Selling is a complicated and difficult process. It requires not
only the right preparation but also the ability to become involved
in several tasks during a sales call. You should be making some
careful observations at the same time you are talking about your
services and products.
What should you be looking for, thinking about and checking out
during your sales presentation? Take a look at this list of
activities.
- Look on the desks of your client
Are there mugs, pens, pads or information from one of your
competitors? Spotting such items will let you know who else has
visited your client and what name or logo your customer is looking
at on a daily basis.
Look for notices or announcements of any upcoming programs being
presented by a competitor. You may also find information they have
posted regarding a competitor's next visit, new location or new
contact information. Since you need to learn all you can about your
competition, finding such information is a great start.
Are there certain issues or comments that seem to be of most
interest to them? Are they asking questions about specific areas of
your business, or are there some subjects that seem to draw little
attention? You may be receiving clues about what the topics of your
next meeting should be.
Does the staff want to meet for a longer period of time than
originally scheduled? If so, will you be prepared to continue your
discussion? If you can sense their interest, then you will have
some idea of how long you will be able to keep their attention.
assistant
Begin to determine this person's role in the organization.
Notice how he or she interacts with others in the office. Could
this person be the company's true coordinator or the
behind-the-scenes director?
You may find by observing the office operation that the
secretary or office manager could be key to helping you get the
business.
While being in the main office of the nursing director or social
work administrator can be valuable, salespeople often need to go
directly to the offices of the staff members. Conduct the same
observations here. Look for any marketing materials that could
indicate the competition has “landed” everywhere in the
building.
Often in the rehab department or in other areas of the facility
or office, you will see equipment from your competitors. Notice
whose wheelchairs are on the floor, and you might even want to ask
if other companies deliver products directly to the facility.
You could meet your competition in elevators, hallways or
lobbies. Take a moment to introduce yourself. You never know what
information might be shared or what you can learn. Do not shy away
from your competitors; they could become your best source of
information.
Notice the professionalism in the office. Notice how staff
relates to each other. Notice how the secretary relates to her
boss. Do employees use only last names in referring to others in
the organization? These cues can give you some indication of how
you must act as you work at building relationships with referral
sources.
A customer assessment takes the work of all of the senses. It
has to do with listening, feeling and sensing the environment. It
has to do with getting an impression of what interests the
customer, how staff respond to each other and observing the
environment in which they work.
Louis Feuer is president of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting
Inc. and the founder and director of the DSC Teleconference Series,
a teleconference training program. He can be reached at www.DynamicSeminars.com or by phone at
954/435-8182.
