Whats your sales process starting with the 1st appointment?

For the first initial conversation with a client, i start off by asking them a series of questions about their business and how they're running their business. I ask questions like:

1) How much can you afford to spend on advertising?
2) What kind of marketing strategies have you used in the past?
3) Have you studied your competitors?
4) Do you do any tracking or testing?
5) Do you know what direct response marketing is?
6) Why are you marketing your business via brand advertising?
7) What's the biggest issue in your business right now?
8) How much are you paying your staff in comparison to you?
9) Are you using the internet as part of your marketing plan?
10) Do you have a website?
11... and etc.

With a package of that size, you'll definately need to have multiple steps. Plus, if it's a package it sounds like it's multiple products to fill a need. Maybe a package to create a solid online presence.

Here's what I'd do as my first plan of attack, with the full understanding that I'll tweak things based upon testing.

I'd build a powerpoint presentation that first discusses the problem. I'd make it personal to the business. After I explain a key point ... "Why that's important to you and your business is ____. That makes sense, doesn't?"

After making an important point, it's important that you tie it down. That's because if I say it, it doesn't mean anything, but if they agree with me it means everything. Plus, if they don't agree it allows me to handle a very possible objection at the very end of the presentation up front.

The powerpoint would present the problem, then discuss who we are as a business and then provide the solution. Through the solution piece I'd include testimonials of how we helped this business and that business. I'll include some case studies that show where the business was before us and then how what we did for the business really made a huge impact on their business.

For a $20,000 package there will need to be a lot of proof elements. I'll load the powerpoint with these.

Then I can either print the PP to put into a 3 ring binder to present to them, or I can do it off my laptop, or I can do it online. I'd want to do the presentation in person!

Okay, for sales cycle I'd do this ...

1) Call to schedule an appointment with them. I want to also find out what it is about the marketing piece that prompted them to contact us. This tells me their hot button, which is important should they hee-haw around.

2) Fact Finding, qualifying meeting. Here I want to develop rapport with the business owner while learning as much as I can that's pertinent to what I'm selling. I may take in forms to fill out, or do it on my laptop. I want to look very professional and show that I know what I'm doing and have done this many times before. That puts them at ease.

After I've collected all of the information, I'm going schedule the next meeting right then and there. That's way easier than telling them I'll call them for our next appt.

3) I'd send "process marketing" pieces to the business. However, at this stage it wouldn't be about the product. It would be about the benefits of working together, maybe even a few case studies of how others have benefited by working with me. I'd also emphasize that what we put in place is individualized to their business.

4) Present problem and solution. This where you'd use a PP. You want to involve as many senses as you can ... visual, audio both at minimum. The PP plays a very important role because they're not just hearing it, they're seeing it. People believe what they see/read more than what they hear.

I'm going to take the Proposal and agreement with me. While they are hot on this and while I've got them emotionally excited I want to close that sale! Coming back with a proposal and agreement gives them time to cool down! I don't want them to cool down and start rationalizing this without me right there. I want to handle the objections right then and there!

Plus, from the fact finding meeting I already know what they need so I've already prepared the paperwork for it. However, if we need to make adjustments I'll have my laptop to make those adjustments.

If they don't buy, now I'd do full process marketing pieces that helps build on what the product can do for them. In their purest forms, these are sales letters. Done right, this is very powerful!

Keep in mind, this is off the cuff without knowing exactly what you're selling, who you're selling it to, what your sales approach is, etc. All I could go on was it was a $20,000 package.

Tweak this as needed.

Plus, whatever you do track your results at every step. You want to improve each step and continue to improve each step of the sales cycle.

I hope this helps.

Bradley

Mike, why dont you put what youve already got planned then people can advise on it or add to it.

Otherwise we'll have posts like the above ones with you saying 'yes thats what Ive got planned ....etc' so instead of expecting everyone else to waste their precious time advising you to do what youve already got planned, you tell us and then we can add to it

http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...-help-you.html

You should only need to do two meetings.

First is find problems.

Second is provide solutions and get paid. Once you have the information from meeting one, create three different priced marketing proposals and present them to the client, explain the modules, the strategies of each one and let them choose which one they're most comfortable purchasing.

I only ever did one meeting to get the client.......

build trust first, ask questions, then close using the answer to the questions...

if they really need more time, then I offer one more meeting at a later date, but no more than that....... I dont have time to be messed around.

Josh M