Consistent use of sales cycle steps, positively effects sales result.

Selling: The ability to sell…. is it really a skill some people are born with or is it a process, sales cycle steps, to learn and apply?

“Runs Like A Well Oiled Machine” is a common metaphor for an effective and profitable business. This means that the business has an effective process that generates orders for the value the business provides, as well as an effective process of providing that value. This article gives you the framework of your Sales Buy-Cycle™, model of the sales process.

SELL ($€££): To motivate, persuade and influence people into making mutually beneficial decisions.

Most NLP sales trainings, sales books and sales seminars focus on the skills to motivate, persuade and influence people. They may also instruct in marketing, presentation, proposal and closing strategies, even exact phrasing to use, for specific industries and specific products. Businesses also have existing resources, the things already done and said to generate sales. These are all components to be assembled (and tested) on the framework of your Sales Buy-Cycle™, to make it run smoother… and faster… so that you win more often.

The Sales Buy-Cycle™ Steps, Make It Easy To Manage Sales

Effective selling involves several essential sales cycle steps that can easily be done. Use the sales cycle steps as a checklist, to ensure the appropriate sales cycle steps are being done. Steps that are not being done, or are not being done well, come into immediate focus for improvement. The easy to use framework of the sales cycle, provides a way for novice salespeople to be effective as they learn and a way for the ‘hot shots’ to be consistent superstars!

Below is a simple overview of the Sales Cycle Steps.

   Lead Qualification
     |
   Prospecting/Marketing
+->->+
|  Make Presentation/Proposal
|    |
|  Close The Sale
|    |
|  Sales Follow-up
+<-<-+

Sales Cycle steps

1. Qualify Potential Prospects.
2. Marketing / Hot Calls (formerly cold calls).
3. Interested Contact. -> 4 &/or 5
4. Follow Up. Response? Yes-> 5  No-> 4*
5. One, several or all, of the following:
   1. Intelligence? Yes-> 5 B.  No-> 6
   2. Presentation? Yes-> 5 C.  No-> 6
   3. Proposal? Yes-> 5 D.  No-> 6
   4. Order? Yes-> 7  No-> 6
6. Follow Through. Response? Yes-> 5  No-> 6*
7. Order Follow Up. -> 8
8. Repeat Business Marketing. -> 2

* Do not allow follow ups to become endless loops. Each follow up ideally provides intelligence about what to do next with the prospect and when to do it.

Keep records on prospect/customer contacts. At least, categorize them as either IN the cycle or NOT IN the cycle yet. If they have a scheduled ‘Next Contact Activity’ in your calendar, they are IN the cycle. This can be as simple as a page/card for each client, filed in one of 2 A-Z files (one for IN & one for NOT IN YET) in a binder/rolodex/computer AND a calendar.

RULE: No one stays in the IN cycle file without a future contact activity scheduled in the calendar.

Many types of businesses find it useful to record the HISTORY and relevant DETAILS of contact events. This information ensures continuity even if responsibility for the sales cycle is passed onto someone else.

Sales is what drives every business. Get your Sales Buy-Cycle™ going with the resources you have, then call on the experts that can help improve each step. Now you have a model of the selling process, a place to use and test the knowledge in sales books and trainings.