The Eight-Step Selling Process

 

Here are the eight steps every Service Sales Representative should use when working with the member.

 

1. Listen to the member

 

2. Be adept at discovering their problems and needs

 

3. Diagnose their needs based on your product knowledge

 

4. What is the underlying emotion?

 

5. Brainstorm possible solutions

 

6. Identify the best two possible solutions

 

7. Prescribe the two best solutions for customers

 

8. Aid them in the final decision

 

Why is this important to revisit?

 

Because I was coaching an employee lately and they were in a sales slump. They had several strong months, and then hit a snag.

 

I asked, “Are you using and following the steps we taught?”  He said “sure.”  Then I listened to him on the phone with several members, and he had gone back into his old habit of suggesting services they hadn’t even mentioned.  His listening skills had fallen off while his success had increased.  We listened to a couple of the recordings where they member said “no” to his offer.  I asked him what he thought of the transaction?  He said, “I am disappointed that I didn’t close.”  But I suggested you never opened.  He said, “opened?”  I said, “Ya, opened, you have to listen to the member first and then offer them something that interest them from the comments they have made. They gave you an opening, but you went in another direction.” Once he again followed the 8 steps and worked on listening for an opening, he was back to his old self, and getting the results he was accustomed to getting.

 

Listen for the opening, and when you are coaching a sales person, have them record themselves and listen later for how they could have improved. Listening and repetition are the keys to success.

Rory Rowland
14401 Covington Rd.
Independence, MO 64055
816-478-3249
roryrowland@yahoo.com
rrr3@ix.netcom.com