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Chapter
8
Planning the Sales Call
Is a Must!
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Chapter
8
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Chapter
8
Main Topics
Strategic Customer Sales Planning—
The Preapproach
The Prospect’s Mental Steps
Overview of the Selling Process
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Exhibit 8-1: The Preapproach Involves
Planning the Sales Presentation
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Strategic Customer Sales Planning The Preapproach
Strategic problem solving involves
Strategic needs
Creative solutions
Mutually beneficial agreements
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Exhibit 8-2: Consultative Selling -- Customer
Relationship Model
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Strategic Customer Sales Planning The Preapproach cont…
Reasons for planning the sales call
Builds confidence
Develops atmosphere of goodwill
Reflects professionalism
Generally increases sales
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Exhibit 8-4: Steps in the Preapproach:
Planning the Sale
Determine sales
call objective
Develop/Review
customer profile
Develop customer
benefits
Develop sales
presentation
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Strategic Customer Sales Planning the Preapproach cont…
Always Have a Sales Call Objective
The precall objective - have one or more!
Focus and flexibility
– when with customer focus your efforts on objective
– be prepared to switch to another objective if needed
Make the goal specific
Move customer conversation toward objective
Set a SMART call objective
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Strategic Customer Sales Planning The Preapproach cont…
Determine sales
call objective
Develop/Review
customer profile
Develop
customer benefits
Develop sales
presentation
Always have a sales call objective
Set a SMART call objective
Specific
M easurable
A chievable
R ealistic
Timed
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Strategic Customer Sales Planning Customer Profile Provides Insight
Determine sales
call objective
Develop/Review
customer profile
Develop
customer benefits
Develop sales
presentation
Review information to create customized
presentation
See what customer has done in the past to
determine future needs
If do not have customer profile - get one for
each customer
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Exhibit 8-5: Information Used in a Profile and
for Planning
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Customer Benefit Plan:
What It’s All About!
Determine sales
call objective
Develop/Review
customer profile
Develop
customer benefits
Develop sales
presentation
Steps in creating the customer benefit plan:
Step 1: Select FABs for product discussion
Step 2: Select FABs for marketing plan discussion
Step 3: Select FABs for business proposition
discussion
Step 4: Develop suggested purchase order based
on first three steps
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Exhibit 8-6: Examples of Topics Contained in the
Marketing Plan Segment of Your Sales Presentation
Resellers
1. Advertising
 Geographical
 National
 Regional
 Local
 Co-op
 Type
 Television
 Radio
 Direct-mail
 Internet
2. Sales Promotion
 Contests
 Coupons
 Samples
3. Sales Force
 Working with salespeople
4. Trade Shows
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Exhibit 8-6: Examples of Topics Contained in the
Marketing Plan Segment of Your Sales Presentation
End Users
1. Availability
2. Delivery
3. Guarantee
4. Installation
 Who does it?
 When?
 How?
5. Maintenance/service
6. Training on use
7. Warranty
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Exhibit 8-6: Examples of Topics Contained in the
Marketing Plan Segment of Your Sales Presentation
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Exhibit 8-7: Examples of Topics Contained in the Business
Proposition Segment of Your Sales Presentation
Resellers
1. List price
3. Discounts
 Cash
 Consumer
2. Shipping costs  Quantity
 Trade
 Financing
 Payment Plans
 Interest Rate
4. Markup
5. Profit
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Exhibit 8-7: Examples of Topics Contained in the Business
Proposition Segment of Your Sales Presentation
End Users
1. List price
2. Shipping costs
3. Discounts
 Cash
 Quantity
4. Financing
 Payment plans
 Interest rates
5. ROI
6. Value Analysis
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Exhibit 8-7: Examples of Topics Contained in the Business
Proposition Segment of Your Sales Presentation
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Customer Benefit Plan:
Develop Sales Presentation
Determine sales
call objective
Develop/Review
customer profile
Develop
customer benefits
Develop sales
presentation
Write out all FABs for steps 1 - 3
Write out suggested purchase order
Now you are ALMOST ready to create
your sales presentation
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Exhibit 8-8: Major Phases in Your Presentation: A Sequence
of Events to Complete in Developing a Sales Presentation
1. Approach.
Rapport-building
Uncover needs
Attention, interest, transition
2. Fully discuss your
product.
Features
Advantages
Benefits
3. Present your
marketing plan.
4. Explain your
business proposition.
How to resell (for reseller)
How to use (for consumers
and industrial user)
What’s in it for your
customers?
5. Suggested purchase
order.
Recommend what to buy in
order to fill the needs
uncovered in the presentation.
6. Close
Ask for the business!
7. Exit
Do not give up!
Act as a professional
Leave the door open
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What is Left in Creating Your Sales
Presentation?
1. Approach.
2. Fully discuss your
product.
3. Present your
marketing plan.
4. Explain your
business proposition.
As shown in Exhibit 8-8 you need to create
your:
 Approach - covered in Chapter 10
 Close - covered in Chapter 13
5. Suggested purchase
order.
6. Close
7. Exit
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Before You Can Pick Your
Approach You
Select which presentation method to use - covered in
Chapter 9
Prepare for anticipated objections from your
prospect/customer - covered in Chapter 12
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In Planning a Sales Presentation,
You Should Consider
 The prospect’s mental steps
 What would the prospect be thinking as
you give your presentation?
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Exhibit 8-9: The Prospect’s Five Mental
Steps in Buying
Attention
Interest
Desire
Conviction
Purchase
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How Do You Obtain Someone’s Attention
When You Begin Your Presentation?
 Show you are there to help!
 The proper approach is important! (Chapter 10)
 Your goal is to determine a need or problem
Attention
Interest
Desire
Conviction
Purchase
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How Do You Keep Someone’s Interest in
What You are Presenting?
 Show you are there to help!
 Quickly present major FABs that:
 Fulfill a need
 Solve a problem
 Show and tell as discussed in Chapter 11
Attention
Interest
Desire
Conviction
Purchase
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How Do You Build Desire for Your Product?
 Show you are there to help!
 Using your trial closes, determine
if prospect is interested in benefits
 Watch for nonverbal signals!
 Green
 Yellow
 Red
Attention
Interest
Desire
Conviction
Purchase
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How Do You Establish The Conviction Your
Product Will Solve Needs or Problems?
 Show you are there to help!
 The customer sees how your product’s FABs
will solve their needs or problems
 Your trial closes indicate ready to buy
Attention
Interest
Desire
Conviction
Purchase
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How Do You Know if Customer Ready to
Purchase So You Can Close?
 Show you are there to help!
 Trial close response(s), nonverbal signals indicate
positive beliefs product will fulfill needs
or solve problems
Attention
Interest
Desire
Conviction
Purchase
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Overview of the Selling Process
Getting the prospect’s attention and interest by
having the prospect recognize a need or problem,
and stating a wish to fulfill the need or solve the
problem
Uncovering and answering the prospect’s
questions and revealing and meeting or
overcoming objections results in more intense
desire
Desire is transformed into the conviction that your
product can fulfill the prospect’s needs or solve
problems
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Exhibit 8-10a: The Selling Process and Examples
of Prospect’s Mental Thoughts and Questions
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Exhibit 8-10b: The Selling Process and Examples
of Prospect’s Mental Thoughts and Questions
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Summary of Major Selling Issues
Careful planning of the sales call is
essential to success in selling
Planning builds self-confidence, develops
an atmosphere of goodwill, creates
professionalism, and increases sales
Sales call planning
Have a sales call objective that is SMART
Develop or review the customer profile
Develop your customer benefit plan
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