How To Structure A Sales Call

culled from:nationalsalescenter.com

Are Your Sales Calls “Scattered”?
Structure Of A Sales Call


I’m sure you heard or read many times about a salesperson’s responsibility to “control” a sales call. I don’t like the word “control” because in reality, the prospect greatly influences what is discussed. Instead of “control”, the salesperson should “structure” the sales call so that the flow of information is precise. The structure is not controlling what is discussed… only how and when it’s discussed.

I’ve witnessed too many salespeople hop around different topics during a sales appointment. They may ask a question, then discuss their product and then ask another question. These sales calls are scattered. They lack structure and more often than not, result in failure.

Sales Call Structure

Prospects don’t structure their role in a sales call. They start asking questions and those questions often take the salesperson off track and in different directions. It is important for the salesperson to always get back on track and adhere to the structure of the sales call. That’s why sales call structure is so very important.

Before every sales call, it is important for the salesperson to visualize what will happen during the appointment. The salesperson needs a strategy to move from point “A” to point “B”. Failure to develop that strategy will allow the call to take many twists and turns.

How To Structure A Sales Call

Salespeople need to have an objective for every appointment. The objective defines the purpose of the sales call. Sales reps need to clearly understand what they need to accomplish during the call. They also need a plan to insure the objective is, in fact, accomplished. I’m often reminding sales reps that the call isn’t over until the objective is realized. If you don’t have an objective, the call could go on forever! See all you gain from powerful sales training? Learning how to structure a sales call is about having an objective for every appointment and a solid plan to achieve that objective.

The only way for a salesperson to stay on track is to structure the sales call according to the steps in the Sales Process. The Sales Process consists of a series of steps that must be followed in exact order. You can’t proceed to the next step in the process until the present step is successfully completed.

Ways To Structure A Sales Call

By following the Sales Process you avoid jumping around different topics during sales appointments. When you follow the Sales Process you bring structure to the appointment and a strategy to achieve your objective. That’s how the top pros operate and the reason they get more than their fair share of all commissions. The pros know how to structure a sales call because they are masters at implementing the sales process. They use top level sales techniques to get more business. For example, knowing how to trial close is just as important as knowing when to close.