Inside Sales Series

How to give your inside sales calls some ...

T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N.

David MaloneTrainer| Speaker | Consultant

www.evolve.ie

By and largeInside Sales Professionals are optimistic are optimistic by nature… and that’s

good!

However over the years, I have always found evidence over optimism is a more accurate way of progressing potential

sales opportunities.

Optimism can mean we often waste time on situations that will never turn into sales on situations that will never turn into sales opportunities

…..Or indeed sometimes we don’t see the problems / issues that may lose the deal.

With that in mind, I thought I’d share

the evidence based protocol I use to

assess my inside sales prospecting

opportunities.

It certainly has helped me to

get more T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N.On my prospecting activity.

T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N…. is an evidence based checklist which I use to keep my sales opportunities on track

• In allows me gauge how much movement I really achieved on the last buyer contact.

• It also gives me ideas around what • It also gives me ideas around what I need to do to maximize my chance of winning the opportunity

• It outs any gaps in my buyer intelligence

• It has increased my forecasting accuracy

Idea!Idea!Idea!Idea!

I strongly suggest you should run all your sales opportunities sales opportunities

through the T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N

process

T is for Time FramesT is for Time Frames

As in what’s the prospect’s view of Time Frames for ..

The date in their mind by which they will/need to buy?buy?

Do all the parties in the process have the same view?

Ask questions such as

• If you did decide to proceed with the purchase, what will your timeframe be?

• Why is that?

• What will happen if you don’t buy by that date?

• Does everyone else have the same timeframe?• Does everyone else have the same timeframe?

Get a sense of how real

the buyer’s issue is.

R � is for RouteR � is for Route

As in … have they told you the steps, stages, and

people involved in the decision making process?

Ask buyer questions such as

• The last time you changed your provider, what process did you go through to select a new supplier?supplier?

• Who else is involved in the selection process? (even on the periphery)

A is forA is for

Authority

What level of authority has the person

at the other end of the phone?

How senior are they in the decision

making process?

How much influence have they over How much influence have they over

the other members of the decision

making team?

Have they the ability to put you in

front of the senior buyers?

Ask questions such as

• What is your relationship with the other people who will make this make this decision?

• Who are they Who are they Who are they Who are they most likely to most likely to most likely to most likely to listen to?listen to?listen to?listen to?

C is forC is for

Committed

As in … is the person you are speaking with personally committed

(a) Does your offering meet their purchasing criteria?(b) Do you meet their supplier criteria?(c) Are they committed to make the purchase? (b) Are they committed to making it from you?

…… Have they stated this to you?

Ask questions like

•What do you like about our solution?

• If it was your decision, would you be comfortable with our solution?

T is forT is for

Them!

Them .. As in them your competition!

Is the buyer talking to another supplier?Who are they talking with?How disposed towards your competition are they?Have you asked how you compare?

Ask Questions Like

• Mr Prospect, could you tell me what

criteria you are using to evaluate

potential supplier?

• How do we rate?• How do we rate?

• How are the other suppliers rating?

• Where would we need to provide

you with more comfort in order to be

your first choice?

I is forI is for

Investment

As in …As in …1. Did you discuss investment /costing? (ball park)

2. How did they respond?

3. What was their expectation?

4. Do they have a budget?

5. Who owns this budget?

6. Don’t be afraid to talk about money too early, it will

help ascertain how committed they are to purchasing.

O is forO is for

Opportunity

Is there a real opportunity?Ask questions like….

Why is this purchase is essential for your business at the moment?How will the company benefit from the purchase?

What will happen if you do nothing?How will it effect their business?

Ask yourself …How will they gain or avoid a loss if they buy?

N is forN is for

Next Step

As in…

What’s the buyer’s next step? (Don’t worry about yours!)

Have they told you what they will do next?

Have you asked them?

Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Is important to get the buyer to do some work

at this stage. This will show how committed

they are to the purchase. Remember, if they

Ask them to get you a conversation with an executive buyer,

so as you can get their perspective

Ask them to provide you with information that requires them

to do some work. (For example) Diagnostics, reports, polls

they are to the purchase. Remember, if they

don’t’ do the work, there might not be an

opportunity, or may be they are just not

taking your offering seriously

T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N•Time Frames

•Route

•Authority

• Committed •Committed

• Them – the competition

• Investment budget

•Opportunity?

•Next step

Base your call outcomes on the evidence in front of you ... Not blind of you ... Not blind

optimism

Fundamentally, our sales engagement mantra is

Win fast or win slow, Win fast or win slow,

lose fast - but never lose Slowly!

“If you do what you have always done – then you get what you have always gotten”

www.evolve.ie

davemaloneinsidesalescoach