PLANNING THE SALES CALL IS A MUST!
• Strategic customer sales planning – the pre-approach
High performing salespeople can be strategic problem-solvers for their customers. Strategic refers to programs, goals, and problems of great importance to customers. Top salespeople who are effective strategic problem solvers have the skills and knowledge to be able to:
Uncover and understand the customer’s strategic needs by gaining an in-depth knowledge of the customer’s organisation.
Develop solutions that demonstrate a creative approach to addressing the customer’s strategic needs in the most efficient and effect manner possible.
Arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement.
Properly done by the salesperson, they create a strategic customer relationship or a formal relationship with the customer, the purpose of which is the joint pursuit of mutual goals. Strategic goals for a customer typically include reducing costs and / or increasing productivity, sales and profits.
1. Strategic needs
The salesperson that understands the full range of the customer’s needs is in a much better position to provide a product solution that helps the customer progress more efficiently and effectively toward achieving his or her organisation’s goal.
2. Creative solutions
The ability of a salesperson to tailor a “custom” solution for each customer is critical. The salesperson needs to use creative problem solving to identify the specific solution that meets each customer’s needs. Usually, the solution represents either one of two options:
A customised version or application of a product and / or service that efficiently addresses the customer’s specific strategic needs.
A mix of goods and services – including competitor’s products and services – that offers the best possible solution in light of the customer’s strategic need.
The better a salesperson is at creatively marshalling all available resources to address a customer’s