A quick but important note: The processes described in this post are not related to our product Poptin, but to a digital agency which was the first business we established. Poptin's sales processes are completely different as it is a SaaS product and not a service.
And now, let's get back to our story!
It was the summer of 2010. My partner Tomer and I were in the initial stages of our first business. As part of the many roles we took on, the sales role was extremely important. We were the oman phone number library salespeople, the professionals who did the core work, the accountants , the administrative managers and also the dishwashers of our company
Information about the sales process.
Information about the sales process.
It was our first business and as we were involved in many other aspects of the business, we didn’t think too much about the sales process and took it rather easy (an attitude that changed very quickly). We had a script prepared for a sales call, but our approach was “do the best you can during the call and hope for the best.” We found that we did indeed close deals, but that happened only when there was good chemistry with the client during the first call. In other cases, the chances of closing a deal were very slim. As we were also in charge of our accounting, we soon realized that a young company must sell in order to grow and develop. At this stage, we made a change in our approach and instead of focusing on the clients we managed to close a deal with, we concentrated on trying to understand why we failed to close a deal with others. We couldn’t get out of our minds the clients who contacted us, but with whom we failed to close a deal.
So what were the main problems? Let’s try to look at it from the customer’s point of view . The customer was looking for the service we offered and found our company. After doing some internal checks, the customer decided that we sound good enough to him to call us or leave his contact information on our website. What happens next? The customer gets in touch in one of those ways and eventually manages to have a conversation with one of us. During the conversation, he receives relevant details and ends the call. After the call (and maybe before), he talks to other companies that offer exactly the same service. By now he has a bit of “mush” in his head and has a lot to think about. He reaches a point where he needs to make some decisions and understand exactly what his needs are. By now, the customer has probably forgotten the exact name of our company and who he had spoken to. He remembers something vague but not the details. Meanwhile, in the afternoon, he receives two price proposals from competing companies. Two days later, they call him to check on the situation, resolve any doubts that arose, and continue with the sales process. One of the companies had already arranged a meeting with him. He has already forgotten about us; our call was mixed in with other calls he had. What is now on the client's mind are the companies that continued the sales process with him, and he will probably close a deal with one of them.
What does the worst sales process imaginable look like? If I had to characterize the worst sales process, it would look like this: A business owner receives a phone call and responds to the customer freely and spontaneously, without relying on a pre-written sales call script. The business owner ends the conversation with the customer, and that is also the end of the sales process. Maybe a deal is reached, maybe not. Over the years, we had a client who worked the same way I described, and even abandoned a contact form on their website because they didn’t have the energy to proactively talk to customers who were interested.
The sales process described above is incorrect, because it is carried out under the assumption that the sales process is fast and should require a phone call to complete, while in practice, most sales processes take time and need some nurturing. Creating an established sales model will allow you, on the one hand, to significantly increase your sales, while continuing to improve the process and try new things that will help you grow your business.
The steps I am going to develop can be roughly divided into two main types: one part of them are operational measures that require actions on your part (for example: making a follow-up call once every X days), and the other part is made up of steps that require a “psychological” understanding of the customer’s perception and providing solutions to those needs that will allow you to move forward and close the deal. And of course, some of these steps contain the two types together, as they require an action on your part but also satisfy a specific customer need.
Now, let’s dive into the 9 steps you can add to your sales funnel to increase your sales cycle:
1. Create a script for the sales call (but be flexible)
Forming a Sales Call Script
Don’t treat every sales call as a completely new process; it is important that the messages you deliver to your client are based on your past experience selling to other clients you have had. Many times, this happens naturally and the call script is constructed as if by itself, but the script would be better if you proactively spent time formulating it. Once you start talking to clients, you start to notice certain things that are important to say, and even the right order in which to say them. You notice certain things that are said that generate a positive response from clients. It is very important that you create a clear call script that addresses most of the client’s needs and provides explanations for them in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. I also recommend that you write the script down on paper and go over every detail. Everything you say should have a reason. From time to time, you will improve the script based on insights that emerge in conversations with clients.
