In a recent sales coaching workshop I lead, the number one takeaway mentioned by the attendees was learning about having a multi-step sales process.
My definition of a multi-step sales process is having numerous options to take people through besides contact, appointment, close. Many people in sales have just the one step, which is to have a 1on1 appointment with their prospect. When the prospect is clearly looking for your product or service this is the way to get the sale. However, there are those other times when you meet someone in a non-sales context. They’re not necessarily looking for you. Then what?
If the person you’re speaking with shows a little interest, then one option is to offer an appointment to discuss your service. What might work better though is to spend a little more time developing the relationship. There are several personality types that like to buy from people they have gotten to know over time. They rarely buy a service from a total stranger unless they really need the service urgently. Business coaching fits in to this category. Not too many people hire a coach they don’t know at all.
So, in this context what I’ll often do is pull from my options to extend a relationship’s development by inviting the person I’ve just met to do something else with me besides an appointment. I belong to a couple of referral clubs, run my own monthly networking and education event with a few partners, conduct free marketing seminars, am a member of Rotary, and on the board of a non-profit. Dependent on the interests of the person I’m talking to I can invite them to join me for any one of these groups or events.
After they attend an event, and hopefully like it, then we might have an appointment, or they might come to another event. Or, they might connect with me on LinkedIn or subscribe to my newsletter. With each successive decision to engage with me the relationship grows stronger and moves closer to a coaching engagement or paid workshop.
Do you see what I mean by multi-step? I attended Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid training in LA in 2008. It’s a great two days where you learn a ton about how to be really successful as a business coach, marketing consultant, sales trainer, personal trainer, life coach, financial planner and so forth. As long as you’re in a service profession, BYS is for you. Anyway, a key point Michael made that has never left me is this, “Always have something to invite people to.” Face facts, people aren’t always going to want an appointment with you after meeting you the first or second time. However, people like to be invited to things (can be webinars or teleconferences, too). The more they like what you invited them to, the more they like you.
If you don’t currently have a few steps you could take someone through to get to know them better, you can improve your sales by adding some. Think about what steps you can add to your sales process. If you already have multiple steps, which ones work best for you to build relationships and get sales? Please share your ideas and comments.
