1. 5
Strategic
Prospecting and
Preparing for
Sales Dialogue
2. Learning Objectives
5
Discuss why prospecting is an
L 1 important and challenging task for
salespeople.
Explain strategic prospecting and
L 2 each stage in the strategic
prospecting process.
Describe the major prospecting
L 3 methods and give examples of each
method.
3. Learning Objectives
5
Explain the important components
L 4 of a strategic prospecting plan.
Discuss the types of information
L 5 salespeople need to prepare for
sales dialogue.
4. Why Buyers Won’t See Salespeople
5
1. They may have never heard of the salesperson’s firm.
2. They may have just bought the salesperson’s product
category, and there is presently no need.
3. Buyers may have their own deadlines on other issues,
and they are not in a receptive mood to see
any salespeople.
4. Buyers are constantly getting calls from
salespeople and do not have the time to
see them all.
5. Gatekeepers in any organization screen
their bosses’ calls and sometimes are
curt and even rude.
5. The Importance and
Challenges of Prospecting 5
• Customer-bases are not permanent, salespeople may
lose customers due to:
– Low satisfaction
– Competition
– Economic fluctuation
– Other forms of attrition
• The prospecting process is can be long
– It may take weeks to replace a lost customer
with a new one
– Revenue streams can fluctuate if “pipeline” isn’t managed
• Prospecting isn’t easy and often includes a lot of
rejection
6. The Strategic Prospecting Process
5
A process designed to
identify, qualify, and
prioritize sales
opportunities, whether
they represent potential
new customers or
Sales
Funnel or opportunities to
Pipeline: generate additional
A
representation business from existing
of the trust-
based sales
customers.
process and
strategic sales
prospecting process.
7. Strategic Prospecting Process
5
Sales Leads or Suspects
• Generated from Internal or External Sources
• Lead Generation Methods Should be Managed
Qualifying Process
• Need?
• Financial Resources
• Authority to Make Purchase Decision
Sales Prospect
Ideal Customer • Prioritize Prospect List
Profile: • Initiate Pre-Call Planning
The characteristics
of a firm’s best
customers or the
perfect customer.
14. Customer-Focused
Sales Dialogue 5
Initiating Developing Enhancing
Customer Customer Customer
Relationships Relationships Relationships
Customer-Focused Sales Dialogue
Sales dialogue occurs
Sales Calls over time and includes
Follow-Up; sales calls and other
Need Sales forms of buyer-seller
Build More
Discovery Presentations communication.
Throughout Value
the process,
selling strategy
must focus on
customer needs
and how the
customer defines
value.
17. Components of a Written Proposal
5
• Executive Summary
• Customer Needs and
Proposed Solution
• Seller Profile
• Pricing and Sales Agreement
The quality
of a
• Suggested Action and Timetable
salesperson’s
written
document is a
surrogate for that
salesperson’s
competence and
ability.
18. Evaluating Sales Proposal
(Five Important Dimensions) 5
Reliability: reflects your (the seller’s) ability to identify creative,
dependable, and realistic solutions and strategies and match them
to the buyer’s needs and wants.
Assurance: builds the buyer’s trust and
confidence in your ability to deliver, implement,
produce, and/or provide benefits
Tangibles: enhance and support the
communication of your message and invite
readership by its overall appearance, content, and
organization.
Empathy: confirms your thorough understanding of the buyer’s
business and his or her specific needs and wants.
Responsiveness: developed in a timely manner and
demonstrates a willingness to provide solutions for the buyer’s needs
and wants and to help measure results.
19. Organized Sales Dialogues
5
• Several sales conversations over multiple encounters
– Sales calls (e.g., Need Discovery, Presentation of Solutions, Follow-Up)
– Other communication (phone, email, etc.)
• Conversations are
customized based on
each customer’s unique
characteristics (e.g., needs,
communication style, etc.)
• May include standardized
sales and marketing communication
materials (e.g., videos, brochures, etc.)
24. Customer Value Proposition
5
Customer Value Proposition: A statement of how the
sales offering will add value to the prospect’s business by
meeting a need or providing an opportunity.
25. Buying Motives
5
• Rational
Typically relate to the
economics of the situation,
including cost, profitability,
quality, services offered, and
the total value of the seller’s
offering as perceived by the
customer.
• Emotional
Includes motives such as security, status, and need to
be liked; sometimes difficult for salespeople to uncover
these motives.
26. Features and Benefits
5
• Feature
A quality or characteristic of a
product or service that is Fuel Efficient V-6 Engine
designed to provide value to
a buyer.
• Benefit
The added value or favorable
outcome derived from Higher miles per gallon
features of the product or reduces fuel costs.
service seller offers.
27. Engaging the Customer
5
Request an appointment
• Give the prospect a reason why an appointment
should be granted
• Request a specific amount of time
• Suggest a specific time for the
appointment
