first thing that comes to mind when someone enters a sales career, however there is a common misconception on the process to hitting quotas. Some will assume that the best way is just to get as many sales as possible, however this can lead to the customers not feeling motivated to, comfortable with, or wanting to go through with the sale. Others will think it is all about networking and referral sales, which can work out beneficially but what happens when that trail ends? Finally, there are those that care about truly finding out what the customer wants and listening to their needs then directing them in the right direction.
We had the honor of having Coach Andrew DiDonato come and share his experiences with us in class. In this time he shared with the class the process of the Sales Funnel. Coach described the sales funnel and broke it down into four parts. The first part of the sales funnel was Need Analysis, in this step you are asking general open-ended question. These questions are not meant to be answered with a “yes” or “no” they are intended to break the surface and find out what truly is the need or want of the client. Coach used the example of recruiting for the Sales Funnel, and in this step he specifically used the questions “how did you hear about Grove City?” and “What are the most important factors for you in this decision?”. Now some may ask, “why are these questions worth asking when I’m trying to make a sale?” and there is a key mistake with that question. The main focus of the question revolves around “I” (meaning the seller) and not the buyer, this can completely turn the client off if all you focus on as a salesperson is you. Another common mistake is making the sales pitch all about the product or service, yet again not taking into account what the buyer is looking for. By asking these general open-ended questions you are letting the client choose the path of the conversation and showing you their needs or interests.
The second part of the funnel was called Need Awareness which entails probing questions. In this step you really want to dig in and figure out why these specific needs or interests are meaningful and valuable to the buyer. With this step you are letting them unpack their story of what they are looking for and WHY. Pointing back to the recruiting scenario, if a recruit says that they are most interest in academics then you can probe at “why is academics important to you”, “what makes academics an emphasis point for you?” By asking these questions you are digging deep, finding out what the consumer wants, why they need or want that, and showing them that you care.
The third part of the funnel was centered around Need Solution. In between Need Awareness and Need Solution is where you reach the “AHA moment”. The “AHA moment” is when you have found that area of need that you can truly start to sell. In need solution you have already established the upper level basic needs of the consumer, as well as the reasoning and importance of those needs. Need solution is where you as the seller can begin to sell, tailoring your pitch to the customer’s needs. An important phrase that Coach DiDonato pointed out was “features tell, benefits sell” while at first it can sound simple, there is a lot to unpack. Telling a buyer about all the features of the product or service might sound great to you and might sound great to the buyer but is it really going to spark their interest? When you talk about every little feature you can begin to overwhelm or even turn away a potential client. Instead, Coach recommends emphasizing the benefits that the product would give to the buyer tailored to their specific needs. In the recruiting situation instead of telling them everything that the College has in general, tailor it towards the academics since they have vocalized that as an area of want or need. An example could be talking about the lasting benefits of the professors and education at Grove City, using facts and numbers to present those benefits. Using this technique allows for you to reach the buyer in their soft spot of their needs.
The final level of the sales funnel is called Need Satisfaction. This part can often be overlooked and can ultimately lose you the sale. This is arguably the most important part of the sales funnel because this is where you have to CLOSE the sale. Often times sales people can get so caught up that they forget how to correctly close a sale, maybe that’s setting up a follow up meeting, or maybe it’s setting up the parameters of the sale. If the salesperson does not close the sale then there is NO SALE. Going back to the recruiting scenario, if Coach doesn’t ask the recruit to apply or come up for a visit then how will he ever get them to come to Grove City? The answer is he won’t. This step can often times be seen as the most simple but most forgotten step of the sales funnel.
At the end of the day, the Sales funnel is the most important process to follow when in a sales role. If you follow those 4 simple steps you are poised for growth and success in a sales career.
testacr22
I like how you said that the final part of the funnel can be easily overlooked. Lots of people can talk and maybe ask good questions, but then they are afraid to make the final confrontational step and ask for a sale or whatever that next step is and obviously as a salesman the sale is the most important part.