The Sales Sandwich and how it helps you get more business!
How to plan your sales approach is not strictly an international business topic, but it is even more relevant there than in national sales! The secret I believe to any sale, especially in a complex one like selling business to business (B2B) services, is the following formula:
First layer of the sandwich
This is your preparation. Use your left brain – the analytical and logical side. Be clear about who you want to have a sales call or meeting with, what the message will be to them. Plan what you will ask them, what you will say and what you want as a result of the call or meeting. Be very structured in who your prospect is (function in the business, location, industry, size of the business etc) and find out where they are and where they get their information from.
(image by gt_pann)
The filling
The sandwich filling is the actual meeting or phone call. Use your right brain – the intuitive, creative, empathetic side. Don't just talk your prospect into submission, ask them lots of questions. Find out about them, what is important in making the buying decision, what their time line is for a decision etc. Use your gut feel to see how the prospect is reacting to you and what is being discussed. If you feel that they are not with you, try subtly asking what doubts they may have. It is important in this part to be pro active and on the ball, but not pushy! It is all about making a connection and having a pleasant conversation rather than being forced to buy. Especially in a cross cultural environment you will need to be even more aware of possible differences between the buyer and seller and in their decision making process!
The outer layer
Lastly there is the close. Here we revert back to the left brain. Be methodical and persistent in your follow up. Agree with the prospect when you should revert to them. Continue to be polite and pleasant, but make sure that in the end you come to a decision. Especially those who are not in a full time sales role but have it as part of their remit are often afraid of being seen as too pushy and therefore don't ask for a yes or no. Don't be disheartened if it takes a long time and if many of your calls and e-mails are not returned. The decision to buy or not to buy probably does not matter as much to the prospect as it does to you. So stay on the ball.
With this recipe you should be able to improve your sales. Good luck and let me know if it works for you!
