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The Sales Cycle!

Don Dennison ⁽⁴⁰¹⁾ Canada

Don Dennison

One Cup International consulting Group

The Four Pillars of business growth!

Posted Sunday, September 14, 2008 (1 year 70 days ago.) Viewed 49 times.

Let's continue our series on The Four Pillars of business growth. The Four Pillars are Company Product Value Assurance, Business Alignment, Strategic Planning for Sales and Operations, and Management Complexity. In this article, we want to look at Business Alignment, which can mean something different to each person reading this article. To make it a little simpler, let's look at targeting your business customer and company focus.

I want to start with targeting your core business. What do I mean by this? For an Office Coffee Service (OCS), it is where your best accounts can generate the most dollars. In my 20 years in business, it has always been one firm that can generate the most dollars for your company. How do you get this kind of loyalty to your company? You need to go back to the basics in sales, Building Relationships. You need to teach your sales people to go after quality, not quantity accounts. All the computer companies that are doing business with retailers need to look at it the same way. Now when it comes to being a furniture retail store, the Building Relationship principle really applies, because you only have a few moments to build a relationship to get them to buy your product. However, don't kid yourselves price is still a factor.

The company focus equates to profits, so let's look at the differences between an average company and a great company. The average company is not goal-directed, and it usually makes decisions when in a crisis. They forget how important it is to train their operational and sales people. The great company is goal-directed and they invest in their sales and operational people. The most important point in this kind of company is the awareness of their investment in their own people, which makes for a great return in their profits.

The leader of the company should see further down the road than those around him or her, and knows where they are going. If you don't know where you are going, then how can you expect your people to know? A leader can't lead until he knows where he is going. The leader's focus gives the company its direction. Let me give you a list of attributes that great leaders possess. The most important one is just plain hard work. After hard work comes imagination, self-discipline, courtesy, honesty, perseverance, faith, courage, showmanship, product knowledge, self-confidence, conviction, organization, enthusiasm, service awareness, personal appearance, desire, setting goals, motivation, and finally, a nice personality. Wow! Possessing all of these qualities can seem overwhelming!

Let me close with some final words. Can we really do all this? Yes, I believe we can, by taking one step at a time. As we live our lives each day, we can choose to grow or stay the same. I want to grow and change I hope you want to do the same. In the next two articles, we will cover Strategic Planning for Sales and Operations.

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The Four Pillars of Business

Posted Wednesday, July 16, 2008 (1 year 130 days ago.) Viewed 20 times.

As a business builder, I created what I call "The Four Pillars of Business," which enable a company to reach their full potential. The four pillars are: Company Product Value Assurance, Business Alignment, Strategic Planning for Sales and Operations and Management Complexity,

Today we want to start with Company Product Value Assurance. There are many points, but I would like to cover only two. The first point is that our business needs to begin by making sure that our products are at the highest standard. Many companies today have their own private label products with their company logo. They are promoting themselves to their local, national, international markets. In any industry, we need to have high standards, so that highest quality is the end result. We need to be knowledgeable of the kinds of products that are being used in different markets. Let me cover four points that we should follow in Company Product Value Assurance.

1. Product value Quality Analysis

2. Company Procurement Guidelines

3. Finish Product evaluation

4. Post Processing.

The four fundamentals above are simply guidelines to help you when it comes to achieving quality. If you want the complete picture of these fundamentals, just write me and I will gladly mail them to you. When you look at a company like Starbucks, you will find that their standard has been very high from its very beginnings. That's why they are the leader in the coffee industry today. It doesn't matter what you think of them. They are still the leader!

The second point is "What do my customers think of my product?" This is the most valuable feedback you can get. The end user is that person who buys your products. Again, let's look back at Starbuck's history. When they first started, they demanded a certain price for their products and they got it! Why? I believe it's because they have done the best job of marketing their products, as quality products. Who is asking for their products? The many people who are walking into their coffee shops each day are asking for great products. Starbucks has created a demand for their coffee. What they have done is created Raving Fans. It's time for all industries to reach another level or standard, and it begins with you and me.

In conclusion, let me remind you to read Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. It is an easy book to read. It is a great book about satisfied customers something we all need!

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The Sales Cycle: Point # 6: Different Types Closes

Posted Monday, March 19, 2007 (2 years 250 days ago.) Viewed 2,177 times.

There are many different types of closes. This article presents eight of them.

1. Ask for the Order Close

2. Assumption Close

3. Choice Close

4. Preference Close

5. Trial Offer Close

6. Balance Sheet Close

7. Loaded Yes Close

8. Alternate Vendor Close

Here are two illustrations from the eight different types of closes. In this article, we will review the Preference Close and the Ask for the Order Close. Let’s begin with the Preference Close. What does preference mean? The American Heritage Dictionary says: “The right or chance to so choose." This means the potential customer has the right to choose you or another vendor or service. What have you done to make sure they choose you? Did you listen? Did you gather enough information to close? Did you probe? Did you listen to their needs, wants and desires? Did you have an agenda? Did you listen or were you unwilling to hear about their needs, because you thought you had the answers? Did you follow The Sales Cycle step by step ? Let’s assume that you followed The Sales Cycle, and they are ready to go forward. Now, it’s time to give the customer a Preference Close. Here are three simple examples to use in the Preference Close:

1. “Would you prefer to begin service right away, or do you want to start next

Monday or Tuesday?" If the response is positive, then close the sale.

2. “Would the company like our ‘top of the line’ computers, or do you believe they would prefer the ABC line of computers?" If the response is positive to your ‘top of the line’ computers… then ask the customer to buy today.

3. “Shall I set up your account on a Regular Net 10 plus 2% today, or would your accounting department prefer Net 30?" Whatever the response is, make a note of it on the contract agreement.

The next close is Ask For The Order Close. Let’s remember that as sales people, it is our responsibility to be fully prepared for the sales call. The key to sales has always been Point # 1 of The Sales Cycle, which is RAPPORT. If you have built great rapport with the potential customer, many times you will find that, Point # 5, Dealing with Objections, never really comes up in a significant way. By having built that rapport, you have earned the right to ask for the order.

Here are five easy statements to use:

1. “Shall I write up the agreement?"

2. “Is there anything that prevents us from beginning your service today?"

3. “May I start you out with our ‘top of the line’ computers?"

4. “May I hook up your networking system on Monday or Tuesday?"

5. “If I can secure the extra discount on the computers and the networking system, will you sign the agreement today?"

In the last article of The Sales Cycle, we will look at Follow-Up. This is the most important part of The Sales Cycle, because we need to remember that follow-up generates new leads most of the time. Buyers like to buy from sales people they like and trust.

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Global Warming--- Who Is Responsible?

Posted Thursday, February 15, 2007 (2 years 282 days ago.) Viewed 2,004 times.

When we look at Global Warming, we need to ask who is responsible. I believe there are three players in the mix: the governments of the world, big business who is looking at the bottom line and profits, and finally, mankind.

Let's start with the governments of the world. I don't want to point a finger at anyone, but we here in the United States, as well as many of the western cultures could change the way we use and conserve energy. This could make a big difference in the world today. We see from our federal goverment that they don't really accomplish very much. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or an Indepentant, it doesn't matter. They all promise much, and we get nothing from their efforts. Of course, they will argue with you, but most of the time it is really "double talk." I wish we could find one political leader who would stand on a firm foundation, because we are heading for trouble with it comes to GLOBAL WARMING!

Do you think we can depend on big business? We need to be fair with big business. They know that the governments of the world are not going to do anything, so they are going to take care of the bottom line. The first bottom line issue is that they need to make a profit for their companies. Again, I don't want to point any fingers, but have you been watching some of the recent commercials by companies, telling us how they are trying to help our world? Let me be fair in saying that I am only one person and I don't see the whole picture, but are they really helping our world? The second thing companies are concerned with is their investors, but I think many of the large companies of world could do much more for GLOBAL WARMING.

Now let's look at mankind. We here in America use a lot of energy because we are so used to having what we need, when we need it. It would ony take a few of us to start making changes in our world, to make a difference. We need to think more about conserving our natural resources. An example of one such a person who made a difference is the civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. He made a profound difference in the world of the 1960's, and forever, because of his commitment to equality for all, using the concept of peaceful resistence.

It is time for another person like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who has the backing of the people, to step forward and make a difference in our world today. This person could help facilitate the goverments, large companies, and mankind to work together for the good of the entire world. If we don't, horrible environmental catastrophes are coming into our world. There is a great war coming over energy, black gold, or whatever you want to call it. This next war will be the greatest war of all time. MANY WILL DIE! Can we hear the footsteps of a world in crisis?

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