The Sales Process
By Wendy Connick, About.com Guide
Prospecting and Lead Generation
Finding leads is the basic building block of sales. After all, if you can't find anyone to sell to, you're not going to make many sales! Old sources will frequently dry up temporarily or even permanently, so it helps to have at least two or three major lead sources.
- 5 Steps to Identify Qualified Leads
- How to Generate More Leads and Find Customers
- Get Free Sales Leads from Chambers of Commerce
- Lead Management Basics
Setting Appointments
Once you've got your lead list in hand, you need to get in touch with those people and make appointments. Many salespeople prefer to cold call over the phone, but you can also call in person, send email or even mail out sales letters.
- How to Cold Call
- 8 Tips for Productive Sales Calls
- How to Keep Your Email Campaign Out of Your Prospect's Spam Folder
- How to Write and Use an Opener
Qualifying Prospects and Making Presentations
The qualification stage usually takes place at the appointment itself, although you can also qualify briefly during your initial contact. The idea is to confirm that your prospect is both able and potentially willing to buy your product. Once you've qualified them, it's time to make your pitch. Keep in mind that you're not just selling your product... you are also selling yourself!