Lead Generation in Vancouver

10½ Step Process

I am starting to come around to the opinion that there is a phobia for people who are scared of Sales.

If Agoraphobia is the fear of leaving a safe place, hence being afraid of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets; and Acrophobia is the fear of heights; Arachnophobia, fear of spiders – what is the word for people who are terrified of Sales?

It could be Atychiphobia. Which is the fear of Failure. I understand this particular phobia stretches far beyond the fear of having to get out there and drum up sales; but, there could be some legitimacy in it. It;s like cigarette smoking is actually the ‘lack of creative inspiration’.

Today’s Sales Gurus tell us, “cold calling is dead” and/or “a waste of time”; they go on about how networking and referrals are the only way to go. Well, Word of Mouth isn’t dead. It is still the best form of advertising – it is very much alive! It can’t be run out of town because it still works.

Cold calling has always been tough. The Sales Process of old needed to have cold calling at the heart of its process, but today we have computers and internet that does all the heavy lifting. But that isn`t to say Cold Calling is dead or not required. It has simply morphed into something different.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to never make another cold call, and just have referrals pour onto my lap with oodles and oodles of Purchase Orders – then I wake up and realize – one only reaches that level after years of hard work, and probably thousands of combined cold calls.

I think of cold calling as a necessary process of research which is made at the very outset of the Sales ladder. In fact, cold calling and sales are two separate phases.

Cold calling is our way of phishing for information. It helps us determine if there is a need.

Once qualified as a bonafied lead, it is sent to our Appointment Setters who then drill down further and extract the name of the decision maker (if it hasn’t been already), and book a time to get in for the first meeting.

That`s when the Selling phase begins.

{ This is Déjà vu all over again }

It’s not about selling, it’s about creating an environment where the prospect discovers they need to purchase your solution for their problem.

It really depends on how it is broken down, and engineered, or should I say reverse engineered. Each step should be taken with meticulous care and scrutiny, and with laser beam precision.

10½ Step Process

1. Getting the sale / winning the contract / acquiring a new client
2. Closing the sale
3. Tabling the Final Quote
4. Convert to Opportunity – prepare the Quote
5. Confirming the proposed solution is what decision maker needs
6. Finding a solution that solves their problem
7. Uncovering what their problem is
8. Meeting with the decision maker
9. Convert Prospect to a Lead – book appointment with decision maker
10. Finding and qualifying a Prospect    

   10½ Sifting through all the raw data / information

Follow us as we delve a little deeper in each of these 10½ steps.

Call 604.636.1854 to set up a time to chat about developing a custom Prospecting Program for your business, or Click here to book a Brainstorm.