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Farmers most likely know little about the process for developing
selling opportunities. But, they do know quite a bit about the
process for developing (growing) crops. And, the lessons we
learn from the farmer can help us "grow" accounts.
Let's look at the farmer's growing
process.
First, the farmer must decide on
which crops to grow. He must take into consideration soil
conditions and weather patterns and then pick a crop that will
thrive in those conditions and for which there is a market
demand.
Next, he must prepare the soil.
Without tilling, aerating, and applying the necessary nutrients
to the soil, both the quality of the crop and the yield will
suffer.
After sowing the seed, the farmer
must tend to the growing crop -- irrigating and fertilizing the
field and spraying appropriate insecticides when necessary.
If the farmer conscientiously tends
to his crop, it will mature and eventually be ready for
harvesting. The farmer must remain diligent to the very end
because timing of the harvest is crucial. Harvested too soon and
the crop is undesirable. Harvested too late and it is unusable.
Let's recap the farmer's five-step
process for a successful harvest:
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Planning
-
Preparing
-
Planting
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Tending
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Harvesting
If the farmer omits any step, he
eliminates the possibility of a successful harvest. If he skimps
on any step, he significantly diminishes the chance of a
successful harvest. The farmer knows that without total
commitment to the process, there's no sense in even starting it.
So, what does all of this have to do
with selling? Everything! Selling follows essentially the same
process.
Planning:
Salespeople must decide where and with whom they will invest
their efforts. They must identify the markets and territories
where market penetration, market maturity, and their competitive
position give them the best chances for success.
Preparing:
Salespeople must develop and refine their marketing and
prospecting messages to clearly differentiate their product and
company from the competition. And, they must practice so they
can deliver the message succinctly and effectively.
Planting:
Salespeople must take action and get their message out --
prospecting, marketing, networking -- and schedule appointments.
Tending:
Salespeople must weed out uncommitted prospects early in the
process and move committed prospects along a predetermined path
toward a close.
Harvesting:
Salespeople must be able to effectively deliver relevant
presentations at the appropriate time and obtain buying
decisions.
And, like the farmer, the
salesperson must remain diligent to the very end of the process.
If the salesperson attempts to take shortcuts by omitting steps,
the process is doomed. If the salesperson skimps on a step,
either moving too quickly or allowing the process to drag on,
the likelihood of "harvesting" a sale is diminished.
Whether you're harvesting crops or
harvesting sales, the process is the same. And, the requirements
for success are the same -- total commitment to the process,
discipline, and diligence.
© Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
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