THE BASIC TOOLS

Prospecting

This tool helps us identify who or what our target market is. Who should we approach with our product? Market segregation is easy because each market segment identifies itself. The medical segment has its hospitals and clinics, doctors and nurses, drugstores and medical offices. The academe has its bulk of educators from the highest officials down to the teaching line, and extending further down to the student populace. The business segment has its established organization, and the businesspeople in general are divided into varying income brackets, such as the ruling class, the lower-upper class, the upper-middle class, the middle-middle class, the lower-middle class, etc. So you see, the income ladder of possible clients can be conveniently identified. It is so easy to identify that Don So-and-so or Mr. So-and-so has this much money and that he can possibly be your client. but how do you get to know them in person? What are the various ways available in order for you to get to know them better? What is the next move?

Contact

It is the next most appropriate thing to do after market identification. Some people use the mail; some give out brochures; some utilize the telephone or the fax; some use the referral system. But there is no substitute for direct selling-face-to-face, so they say. Letters can be easily filed. The telephone can be easily put down. But your physical presence in your client's place is another thing. He cannot make you leave just like that. Always remember: THERE IS NO IMPACT WITHOUT CONTACT.

Urgency should always be observed amid these situations when your prospective client is definitely identified. You need to contact him. Consider the possibility that your client is already willing to buy your product NOW. TODAY. Imagine that he is holding in his hands the cash or the check to pay you and that he is only waiting for you to go to him. Countless cases of disappointment and frustration have occurred because the salesperson, after identifying his prospective client, took his own sweet time calling on him. What happens is that, when he calls on the client the following day, he finds an entire encyclopedia set sitting on his shelf. Another sales agent visited his prospect on the day he decided to postpone his visit.

The same case happened to a cellular-phone salesperson. Just because his prospective client was his next-door neighbor, he called off his appointment with him twice. Imagine his remonstration when he approached the said prospect. He told him that he bought two cell phones two days ago, on a cash basis to boot.

Sales champions do not sit or sleep on opportunities. When they have prospects, they rush to them immediately! If the client is a total stranger, one of the most effective ways is through referrals.

"My name's Jun Garing, Mr. Gerald Limsuan. You may not know me, sir, but we have a mutual friend, Mr. Pestaño."

"Ah, yes. Please come in, Mr. Garing. I haven't heard from him for sometime. How's Danny?"

See? You are a complete stranger, but he allowed you into his house. The next move will be yours. You need to be sensitive in order to do it right.

Qualification

Once inside the house of your client, it is easier for you to make an assessment. Through your conversation, you will know if he is qualified or not. He may belong to the middle-upper class income group, but his overhead expenses are significantly too much and almost nothing is left in his pocket. You know that he will not qualify. But you can devise a scheme for him so that he can qualify in a certain bracket. Do you agree?

While you are at it, take advantage of the situation. In the course of your conversation with him, get to know his friends. Who knows, they can be the next prospective clients for your product?

Presentation of Sales Demonstration

This follows after thoroughly qualifying your client. But how do you make your presentation? Make it simple. Make it brief and clear. It must also be responsive to your client's questions and line of interest. Satisfy his sense of sight through carefully chosen colorful brochures, photographs or other visual aids. Appeal to his sense of hearing. The tone of your voice should be light and easy on the ears. You do not need a beautiful voice, although sometimes it really helps. Any voice pitch will do as long as it is sincere and pleasant to hear.

According to Zig Ziglar, "No kind of technique [in selling] will work unless your clients know how much you care."

If your product comes with sound or music tracks, let him hear them. It is different if he actually listens to it. Let his own ears be the judge. Exploit his sense of touch. This is an effective part of a sales presentation. Let your client touch a sample or prototype of the product he is selling.

From here, you can feel and conclude where your client has a cooperative response. Then, give the response more emphasis until you close the sale. You need expertise on how to choose which of the three your client is most responsive to. From there, you can proceed and close the sale after that. That is, if no objection surfaces. If something comes up, handling it is the next thing worth your time, expertise and attention.