Sales and Sales Management Training

FileMan’s Training Model is specifically tailored to Records and Information Management.

It emphasizes a Measurable Multi-Stepped Model designed to assist the buyer in identifying his or her needs, and then suggesting products or services that satisfy those needs. Consultative Sales is a method in which a salesperson … plays the role of a consultant.

As a Consultant, we put on an Analyst’s Hat … initially we will not sell Products or Services or even Features, Advantages or Benefits. We will sell a “Needs Assessment or Survey” which will develop the buyer’s actual needs. For some sales representatives … this approach is quite different than selling a tangible product. It requires that you act as though you don’t have a “Specific Solution” for their Problem or Pain.

It is true to say that you don’t know what they need initially regardless of what you sell.

Of course you do have a Book of Services and Brochures in your brief case … but if we “Pull One Out” too early … it could be the wrong one and that could kill the sales call. What we are after in Consultative selling is a Comprehensive solution with a Long term relationship.

The best adage to adopt … is similar to going to a Doctor.

When you walk into the examination room, the doctor greets you and says something like,

“How can I help you today?”

You might say I have a pain in my stomach. The doctor might do a cursory review of your vital signs but then probably would recommend a test or some further examination.

Why wouldn’t he prescribe a pill or a treatment right there?

Simple … it could be malpractice … He does not know what is wrong with you yet. It could be anything from something Simple to something Serious.

So, what does he do?

He orders some tests and further examination in order to diagnose the problem so that he can provide a solution.

For you to presume that you understand the buyer’s problem on the telephone or even on the first face-to-face encounter may seem unfounded. Like the doctor you will need to assess his problem, known in the sales world … as his “Pain”.

The most common way to do this is to suggest that he allow you to conduct a Needs Assessment.

This is usually at no cost to the buyer but … of course isn’t free. It requires you to make an investment of time and talent to help in the decision making process. It does cost you “Money and Time” but you are willing to provide that … in order to determine if you can help him.

Most if not all Consultative Selling Programs include a “Step-By-Step Approach”. The FileMan program is a Seven (7) step process. The key to success of any consultative method … is that it must be measureable against agreed upon benchmarks. If it isn’t measurable … it cannot be managed.

In order to maximize your results you should use a “Contact and Sales Cycle Management” resource. The two that are most effective to use with this course are, “ACT by Sage” and “SalesForce CRM”. Both of these are inexpensive and have three features.

The First Component is Contact Management … this attribute enables the company to include in its data base as much information as it can gather about the “Suspect, Prospect or Client”. It becomes the fundamental tool to collect and maintain information … literally forever.

The amount of data, notes and information is unlimited … and it builds a historical flow of your relationship and encounters with the “Suspect, Prospect or Client”. The data and information is owned by your company and does not belong to the sales representative. You should consider it “Vital information”.

The Second Component is Sales Cycle Management … this attribute allows the company to know where in the sales cycle the Target is at all times. Regardless of how many steps you have in your sales cycle … you will know about every activity related to the each of the target companies. Every entry into the database is both time and date stamped. There cannot be any fudging by the sales representative … it is a measure of his diligence.

The prime question in a Sales Management meeting is … “Where are you in the sales cycle with each target account?” The answer should be clear and every step well documented into the sales tool. The follow-up question should be … “How can we move the Target to the next step?”

The Third Component is Sales Management … this allows the sales manager to be a coach and mentor to the sales representative. No longer is there any guessing about what has happened in the sales cycle at what time … but a clear path to next activity

These tools can easily take a snap-shot of a sales representative’s portfolio of Prospects or drive down to a specific account. The sales manager can also look at the entire Prospect database to determine the productivity of sales. With this tool we can manage sales to specific expectations.

The FileMan Model is made up of Seven Steps with Activities, Goals and a Timeline for each step. This model sets in place a benchmark to measure against.

Prospecting – Converting a Suspect to a Prospect

Its Goal is to Set a First Confirmed 15 minute Face-To-Face Appointment with a Decision Maker

Initial Face-to- Face Sales Call – Developing and Qualifying the Prospect by selling a Needs Assessment

Its Goal is to Gain Agreement from the Prospect Decision Maker for the Needs Assessment by signing your … Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement

Performing the Needs Assessment and to confirm the Prospect’s Interest and to Gain Commitment.

Its goal is to Understand the Prospect’s “Issues, Pain and Implementation Logistics” … and to determine how your services may match the Prospect’s needs.

Gain Prospect’s Agreement on the Issues while Formulating the Solutions

The goal is to … write “Carefully written Issue Statements” regarding each Issue, pain, and problem that you discover … and issues regarding the Prospect’s logistics …This is not a time for selling … It is a “discovery process” not time to sell … all we want is agreement on the Issues.

Create and Plan the Proposal and the Presentation

The goal is to … Finish the proposal package … understand the issues, solution, benefits and costs of the implementation … as well as all ongoing costs. An implementation logistics plan should be negotiated with the operations manager. Complete the Presentation, Cost Benefit Statement and the Implementation Schedule.

Present and Negotiate a Signed Agreement

The goal is to … Understand the proposal, the solutions and your Agreement details completely. Be ready for any objection. Articulate the Value of the Deal … to the Prospect. Clearly state the costs both “implementation Costs and On-going Costs”. Be prepared and confident about your services, costs and the value to customers. Be prepared to Negotiate terms of front end costs and on-going prices based your authority.

Implementation and Gather a Satisfaction Assessment

The goal is to … Ensure all aspects of the implementation plan are met including conducting a Satisfaction Survey … and Review the First Invoice with the client in a face-to-face meeting.

You can expect from this course a full understanding of Consultative Selling, the Steps and Activities that assures results. These are modeled after the best sales practices in use today. You will have access to the collective knowledge of the best sales representatives gathered though decades of excellent selling skills.

You will learn how to become your own sales manager and how to manage a sales force.

You will know and understand what attributes makes a good sales representative, how to incent her and how to maximize your sales goals.

Remember in Business … Nothing happens until the sale is made!