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Superior Sales Strategies(S³)

"You can pay more, but you can't buy better training."

The Superior Sales Strategies (S3) [ISBN 0-9724931-3-1] course  covers eight (8) skill areas: Time Management, Communication Skills, Customer Service Skills, Prospecting, Sales Mechanics, Sales Processes & Systems, Closing Techniques and Negotiation Skills.

The manual (254 pages) can be used as individual training content for self development or by a sales trainer or facilitator in a group training environment. The package also comes complete with Participant Materials and PowerPoint Presentations for each of the nine sections. The trainer can simply import the slides into the company template and animate them as desired. Each section of the Superior Sales Strategies course can stand alone or certain sections can be selected based on the needs of the sales force or customer service staff.

Superior Sales Strategies (S3) Course Content

Time Management
How each salesperson manages time is critically important. If we accept that the most and least successful salesperson has the same amount of selling time, I believe that it is fair to say that he more effectively that times is utilized, the more effective each salesperson can become. section of the course examines some of the factors that affect time management and offer some techniques to help the salesperson to regain control of their most precious commodity, time. Each participant in this course should complete the Time Management Skills-Self Appraisal © located in the appendix.

Communication Skills
The art of effective communication skills is one of the most important sales tools. The most attractive offer that is poorly communicated or organized will not produce the desired outcome in most selling situations. The Focused Discussion Model will help salespeople and others to communicate more effectively by using a five step process. Each participant should complete the Listening Self-Inventory. The Answer Key is located in the appendix.

Customer Service
Many organizations have a distinct sales and customer service functions. However, customers typically feel that the sales person is an appropriate point of contact. In other words, they don’t care your company is organized. They just want excellent service. There is gold in every contact with a customer and sales people need to know how to mine it. The PRIDE Model of Customer Service is effective for the salesperson and the customer service staff if you have such a staff. It is better to retain a present customer rather than to have to find a replacement. Additionally, every contact with the customer, client or prospect is an opportunity to deepen the relationship, ask for referrals and sell additional products or services.

Prospecting
Prospecting is a necessity because salespeople need to replace and generate new customers to grow and sustain the business. Prospecting is difficult and you have to talk to a lot of people before you find a customer who will buy from you. Salespeople must be highly skilled in qualifying prospects. This course presents an ideal sequence to discover the elements of information from prospects. Various customer and need profiles are provided along with sample questions and dialog that can be adapted to your industry and product line. Prospecting sources, how to ask for referrals and cold calling templates are included.

Sales Mechanics
There are many tools to help salespeople maintain open communications and manage customer relationship. We explore the concept of these Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and how they can help to build and deepen the sales relationship. Customer needs can be addressed more quickly and efficiently, additional data can be gathered to develop new business solutions, directions, and more effectively communicate the offerings of the company. This section explores sales strategies, sales proposals, cold call pressure, setting desired outcomes, building sales rapport and trust, sales script closing, low key selling and sales killers.

Sales Processes and Systems
Successful selling requires understanding and capabilities that extend beyond “sales training” skills. Professional sales people must understand how people and systems work to enable desired outcomes. The more you understand about how people think, how organizations work and how they are managed, the more effective you will be. The Superior Sales Strategies(S3) course explores thirteen sales systems.  One or more of these systems may be more suitable for your particular industry or product line.

Closing Techniques
Research and surveys have asked people why they did not buy when initially presented an offer. The most common answer was they were never asked. The solution to this dilemma is to train the salesperson to recognize how and when to ask for the order. In this section the salesperson will learn the Master Closing Formula originated by Charles B. Roth in his book, Secrets of Closing Sales. Additionally, the salesperson will learn how to manage the various types of objections and thirty-five closing techniques. Each techniques includes a description, examples and the rationale of why and how it works.

Negotiation Skills
I would characterize negotiation as an art form. Unlike a science, there is no consistency in stimulus and response. In other words, a successful tactic used on buyer may not work with the next. In this section, we present thirty six negotiation tactics. After each example, you have an opportunity to craft a sample from your actual experience that is specifically related to your industry, product line or service. Next, we present the countermeasures that can be used to defeat or respond to a particular tactic. Finally, you have the opportunity to develop or customize a unique and personalized defensive countermeasure that relates to your industry, product line or service.

The Superior Sales Strategies (S3) course is loaded with information, tactics, strategies and sales content. You are encouraged to read it over and over for inspiration and content.

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