Expert Interview on Sales Process
The sales process gets talked about a lot, but people in the organization often don’t fully understand it and struggle with the concept. Using a sales process can be so beneficial for a company, and lead to great success for salespeople. Understanding how to evolve and adequately use a sales process can be instrumental in fostering that success. Jeff Galas, interviewed by John Golden, discusses sales processes.
This expert sales interview explores the sales process, including:
- How the process influences creative freedom
- The importance of the buyer’s journey and understanding the buyer
- How to make the sales process actionable
Process and Creative Freedom
“I do think people struggle with the process throughout their entire life, not just in the sales process,” said Galas. Part of this struggle in the context of the sales world is that people become fearful that utilizing a process will remove the ability to be creative and heartfelt. “They think of it as an either/or, when the process really sets the people free to have their creativity in a way that allows for the best results,” said Galas. “I think the struggle comes from the mindset around the process.”
The Importance of a Process
The fact is, the best performing organizations not only have a well-defined process but have defined activities within the stages of their process. When you learn about your process, and you dig into your process, it allows you to work with your customers, prospects, and clients in ways that best suit them. Those set standard operating procedures are driven by what is useful and efficient. You are working from the buyer’s journey to create the sales process is the best way to develop teams that outperform.
Understand the Buyer
“My starting point with all consulting and strategy is two-fold. First, I want to understand the company that I’m working with, including the clients and what makes them unique and special,” said Galas. And then, I look at their clients and their prospects and their buyer’s journey. If your process isn’t matched up with your buyer’s journey, then your process is focused on internal control rather than production.” People in companies often make assumptions about their buyer, or their buyer’s buying process is extremely outdated. They are internally focused or naïve to how the buyer makes purchases. These assumptions can significantly hold a salesperson back, and limit their selling potential.
Actionable Sales Process:
After aligning with the buyer’s journey, you must transfer that into something that is actionable. Take a step back and examine the most effective ways to meet the buyer’s needs. You have to create the process to test if it’s possible to get these things to the buyer in a way that makes sense. The second step is to start measuring it and start improving it. Once you have those things in place, and you have those measurements, driving adoption is the next important step. Some companies use the command and control method to encouraged process adoption, where you are rewarded for doing well, and punished for doing poorly. However, this isn’t recommended. What is suggested is creating a team. “When we’re exploring the buyer’s journey, ensure that everyone is included. Create a team and a culture of complete transparency so that everyone sees the base information that’s being used to create the new sales process,” said Galas. “As the process gets created, it must be facilitated in a way that gets everyone engaged.
The Backup Plan:
What happens if you do all of those things and the process still isn’t followed? You could continue to coach them and continue to try to create buy-in. The second option is that you create a team culture that discourages lone wolf’s that operate differently because the end up hurting the team as a whole.
To learn more about the evolution of sales processes and how to create and incorporate them into your business, watch the expert sales interview.
About Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
Pipeliner CRM totally empowers to visually follow and use their unique sales process. Get your free trial of Pipeliner CRM now.
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