13 Steps - How to Master a Sales Call
Learn how to turn leads into high-converting sales using my easy 13 step process.
The first thing I want to start off with is that you don't DO sales to anyone. You don't do it TO anyone.
You do it FOR people. You sell to help others.
When I teach about sales, or creating a new online offer, I ALWAYS refer to the Client Bridge Methodology.
On the left hand side you have the client. Imagine them as being in a golden cage. The door to the cage is a little bit ajar, because they have booked that meeting with you. But they don’t yet dare to take the steps towards their ultimate goal.
The ultimate goal being illustrated by the sun.
That’s where they want to be.
The sun represents their desired future state.
During the sales discussion, your one and only job is to figure out whether your service is the bridge, the solution, that will lead them safe and sound towards the sun. Towards their goal. Their desires.
During the discussion, you also need to figure out about the person’s golden bars and the hurdles that keep them inside the cage. Only then will you be able to address it.
But holding a highly converting sales discussion is a skill. Something you need to learn. And if you don’t know what a successful sales discussion should entail - it is really hard to study and learn it.
So guess what, this is your LUCKY DAY!
Below you will find the Ultimate Sales Script to follow so you don’t miss any important steps:
1. Introduction
Take the time to get to know each other, without spending 30 minutes on it. People buy from people, and they have booked the sales call with YOU. They want to work with you.
If they are currently in the car, or in a shopping mall, then try to reschedule the meeting.
There is a higher probability that you won’t close the sales if they are not at home focusing on the discussion.
2. Set the Agenda
You are the specialist, they come to you for advice. Show it by taking the lead in the discussion - without being a military person. Make it clear that it is a sales meeting, and that you’re having this to figure out whether your service can help them achieve their goals.
Make sure you follow a structured approach (like the one that is outlined here) so that you don’t miss any important information.
3. Background Information & Current Situation
Ask them about their current situation that is in relation to the service that you’re offering.
Health Coach: How often do you exercise per week?
Sales Coach: How many sales discussions do you have per week?
Language Coach: How would you describe your French speaking skills?
Business Mentor: How many clients do you have currently? What do you offer? For how long have you been in business?
Selling Environmental Cloth Diapers: How old are your children? How far are you in your pregnancy?
A Life Coach: Tell me about a regular day in your life.
4. Where do they want to be? What is their dream goal?
As an example, if they say they want a yellow bike, you’re not going to sell them a Ferrari.
It’s often also rather connected to feelings:
“I want to stop worrying or thinking about money.”
“I want to be able to order in a French restaurant, in Paris, in French during our honeymoon.”
“I just want to figure out my purpose in life.”
5. So, when they have reached that goal, what else will be possible?
Ask them questions that will trigger their imagination. Things they might never have thought about before. Things they might have been afraid of saying out loud to someone else before.
6. What happens if they don’t fix it?
Here you want to figure out the cost for them. What happens if they DON’T fix the problem, what is the consequence.
And not only the financial cost, but also the emotional cost.
Who else would benefit from them solving the problem?
Potential client: Senior Executive who is extremely unhappy at work
Where they want to be: Happy, free, be able to be in control over my day and my tasks, be empowered to do a work that I love, be appreciated for what I do, wake up every morning with a smile on my face …
What else will be possible: I will feel and be more successful, I will earn money doing something that I love doing
What happens if they don’t fix it: My marriage might be finished, because I come home every day from work yelling at my spouse and kids…
What is the cost for that?: Oh my god, I don’t even want to think about it. I need to solve this…
7. What have they tried already?
You want to figure out whether they have worked with someone already, and as they are now talking to you, it probably didn’t work out.
This question will also help you to phrase your offering, pointing out the differences between what they have tried already, and what it is that you’re offering.
Their state in mind is most likely “why should it work this time, when it didn’t before”.
You can also ask them why they think it didn’t work before.
If their answer to this question is that they haven’t tried anything yet, you should also follow up on why they haven’t done that, and what they THINK they need to solve their problem.
What they THINK they need is however not necessarily what they truly need to solve the issue. But that’s where YOU come in. You are the specialist.
8. Can’t they do this on their own?
You need to get them to understand that your offer will take them to their goals faster, which will save them both time and money.
9. Why now?
Why do they want to solve this now, and why did they book the meeting with you?
This is to figure out their urgency. Are they ready to start working with you?
Here you can tie it back to what they told you about themselves, about their current situation.
10. Your Offer - The pitch
By going through the above questions, you now have a lot of information about your prospect. However, you might not yet have come to the core of their potential objections.
You have addressed the potential pricing objection with your question of what it might cost them if they don’t solve this now - so it would be wise to repeat what they WILL achieve when they work with you.
Your offer, also known as The Pitch can be divided in to three different sections A - C:
A - The Promise
Start by repeating the promise - it needs to fit what they said that their sun was:
By working with me you will be able to order your food in French on your Honeymoon
By working with me you will figure out your purpose in life
By working with me you will close those 40 sales that you want until the year end
B - The Bridge
And then you explain your services and the solution to their problem (the Bridge).
Avoid going in to bits and pieces and details e.g. we have 3 meetings / week, and 157 templates…
But rather focus on three to four main steps or categories e.g. Weekly Strategy & Mindset Calls, Weekly Cohort Teachings, and quarterly workshops, and what we do differently compared to all the other Business Mentors is that we have individual coaching and accountability sessions too. The program is designed to address everything you need to build and scale your business. You won’t need any other program or a separate Life Coach. It’s an all in one program.
C - The Delivery
Again you don’t go in to the details, but you could for example say that “we have meetings on Tuesdays and Thursday, you will also get Templates so you don’t need to reinvent the wheel” , however it is important that you address what your prospects “think” they need.
For example, if you’re a health coach, and their desire is to lose 10 kilos within 6 months you would tell them about the plan to get them to that goal.
You KNOW that the clients will get so much more out of working with you, but they currently don’t even know that they want or need that.
Also pick up on the things that they mentioned in question 8) above, why they said that they think they didn’t achieve the results they wanted in a prior program.
11. Ask whether they see how your service could be the solution to their problem?
If their answer is “Yes, definitely!” Then you move on to the next question.
If their answer is “Hmmm… I’m still not certain…” or “No, not really…” - you need to ask them directly what it is that’s still missing, what it is that’s holding them back. And then you need to follow up on that.
12. The Commitment
By going through a structured process you have been able to remove obstacles and make them become certain that your service will take them to their goal.
By being real, you have also added on to the Know, Like & Trust factors. This is where you repeat the pricing. They have probably already asked you how much it is and here’s how you do it.
You: “Your investment is only X / month or X if you want to pay it all in full.”
PAUSE
Let them process the investment. You don’t start talking until they have done that.
Here’s where they might come with the price objection, spouse or boss objection.
“I understand that, but, if that wouldn’t stand in your way. Do YOU see how this could solve your problem?”
Their reply: “YES”
“Okay, good, so let’s figure out whether there is a way to solve that.” (that does not mean that you will give them a discount on your services).
Their reply: “NO”
“Okay, so what is missing? Maybe I didn't cover that in our discussion. So in your view, what is missing?”
The boss and the spouse objection might mean that you had a meeting with someone who is not the one who makes the buying decision. In these instances you suggest that you hold a meeting with the three of you to clarify any open questions.
The spouse and the money objection might also be a timing objection. They might not be ready for it, and need some additional time to process it.
If they are certain that this is what they want and need, they will find the money to do it, and they will tell their spouse that this is what they need.
So when this occurs, get a new meeting with them. And there are two reasons for that;
You already have a follow-up meeting booked with them, so that you don’t forget about the lead
You will be on the top of their mind too, even if a new solution would present itself in the meantime.
13. Next Steps
The last thing you do in the process, once they’ve agreed to be working with you is to inform them about the next steps, and what happens once they have signed the contract and paid the first bill.
Congratulations!
You just sold your services and will help someone to achieve their goals!
If YOU are ready to take your business to the next level, to increase your sales, gain more clients and implement a scalable business model, the Designed To Sell program might be the solution that you’re looking for.
Send me an email today and let’s see what steps we can take next!
