Collecting Sale References From Client Techniques is a skill that is
developed over a period of time. “References” are the life line of sales
funnel.
“A happy and satisfied customer gives 3 more sales” it’s a thumb rule of each industry
Rightly Said: As a salesman, it’s our utmost duty to gather a minimum of 5 references from our client.
Remember: If someone asks you to convey 5 references then it’s a lost opportunity as you'll not give 5 names with contacts, rather your reply are going to be “I’ll allow you to know if someone is interested”
So dear friend, taking reference is like asking your wife about the dresses she has in her wardrobe. and also the answer to which can be “no I don’t have any”
So let’s note:
# Ask close-ended questions –
Sir, may I do know the name of your relief
Sir, who is that the architect of your house/office
Sir, what’s the primary name that strikes your mind if I say, helpful person.
So on… the list may be endless. Don’t evoke contact numbers till you've got written 5 names, don’t break the chain of thoughts by soliciting contact details before the 5 names.
“References” are the half-baked deals that just need better handling and analysis
Always, try and facilitate or thank your referee on sale closure as this may further strengthen the bond between you and your referee. Remember “money” isn't the motivation for everybody. So, appreciation may be in-kind or facilitation too.
Sales Reference Collection Techniques:
“Have you ever wondered about the processes of creating sales reference material? Have you wondered why so many salespeople seem to come up with the same source material in a given market?”
This is a question that many people have when they see salespersons copying text from their customer’s quotation, or copying a standard boilerplate sales presentation from another salesperson.
In my experience, 99% of the time, this is the “bespoke” information that they are using for sales support. I’m not saying that this is right, but I’m saying it is what I see.
I am speaking from a global point of view and my experience is not an isolated one.
Have you ever wondered why so many salespeople seem to come up with the same source material in a given market? Why do we seem to keep reading the same Sales Rulebook, or the same Sales Disclosure Checklists?
This is because most of the time, these are the main support documents that salespeople turn to when they need to “help” with their day-to-day sales.
We can’t lose sight of the fact that these are not the only products that sell. There are many other products and technical solutions that are actively marketed by companies, and these are not supported in the way that information products are.
It’s not always clear what these are or how they are different from Sales Rulebooks or Sales Disclosure Checklists.
When people reach out for support from sales professionals, they are turning to a workbook, technical manual, or a brochure to support their sales efforts.
Many of these documents and other products have been developed by people that work in a sales role. It makes sense to use those as their main resource when it comes to finding out what information to share with potential customers.
In my experience, these are also the main support documents that salespeople turn to when they need to “help” with their day-to-day sales.
Many times I have seen people arrive at a sales account for the first time and have yet to find the support document or the example customers that they need to help make their case for a new product or solution.
These are often the most important and useful documents that a sales professional can turn to for support. They are full of great information and tips that you don’t find in the Sales Rulebook, or a manual.
You may not understand the point of these documents, but they are usually a great place to start when you need help with your sales support activities.
You have to remember that most sales professionals get their workbook or technical manual from their job or university libraries or the sales reps that they work with.
Let’s look at some examples of things that you may see in some of these support materials.
Are you a Pepsi, or are you a Coca-Cola?
If you work for Pepsi, would you say that Coke is the only company that you are competing with?
If you work for Coca-Cola, would you say that Pepsi is your only competitor?
By the time someone has left their previous company and is working for a new one, they have had quite a bit of time to watch and learn from their competitors. This can be a great way to help bridge the gap between two different cultures or beliefs.
You spend your time carefully vetting sales prospect details in order to best make contact with the right audience, focusing on the details that will resonate with the type of buyers you'll be trying to reach.
Important factors you will want to consider include, but are not limited to:
Industry – Understanding what the prospect's industry is (or is focused on) will enable you to tailor your marketing approach to meet their particular needs.
State of the Market – Understanding your prospects market needs will enable you to position your company as the right choice, and help you position your offerings as best suited for your prospects' needs.
Prospect level – understanding what specific levels of opportunity a prospect may have will enable you to reach out to them with appropriate content, and to position your sales process to match.
In sales, it is sometimes necessary to focus your efforts on reaching out to the largest number of prospects possible with the least amount of effort.
However, there are many advantages to marketing to a narrower target audience, targeting specific groups within an industry that have already shown a willingness to learn about new products and solutions. These would be prospects that the prospect has already shown a willingness to learn about products and solutions that you offer.
Using a target-rich environment approach to marketing your sales messages will increase the likelihood that you will reach out to the right people in the most appropriate way. This can enable you to reach out to the largest number of potential customers in the most effective way possible, using the skills you have already developed.
Client Reference Based Marketing: Client reference-based marketing is a powerful strategy that has been used to great effect to move up market within target industries.
When you learn more about your prospects, and what they like, you can help them get even more information about what you do. You can show your prospects what a great service you can provide, and they will be eager to learn more.
Your prospect's decision to buy from you, or to hire your company for specific projects will be affected by the impression they are able to make.
How do you know what to target? The simplest way to identify the appropriate target is to start by identifying the needs of your target audience. This can be done through what types of content you share with your prospects, the value you offer them, or how your product or service will impact their lives.
To determine which audience your content should be aimed at, the following questions will help you get to know your prospect:
1. What type of information do they already have? What do they currently do? How are they currently using your current product or service?
2. How can you help them?
3. Is your prospect already doing what you want them to be doing?
4. What marketing efforts are currently underway?
5. What are the prospects' current communication channels?
6. Do they like to share information with others?
7. What motivates them?
8. What challenges do they currently face?
9. Who are the people they're connected to?
10. Where are they located?
11. Are you ready to start?
When you have done all the research to determine what type of content would be most beneficial to your prospect, it is time to start putting together the right content and marketing campaign to share it with them.
Use your salesperson skills to identify the perfect opportunity to engage your prospects in the right way.
Conclusion: Sales Reference Collection - For example, you might get them using a search field, but for more technical information it's a good idea to collect information directly from a website. This becomes more important when you need to print out your reference catalogs because, in these cases, you're trying to separate the wheat from the chaff.
When you gather reference information, you want to group and categorize it by theme, then figure out how you're going to organize it.
Some reference catalogs look pretty organized already, while others are a bit disorganized. Sometimes there is just some confusing terminology that you need to sort out in order to be able to find a specific bit of information.
Most of us aren't going to be in a position to create a reference library, but when you go to a new job or move into a new office, it's good to keep some reference materials from a previous assignment. If you can get your current company to buy a couple of copies of your reference guide, that would be an excellent idea.
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