Is it possible to actually sell more and
sell more easily? Could you spend less
time, money and energy on business
development and enjoy more revenue and
profit? When you stop trying to sell to
everyone, you can actually invest time and
effort in building ideal client relationships
with qualified prospects.
Stealth Selling
When you encounter a professional
salesperson, you don’t even realize you
are being sold. Professional salespeople
have normal conversations with prospects
and help them make good decisions. It is
a discovery process for both parties, not
just a sales presentation. When done right,
selling is an honest conversation about
whether there is a good fit, followed by a
decision to move forward or part ways.
Here’s how:
Opening the Meeting
The first goal of building a good working
relationship with a prospect is to establish
trust and build rapport. Match their
communication style and treat other
people the way they wish to be treated.
You will also want to get permission to
engage the prospect and set the agenda
for the meeting so that both parties are
on the same page.
Qualifying the Opportunity
Next, qualify the prospect by determining
if they have a problem you can solve;
that they want it solved; and they want
you to solve it. If that’s not the case, they
are disqualified. If they meet that criteria,
you can then determine if they have the
money, time, and resources necessary for
you to fix their problem? And, are they
willing to spend it on a solution to this
problem? If not, they are disqualified.
Then, does the person you’re speaking
with have decision-making authority?
How, when, where and why will they
124 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2018
make their decision? If you can live with
the answers, continue the process. If not,
they are disqualified.
Closing the Meeting or Closing
the File
The fulfillment step is where you deliver
that solution and secure your sale.
Fulfillment should just be a confirmation
of the agreements that have been made
along the way. At the end of your
presentation, you want to get a lot of
yesses, a few nos, and nothing in between—
no stalls, objections or think-it-overs. If
you do get something in between, you
probably didn’t build enough trust or
perform enough discovery earlier in the
sales process.
If you get a yes or a no, you can move
on to the post-sell step by setting up an
ideal client or referral relationship, and
also deal with any unresolved issues. If
you hang in there for a few more minutes,
a lot of potential problems can be avoided.
This will also separate you from traditional
salespeople and position you as being
that proverbial trusted advisor.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sandler Training
provides proven, effective sales, corporate
and management training to high-achieving
companies and individuals throughout
Tampa Bay. Call Jim Marshall or Clint
Babcock at (813) 287-1500.
A WINNING PROCESS
TO SUCCEED IN SALES
By Jim Marshall and Clint Babcock
Sandler Training
of Tampa Bay