What is active selling? How to organize active sales

From this article you will learn:

• What are active sales and in what cases are they used?
• What are the main stages of active sales?
• How to properly use active listening techniques
• How to deal with rejections in the active sales process
• What typical mistakes do managers make in active sales and how to deal with them

The goal of any business, be it selling toys or large equipment, is to make a profit. To achieve this, various tools are used to promote products on the market, expand the circle of consumers and, ultimately, gain a leading position in their segment. One of them is the technique of active sales. The essence of this tool is the seller’s ability to convince the buyer of the need to purchase a product that can satisfy his needs. Managers, sales representatives and sales consultants must be proficient in the technique of increasing sales.

Who needs active sales techniques and when?

Active sales– this is a type of interaction between a seller and a buyer, in which the initiative comes from the one who needs to sell their goods or services. The peculiarity of this technique is that the consumer may not know about the existence of this product.
A distinctive feature of the active sales technique is that the client did not plan the acquisition, but was convinced of its necessity during communication with the manager. At the same time, in many cases the seller is faced with the task of not only direct sales, but also an independent search for buyers.
The most developed area of ​​application of active sales techniques is the b2b (“business-to-business”) segment. This is where it gives the best results at the lowest cost. When selling products or services to corporate partners, it is much more effective and cheaper to offer them directly using this technique than to use mass advertising.
A very important feature of active sales– the client lacks an urgent need to purchase. When it exists, he himself searches for a product or service. Using this technique, either the promotion of new products unknown to the consumer, or the sale of goods and services in conditions of fierce competition occurs. How to find out the client's hidden needs? Find out in the training program
The scope of application of active sales techniques is extremely wide. However, its use is not always justified. If we are talking about the sale of consumer goods to individuals (the so-called FMCG), it is more advisable to act differently. A retail outlet with constant traffic and competent marketing will bring higher profits than using active sales techniques. Conversely, if you need to promote a specific product in which a narrow circle of consumers is interested, it is more profitable to call several large potential buyers than to invest in advertising.
As already mentioned, the active sales technique has become most widespread in the b2b segment:

• Sales representatives. Their job is to promote the product by offering it directly to retailers. While visiting stores and trading companies, managers enter into long-term cooperation agreements. The technique of active sales is presented here in direct communication between the merchant and the buyer. This is a fairly developed market segment with a large number of people involved in it. Competition in this area is quite high, not only between different sellers of similar goods, but also between agents of the same company.
• Telemarketing for small and medium businesses. The technique of active sales through telephone calls is very widespread. This is how various services and some types of goods are sold. Telemarketers, in the process of communicating with a client, lead him to the need to purchase a particular product.
• Sales of expensive business equipment. Trading specific goods requires lengthy, multi-stage preparation, starting with a call to a potential buyer and ending with the signing of multimillion-dollar contracts. Compliance with active sales techniques is necessary at every stage.
• Sales of goods to other countries and cities. Promoting products to remote consumers through negotiations by phone or email.

For the b2c (“business client”) segment the use of active sales techniques is also possible. Its use is especially justified at the stage of promoting a new product. However, some companies have made active sales techniques the basis of their existence. This is well-known network marketing, when consumer goods are offered directly to an individual, bypassing retail trade.

Types of active sales to individuals:

• Telephone sales. This type of trade is widely used in the sale of a variety of goods and especially services (Internet providers, cable television, kitchen appliances, maintenance of plastic windows, etc.).
• Internet sales. The network provides unlimited opportunities for promoting products using active sales techniques.
• Door to door tour. This method is gradually becoming a thing of the past due to its low efficiency.
• Various promotional events. Active sales on the streets or in shopping centers using various methods of attracting customer attention, for example, sound amplification equipment.
• Vendors in public transport. Traders offering small goods to commuter train and metro passengers. They can rightfully be considered the pioneers of active sales techniques.

Learn: How to properly clarify customer objections. Find out in the training program

Active sales technique: pros and cons

Positive factors of active sales:

• Creation of a consumer base for the purpose of stable sales of goods.
• The buyer can become a regular customer thanks to the efforts of the seller.
• Constant contact with the consumer.
• Possibility of increasing sales due to the use of active sales techniques.
• The buyer’s need to purchase a product arises as a result of the manager’s influence.
• The ability of the seller to use his personal qualities to achieve the goal.

Negative factors of active sales:

• A manager's salary is directly dependent on sales growth.
• Communication with a large number of potential consumers.
• High demands on the personal qualities of specialists.
• The need to train staff in active sales techniques.
• Improving standards of communication with prospective buyers.
• Monitoring staff compliance with requirements.

What is the technique of active sales: the main stages

• Stage 1. Establishing contact.

Successful completion of this task largely determines whether communication will take place. Therefore, in the technique of active sales, special attention is paid to this stage.
Famous rule of three pluses will help in establishing a friendly atmosphere. By arousing positive emotions in a stranger three times, you will set him up for a positive attitude towards yourself. Naturally, depending on which version of active sales is used, the methods of forming a favorable impression will be different.


In personal communication, a presentable appearance, a smile, and a compliment to the future client are of great importance. If you communicate via telephone, the main role is played by a pleasant voice, a friendly tone and courtesy when speaking. For active sales via the Internet, the decisive factor can be a technically competent website design and a detailed description of the product.
Once you have established contact with your intended customer, you should find out whether he or she needs your product. The active sales technique does not imply a negative answer to this question.

• Stage 2. Identifying needs.

This stage sets the manager the task of leading the buyer to the idea that he urgently needs the product or service you offer. This is one of the key points of the active sales technique.
The main problem of many sellers consists of premature presentation of the product. In an effort to capture the client's attention, managers give out a large amount of information, praising the merits of the product. This is what they consider the main thing in the technique of active sales. However, without preliminary preparation of the listener, such eloquence often goes in vain. The client can interrupt the conversation by refusing further communication. To avoid this mistake, do not skip the stage of identifying needs. As a result of using active sales techniques, the potential client should have the impression that he himself made the decision to purchase the product.
The most effective way to lead a person to the idea of ​​buying your product is the ability to ask. This is the basis of the active sales technique. With a competent approach and skillful formulation of questions, a person has no choice but to answer them. The more the customer talks, the more chances you have to sell him your product..
By asking questions in a certain sequence and responding correctly to the answers ( active listening), you will ensure that the buyer himself talks about his needs. All you have to do is skillfully present your product as the only possible means of satisfying them. In this case, the active sales technique will fulfill its function.

• Stage 3. Product presentation.

By identifying your buyer's needs, you've prepared them to learn about the benefits of your product. At this stage, you simply repeat the thought that is valuable to the client, and finally convince him of the need to complete the transaction. The active sales technique involves product presentation. The product should be presented depending on its specifics, using all types of listener attention and using various psychological techniques. The purpose of the presentation is to clearly demonstrate the advantages of the product.
An obligatory point should be an indication of the benefits that the buyer will receive by purchasing your product. For this purpose, professionals use the client’s own statements obtained at the stage of identifying needs. It is the individual approach that appeals to all people that is one of the distinctive features of the active sales technique.
The presentation should not be too long so as not to tire the client. 5-7 sentences are enough to characterize the product and prove the need for its purchase. Specialists in active sales techniques do this masterfully.
At the presentation stage, it is imperative to tell the client colorful stories about third parties. Their content should clearly demonstrate the benefits that consumers received as a result of purchasing your products. The active sales technique takes into account that people are always focused on others, which means that such stories motivate them to buy your product. In addition, few people like to be a pioneer, and stories about the successful use of a product or service by third parties reassure and motivate them to complete a transaction.
Even the most successful presentation does not guarantee that the consumer will not have questions and objections regarding the purchase of a particular product. Therefore, it is worth being prepared for the next stage of sales increasing techniques.

• Stage 4. Working with objections.

The client can express his doubts throughout the conversation. Knowledge of active sales techniques allows a manager to tactfully suppress objections, reduce their number, overcome the buyer’s resistance and, as a result, lead him to completing a transaction.
There will definitely be objections. Consumer protest to a purchase offer is an indispensable element of active sales. It is human nature to have a positive attitude towards one’s own decisions and resist if they are imposed from the outside. The manager’s task is to use this technique to convince the buyer that his opinion is very valuable to you. No matter what the client says, we agree with him. In this way, you make the person feel his independence and the right to make independent decisions. This is one of the key points of the active sales technique.
However, when agreeing with the buyer’s objections, you must present your own counter-arguments that will convincingly prove to the consumer the need for the purchase.
After you have dealt with the client's resistance, the final moment of active selling comes.

• Stage 5. Completion of the transaction.

The logical result of using the technique to increase sales is the fact of purchasing the product.
You prepared the client, talked about the advantages of the product, and countered his objections. There comes a moment when it becomes clear that stop presenting, it's time to finish. There should be a direct offer to buy the product.
The active sales technique involves several options for obtaining consent to complete a transaction. For example, you make a short summary of what was said. It is worth drawing the buyer’s attention to the advantages of the product that he noted for himself and voiced in the conversation. Once again, in accordance with the technique of active sales, by reminding him of the benefits that this product will bring him, you will thereby push the client to the idea of ​​​​purchasing.
After this, the transaction is completed.

What is the technique of active sales of PPP

When training managers, a scheme is used PPP (Attract attention, Interest, Sell). Let's look at each of the stages:

1. Attract attention.

The difficulty of the active sales technique for beginners is that the product should be sold to a person who is not in the mood for a purchase. The main task at the first stage is the need to interest the client, to achieve his favor in order to be able to present your product. This is the skill of a manager in active sales techniques.
Phrases to grab attention are well-formulated questions. The technique of compiling them is not as complicated as it seems. Your interlocutor's answers to them should only be positive. For example, “Do you want to spend less on cellular service while getting more features?” or “Do you want to look good without putting in much effort?” There can be many similar questions, the main thing is that they already arouse the interest of your client at the stage of attracting attention.
There are often cases when the buyer may respond that he is not interested. A manager who masters active sales techniques must be prepared for such developments. A big mistake would be to immediately agree and interrupt the conversation. This way you won’t give yourself any chance to make a sale, or your client to make a profitable purchase.
How to properly respond to refusal to communicate? Active sales involve showing interest in the client’s problems and helping to solve them.
First, it's worth understanding what not to do. If the person is not in the mood to listen to you, do not start the presentation under any circumstances. This is contrary to the technique of active sales. You'll be wasting your time. It would also be a mistake to try to attract attention by promising discounts or special terms of service.
In case of a negative response from the client you need to find out the reason why he refuses to listen to you. Tactful questions will help you get a person to talk and identify his needs and objections. The ability to fend them off is part of the knowledge of active sales techniques.

1. Interest.

So, you managed to attract attention and motivate the person to continue communicating with you. Next, you need to achieve an increase in interest in your offer to such an extent that the client has a desire to purchase the product or service. This is also a required skill when using active selling techniques. To interest the client, you do not need to talk about all the properties and benefits of the product. It is enough to state the minimum required to complete the transaction. How to define it? Listening to the answers to your questions, highlighting the main thing and analyzing, you must find out the person’s needs and, depending on them, present the product, placing maximum emphasis on the fact that with its help the buyer will be able to solve their own problems. The main thing is that the presentation takes place in the form of a dialogue, with the direct participation of the client. Interaction, not monologue, is the main principle of active sales techniques.

1. Sell.

Many will say that there is nothing to describe at this point: he took money from the buyer, gave the goods and wished him good luck. Keep in mind, if you do this, you will lose the client once and for all! Having achieved your goal, in no case should you immediately lose all interest in the buyer. If you want to acquire a permanent customer, the act of active selling must be completed differently.
Having received the money and Having given the goods, we will thank him for choosing the company and leave our contact phone number. An invitation to apply yourself, as well as a request to recommend your services to friends and relatives, will allow you to continue mutually beneficial communication in the future. This will expand your ability to use active sales techniques.
If possible, take the client’s contact phone number and clarify what other products you offer may interest him. The technique of active sales should work for the future. Ask permission to call or send messages from time to time about new products or ongoing promotions.
With this approach, you will not only receive a one-time profit from your customers, but will also form your own customer base. Remember that people tend to trust the opinions of friends when choosing goods and services. Therefore, it is likely that the new consumer will recommend their loved ones to purchase your product, which will increase the number of customers and be an excellent result of the sales increase technique.

AIDA active sales technique: how to profitably use the power of persuasion

Another frequently used scheme is AIDA. This model is based on two main principles: the power of persuasion and identifying real or predicted problems for a potential client.
In this technique The main role is given to the sales manager, in particular his ability to motivate the buyer to purchase.
The areas of application of this model are unlimited. Knowing its basics and knowing how to use it will make it possible to complete almost any transaction. All AIDA sales techniques are based on:

1. Attracting the client's attention.
2. Awakening his interest.
3. Stimulating desire.
4. Incitement to action.

All these stages are already reflected in the abbreviation AIDA :

• Attention- attract attention. In the active sales technique, it is the first phrase that should arouse curiosity and help start communication with a person who is not focused on buying.
• Interest- awaken interest. To do this, the technique of increasing sales involves matching the buyer's needs with the opportunities that the product provides.
• Desire- ignite desire. Make it clear how your quality of life will change after purchasing the product.
• Action- encourage action. Transfer the issue from a theoretical discussion to a real one. Discuss the terms of further cooperation.

AIDA is an active sales technique that requires the manager to have the ability to persuade, because this is what determines whether a potential buyer will become real.

An effective technique for active sales by phone: the cold calling method

This method is most common in large companies that sell expensive products in large volumes. When dialing the number of a potential buyer, an active sales manager must be determined to achieve results, despite the possible refusal to communicate. Using this technique, in the first few phrases you should do everything possible to interest the interlocutor and get a chance to present your product. This requires patience, a focus on a positive outcome of the conversation, and excellent command of active sales techniques.
The specialist should be guided by the following principle: more sales will not come from more calls. The best result will come from 10 calls brought to their logical conclusion than 200 made in vain. Proper application of active sales techniques will help lead every conversation to success.
Basic rules of cold calling:

• Before you pick up the phone, find out who you are calling. By addressing your interlocutor by name, you already endear the potential client to you. This way you let the person know that your offer has been prepared directly for him. This is the basis of the active sales technique.
• Find out what the company or person you are offering something to does. It is bad form to call with an invitation to buy products that are of no interest to the client. Of course, such a mistake cannot be completely avoided, but if we are not talking about consumer goods, but about expensive products, you should exercise caution.
• So that they want to listen to you , come up with a reason for calling that is relevant to the interlocutor. For example, you read an article about a company in a magazine and want to make a profitable offer that will help the company reach a new level of development. Of course, the information must be reliable, otherwise the interlocutor will not trust you.
• The best reason to call would be something that relates personally to the person you are interested in meeting. For example, the head of the company to which you want to offer cooperation expressed his opinion on some issue in a television show. After complimenting his directness, he will almost certainly agree to meet with you. You can refer to the exchange of business cards at some public event - a specialized exhibition of technology, etc.
• One nuance - don't offer anything during the call. The task of selling something on the first call is not worth it. The minimum goal is to schedule an appointment. It is easy to achieve using active sales techniques.
• Everyone is afraid of the standard question: “For what reason do you want to meet?” If your communication has gone in the right direction, it will not sound. When using the active sales technique correctly, the entire first conversation should be aimed at intriguing the interlocutor. Make it clear that serious negotiations are not conducted over the phone. It is worth making every effort to ensure that the meeting takes place. With personal communication, you will have more opportunities for active sales.
• If you still hear this question, forget the rules.. You missed the chance to present an offer during a direct meeting, so it’s worth making one last attempt so as not to lose a future client. If you managed to interest your interlocutor in some way, the likelihood of concluding a deal is still quite high. The rule of the active sales technique is not to give up after the first failure.

Be honest about why you are calling and insist that you are confident in the value you can bring. Specify exactly the duration of the product presentation. This will make it clear that you value your interlocutor’s time and are not going to waste it. If you made an overall favorable impression and there was a compelling reason for calling, you will most likely be given the opportunity to explain the benefits of your proposal in person. In this case, you should carefully prepare for it using sales enhancement techniques.

Active sales technique: how to ask the right questions

1. Closed questions.

These include formulations for which there are only two answer options - “yes” and “no”. In the technique of active sales, they play a certain role.
Purpose of a closed question:

• Get consent.
• Obtain confirmation of agreements or assumptions.
• Clarify information.
• Record something.
• End the conversation.

Errors:

• Use only closed questions.
• Ask them at the beginning of the sale.
• Formulate closed questions to which you can get an unnecessary “no.”
• Ask several closed questions in a row. Such communication is more like an interrogation and is unacceptable in the active sales technique.

How to ask correctly
Interrogative intonation allows you to turn any narrative sentence into a closed question. This is a matter of technology.

1. Open questions.

They involve receiving a broad, detailed answer. In the active sales technique, their use is mandatory.
Purpose of an open question:

• Talk to the client.
• Get general information.
• Understand what is behind the client's statements.
• Get a pause to think.

Errors:

• Use at the end of a conversation.
• Ask open-ended questions on abstract topics.

How to ask correctly
Start with interrogative pronouns: what? When? For what? and so on. These types of questions are very important to learn to ask if you want to use active selling techniques.

1. Alternative questions.

The answer is chosen by the interlocutor from two or more options proposed by you.
Purpose of the alternative question:

• Direct the client's thinking to choose alternatives.
• Understand the buyer's areas of interest.
• Provide choices.

Errors:

• Include in the question as one of the alternatives something that is not profitable for us.

How to ask correctly
Offer two or more alternatives and formulate a question, giving the opportunity to choose between them, using the conjunction “or”.

• What are active and direct sales?
• Types of active sales
• Active sales managers
• How to organize active sales in a company

Active sales in the minds of inexperienced managers are associated with the banal “selling” of goods. This stereotype can and should be destroyed, because a properly built active sales system is aimed at attracting, and not scaring away, the client, unobtrusively pushing them to contact you.

What are direct and active sales?

Direct selling is a broad term. It involves both passive and active types of work with clients, but what they have in common is the interaction of the manufacturer with the end consumer directly, excluding intermediaries. In case of direct sales, the creation of a dealer network is not required. The manufacturer's marketing policy is aimed at independently searching for the final buyer. In this case, the technique of active sales by the manufacturer’s employees will be carried out using methods such as cold calls, direct meetings with potential clients, trips to the regions to find new clients, exhibitions, etc.

You've spent a lot of time, money and energy on a potential client, only to hear in response: “I need to think about it.” What to do? Perhaps you need to start with what not to do.

We have selected 8 ways to deal with objections and increase company sales. You will also find a checklist for checking actions.

Active sales is a technology used by the marketing service of a manufacturer of goods or services to widely attract new corporate clients. There are positive aspects to active direct selling. For example, advertising costs are minimal, because Instead of an extensive advertising campaign, a presentation of a product or service by manufacturer representatives is used. In certain cases, direct communication with a potential buyer is more effective, because then there is the possibility of direct communication between the manager and the client.

• How to organize sales while minimizing the human factor
l>

Types of active sales

Each sales technique is designed for a specific type of client and is applicable for a specific type of product and service. Therefore, the classification of active sales is based on these two definitions:

1. By type of product sold:

• daily consumption goods (“fast movers”, FMCG);
• expensive and high-tech goods;
• provision of intangible services;
• wholesale supplies of raw materials for production;
• VIP – goods and services.

2. By type of end user (or by business model):

• B2B (“business to business”) – legal entities sell to legal entities;
• B2C (“business to client”) – sales to private consumers;
• C2C – electronic trading between end consumers;
• B2G and G2B – in this scheme, one of the objects is the state, so sales are regulated by law.

The ability to build active business sales is limited by the narrowness of the client base, as well as the long period of processing transactions, so the priority in this area is to establish long-term partnerships. The most difficult stage in the technique of active sales in B2B is the search and study of a potential consumer, his needs and the circle of decision-makers. Cold calling will bring the greatest results only if the manufacturer's managers master the technique of overcoming the secretary.

Active sales managers

1. Mentors. Successful salespeople, extraordinary leaders, for whom personal success is linked to the success of his team and the company as a whole. Their effectiveness can be measured using three criteria: increasing the profit of the enterprise, creating a successful team and the ability to realize the potential of each team member. A mentor not only has the information necessary to run a business, but is also confident in his abilities, having sufficient experience and knowledge.

2. Emotional managers. Confident manipulators of the feelings of others. Successful in sales based on emotional associations. Usually these are caring, active people who know how to organize a team.

3. Sergeants. Employees with increased responsibility for the results of both their personal work and the team as a whole. For them, the interests of the company are higher than their personal ambitions, so the “sergeants” direct all their efforts to support and work in the unit they lead.

4. “Nice” managers. These are not leaders or “sergeants.” They are easy to communicate and pleasant in a team, but will never put corporate values ​​above achieving personal results. The lack of high natural activity can quickly disable them in stressful situations.

5. Micromanagers. Responsible, self-organized employees, for whom achieving the goals set by the company is very important. If the plan for obtaining results is determined by them, nothing can force them to deviate from the planned route.

6. Arrogant managers are, oddly enough, very successful sellers. Their desire to succeed at any cost plays into the company's hands, but their natural selfishness can interfere with receiving feedback. When negotiating, they are charming and persuasive.

7. Lovers. This is either a newcomer or an experienced employee in a new role, for example, recently appointed as a manager, or working with an unfamiliar product or in a different industry. Typically, for managers of active sales, the identity crisis passes quite quickly, as soon as the employee is able to use his existing skills to build new schemes for promoting goods.

What problems are faced in active sales?

Personnel problem. There has always been a shortage of active sellers in the labor market. High staff turnover requires a constant search for active, competent employees who have sales abilities. It is necessary to train special sales techniques that are suitable for your product or service, and build a competent motivational policy. To achieve results, employees must be provided with resources, as well as proper and effective leadership and control.

Socio-psychological problem. It is important for new employees to overcome the psychological barrier of active sales, when it is necessary to break the stereotype of “imposition”, humiliation of their dignity, as well as situations where they say “no”. At the stage of selecting active sales managers, the absence of intrapersonal conflict is of great importance, when a person associates himself as a loser who could not realize himself in other areas. In this situation, even with high energy employees, the return can be very low, so there are likely cases where sellers “can and do, but don’t want to.”

Expiration date of sales managers. As a salesperson develops and accumulates experience, there may come a period when the number of sales begins to fall. Employees are active and have high professional skills, but inspiration and motivation begin to decline sharply. There can be several reasons for the expiration of a manager’s “shelf life” in a given company: obtaining the status of a manager and the reluctance to engage in sales anymore, lack of prospects in a given company, etc.

Psychophysical problem of managers. High emotional stress due to constant work with people leads to rapid fatigue and possible burnout syndrome. Therefore, sellers of active sales must correspond in their psychophysiological state to the nature of the work performed, so that there is no additional loss of energy to overcome psychological barriers.

• A sales technique that works great in the service industry

How to launch active sales in a company

Alexey Kudinov, Director for CRM solutions of the 1C-Rarus group of companies, Moscow

In any business, regardless of its specifics, about 60% of transactions are completed after the fifth attempt. It is possible to overcome the indifference of a potential client, instilling in him a willingness to buy a product, only if he receives an average of nine impressions about the company and its product. That is why it is so important to establish active and effective work with clients at all stages of interaction. A CRM system will help with this, allowing you to control the actions of sales managers and track the stages of deals. All the information is available online, and you won't need to constantly distract salespeople from their work by boring them with questions and forcing them to prepare written reports. How to set up such a system? I will demonstrate this process using the example of the 1C:CRM KORP product.

Stage 1. Collection of customer data

There are many sources where you can find contacts of potential clients - the Internet, directories from exhibitions and seminars, lists of members of professional associations, etc. A specialist from your marketing department, for example, can search for this information. At the collection stage, it will be enough if he enters all the information found into MS Excel tables. In the future, the data from them can be easily transferred to the CRM system. To do this, you just need to indicate from which Excel file the customer data is loaded and which column of the Excel table corresponds to the line of the customer card in the CRM system. Export to 1C will be completed within a minute.

Also, the sales department can use lists of existing customers if there are new offers for them. The data of these buyers can be loaded into the CRM system from 1C: Accounting or an email program.

Stage 2. Preparation of a commercial proposal



Modern CRM systems allow you to choose the method of transmitting information to each client, taking into account his capabilities and wishes. This could be an e-mail newsletter, an SMS newsletter, or a call. For example, when communicating with retail customers (b2c segment), efficiency is important, therefore, the best option is sending SMS. For corporate customers (b2b segment), e-mail newsletters are better suited. In both cases, each recipient will receive a personalized SMS message or letter . The CRM system also allows you to automate telemarketing (in other words, calling customers). For example, you can include scripts for conversations with customers of each category. Thus, the system allows you to effectively work with groups of similar clients, preparing for each of them an e-mail or SMS newsletter of the same type of commercial offer, tailored to the needs of a specific group. This increases productivity by allowing one sales manager to manage over 300 clients simultaneously.



Stage 4. Monitoring sales indicators

An automatically generated chart by the system – a sales funnel – will help you find out the current sales situation at any time. Open the “Sales” tab on the CRM system desktop and select the “Sales Funnel” section. This graph shows the number of leads, meetings held, sales proposals and shipments. At any moment you receive visual information about what the company should count on in the future. Another thing is important: the sales funnel makes it possible to track at what stage the deal is being slowed down. For example, the figure shows that now buyers’ interest in the product is low, and at the stages of waiting for payment and completing the transaction, the process stalls. Accordingly, it is necessary to actively look for new clients and obtain full payment from debtors - otherwise the company will face financial problems. In addition, the CRM system allows you to manage customer accounts receivable. Each seller can easily identify among his customers those who are behind on payments. And at your disposal will be operational data on the receivables of the entire company. This type of work is active sales management.



Stages of active sales: 5 steps to closing a deal

Stage 1. Preparing for the call, collecting information about the potential client. Information must be collected as comprehensively as possible, using several sources. Knowing your potential client's business will highlight your interest and seriousness in doing business. Find out about the manager, the owner of the business, and possible partners - this will give you an understanding of the direction of the negotiations.

Stage 2. Call a potential client, identifying the right person to talk to. During the call, it is necessary to find out the person who is responsible for making decisions or the name of the department involved in procurement or concluding contracts for the provision of services. It can be considered a success if at this stage you were able to get the first and last name of the person you need and their direct phone number. The ability to bypass a secretary is a very important skill for a successful active sales manager, which greatly facilitates further promotion.

Stage 3. Conversation with the “right” person, identifying needs. This stage is the most important for establishing further contacts. Experience and the ability to feel the client will allow you to establish contact with him and build a conversation. You should not offer your products or services too actively and at the very beginning of the conversation. This will cause irritation, and most likely, a desire to end the conversation immediately. Show courtesy and tact. If the interlocutor does not have the opportunity or desire to carry on a conversation (you must ask about this), arrange a second call and specify the time. Ask for no more than 5 minutes to identify needs and the need for your services or products. Questions should be prepared, logically formulated and not require lengthy thinking. Do not allow pauses during the conversation, listen carefully to the answers. The main result of the telephone call is the appointment of a meeting and the opportunity to make a presentation.

Stage 4. Meeting, presentation. More than half the way to the deal has been completed - you have been assigned a date and place for negotiations. Of course, this does not guarantee a contract, but the possibility of direct communication will at least allow you to get a potential client. It is important not to spoil the first impression by being late, incorrect appearance or unprofessionalism. It’s good if you have additional information about the interlocutor - his hobbies or interests - this will help win the person over. However, the most determining factor for promoting further relationships will be your knowledge of the product or service, the ability to tell everything about it, offer the best price or interest in the economic benefits of the purchase (discount, duration of use, warranty repairs, etc.). A good mood, optimism, politeness of an active sales manager, as well as the ability to maintain a conversation on various topics will help in successful negotiations.

Stage 5. Deal. If the client agreed to the deal, then you can congratulate yourself, everything was done correctly. If the client is stalling for time or has directly stated that it is impossible to conclude a deal, it means that a mistake was made at some stage, and it is necessary to analyze the entire course of the negotiations.

What can cause a client to refuse a manager?

• slurred, uncertain speech of the manager;
• complex and incomprehensible commercial offer;
• a faceless, standard call from the manager, which did not arouse the desire to communicate further;
• the company does not need your products;
• at the very beginning of the conversation, you talked for a long time about how wonderful your company or product is, and lost the interest of your interlocutor;
• you tried to sell something that was not interesting to your interlocutor;
• the conversation is too spammy, the presence of standard template phrases.

To increase the effectiveness of negotiations at the stage of active sales, avoid these mistakes in communicating with potential clients.

Features of active sales by phone

The peculiarity of the first telephone call is that you need to be able to interest the client despite his reluctance to communicate. Perfect mastery of active sales techniques will help reduce the risk of refusal to a minimum.

1. Preparing a conversation plan. You should not rely on luck and successful impromptu. A high-quality, well-developed call template will help increase the effectiveness of the call. Customer questions can be unpredictable, and the conversation can wander into another area. Therefore, not only write a call script, but speak it in advance.

2. Presentation. According to the rules of business communication over the phone, you need to introduce yourself, saying in addition to your first and last name, your position and the name of the company. Of course, a well-known company name significantly increases the chances of successful negotiations. If the product you are offering is mass-produced or has been actively promoted recently, find an opportunity to replace the name with descriptive terms, but you should not stoop to deception.

3. Your offer or USP (unique selling proposition). Only if you have individual conditions or some unique offer that distinguishes you from other competitors, is it worth engaging in active sales. Otherwise, your efforts will be in vain; you will not be able to attract clients, no matter how hard your managers try.

4. Ability to work with objections. The ability to work with customer objections is a very important skill for a successful active sales manager. Cold calling irritates most people, since the capabilities of modern Internet technologies allow them to find almost everything they need, and the intense rhythm of life does not leave time to even just listen to your proposal. In this situation, it is important to gently, not intrusively, offer your product, and upon receiving a categorical refusal, politely exit the conversation. If the client has shown interest, you can continue the calls again, which will become warm over time.

5. The client's choice must be respected. Clients who are legal entities most likely already have an established supplier base. Companies are not very keen to change or expand this list, so intrusiveness or stereotyped phrases will immediately lead to a negative result. It’s better to base the conversation on identifying the company’s needs, the specifics of working with the current supplier, and only then bring up the idea of ​​possible cooperation, explain the advantages of working with you, without criticizing competitors at all. Everything suits me? Leave the coordinates “just in case” and call back after a certain period of time.

6. The client needs to be aware of communication with professionals. Clients love to communicate with professionals, especially with direct selling techniques. If the product has specific features, you need to be a competent specialist who knows how to build a conversation.

7. Regular calls. One cold call is absolutely not enough to get a successful sale. To obtain a noticeable result, the manager must conduct at least 300 active telephone conversations with various categories of clients. Plus, experience comes with every cold call you make.

8. Smile. A little trick when cold calling clients is to hold the smile on your face for a few seconds before calling. This will give confidence, and the potential client will feel goodwill towards him.

How to train sales managers

However, you should not rely only on a developed call template. The manager must understand that standard questions have standard answers, but the conversation can be varied. In addition, over time there will be a need to refine or rework the scripts. Without visual contact, attracting a client is difficult, but possible. The seller's voice is his main tool. A calm, confident, pleasant-sounding voice is attractive, while clearly sounding irritation, anger or fatigue will discourage the client from further doing business with you.

There are a number of rules for increasing the efficiency of managers when conducting active telephone sales:

1. Record real conversations with clients. Each person hears their voice differently than in the recording. Therefore, by listening to their conversation, employees will have a desire to correct obvious errors or defects.
2. Select a sentence from a newspaper or book for the manager to experiment with intonation when reading it. Give managers acting lessons on voice control: record their phrases spoken with different intonations - cheerful, playful, dissatisfied, tired, indifferent, then let them listen to them.
3. Select any long phrase from the template provided. The manager must pronounce this sentence, emphasizing each word of the phrase in turn.
4. Teach the manager to “mirror” excuses by identifying a keyword. For example, to the objection: “I’m busy now,” you can answer with a smile and goodwill in your voice: “Busy now?” This will allow you to gain favor with your opponent and continue the conversation.
5. Require the manager to pronounce one phrase at different speeds until the speech sounds as natural as possible. Clients like to communicate at a pace that is acceptable to them, so the ability to adjust your speech to the perception of the interlocutor that is convenient for them is important for a manager.
6. Highlight the places in the templates where managers usually stumble—they need to be worked through with employees until they sound natural. A voice recorder will help identify such places.
7. Read an excerpt from a newspaper or book into the recorder. Keep a smile on your face throughout. Then read the same passage in the usual format, so you can convince employees that an invisible smile is very effective. To control while reading, it is advisable to hold a mirror in front of you.
8. Explain how to act in stressful situations. If the client's questions confuse the manager or openly offend him or the company, the employee should know how to get out of this situation. It is unacceptable to answer “I don’t know.” Acceptable wording: “I’ll clarify,” “I’ll answer your question a little later.” It is imperative to notify management if negative information appears regarding the company or product. It is necessary to teach managers to smooth out customer negativity caused by a bad mood or general dissatisfaction of the interlocutor.

How to set up managers for active sales

1. Make him set a specific goal for himself. A specific, tangible goal is already part of a manager’s success. The most effective active sales managers do not put things off until later, but put in their efforts here and now. Building long-term and short-term life goals helps self-realization and success. Let the employee describe his immediate plans in clear numbers and specific events, break them down into smaller stages, and write down the necessary tools to achieve the goal. Help him formulate life goals and figure out how to achieve them. The reality of your life goal helps keep yourself on your toes.

2. Instill confidence in success. Make the employee believe in himself, that the goal is achievable and feasible. Daily motivation of managers will help build an effective team of self-confident employees who can and want to actively develop.

3. Develop self-discipline. It is difficult to develop this quality in employees. It is believed that it should be inherent in everyone. It is impossible to force managers to work actively if they are not focused on results. However, it is necessary to build teamwork so that achieving the goal stimulates everyone, so that the desire to get the desired result occurs without constant use of the whip. It is necessary to maintain the morale of the team by personal example.

4. Set yourself up for a positive result. Everyone knows that our desires materialize, both positive and negative. Fear of refusal when making calls turns out to be refusals, while confidence in a positive result ultimately yields the desired results. No one is interested in listening to complaints about life and a list of failures. People are drawn to positive and sunny optimists, trying to adopt their energy and cheerfulness.

10 most common mistakes managers make in any sales

Mistake 1. Failure to identify a promising client.

A common mistake for beginners is to sell on volumes, accepting as many orders as possible. An experienced active sales manager is able to distinguish a promising client from a dubious one, so he puts his efforts into cooperation, which guarantees the conclusion of a deal. It is necessary to clearly explain to newcomers the features of the company’s target audience and the ability to distinguish them. Draw up a portrait of the end consumer, his behavior, preferences, and necessary requirements. It is best to train new employees on specific real clients, characterizing each one.

Mistake 2. Superficial knowledge about the product

Having superficially studied the product, the newcomer considers himself a professional in his field, and quite successfully applies his skills to a wide mass of clients, appealing to the general characteristics of the product. However, in the case of an informed and competent client, he may become confused and miss the deal. The most correct way is a prepared training program for new employees, which also contains elements of mentoring by experienced employees. It may be necessary to develop a motivation system for effective managers when training newcomers, or to use a training system with elements of role-playing games, alternately providing the opportunity to be both a seller and a client. Self-training is also effective, especially in the case of experienced employees when updating the range or introducing new competitive products. Active sales managers must understand the interests of buyers and look at the product primarily as a consumer, not a seller.

If the specifics of a product or service are too high-tech and a newcomer will not be able to answer all the questions, work to ensure that the phrase “I don’t know” disappears from the employee’s vocabulary. Teach how to avoid such questions, or explain which experts can provide qualified advice. The manager must fully find out the client’s interests and questions about the product and provide feedback, in consultation with experienced colleagues, or by sending the necessary information later, for example, by email.

If the training process is ongoing, and it is not possible to thoroughly train each salesperson, prepare information materials for their self-training, and test them after the allotted time.

Mistake 3. Inability to listen to the client

A presentation during which only the manager speaks creates a reasonable feeling of imposition, and, consequently, a desire to refuse the deal. Perhaps this is just the employee’s diligence and desire to convey the necessary information, but the client is interested in his opinion, not the seller. Conducting training for managers in product presentation techniques, as well as training in the basics of negotiations. The success of an active sales manager is determined by the ability to listen and hear the client, and not by endlessly praising the product. People love attention to themselves, so it is necessary to talk about them first, and only then offer your products. During the presentation, it is necessary to pause to find out the client’s opinion and the opportunity to ask a question.

Mistake 4. Incorrect presentation of information

Often, inexperienced managers begin to find out the interest of customers too far away, thus intending to stir up interest in the product. The intense rhythm of life does not leave time for long speeches and veiled proposals. As a result, after listening to a long introduction, the client will not want to delve into the essence of the proposal, switching to something else, or simply ending the conversation. According to modern business etiquette, it is customary to clarify the amount of time that the client can devote to you. Depending on this, it is necessary to build a conversation. Having developed conversation scripts will help make this task easier. Of course, it is impossible to develop a universal template, but it is possible to develop common points for the entire target audience.

Mistake 5. Disappointment when you fail

Everyone's attitude towards first failures is different. This will spur some to take more active action, while others will give up. Encourage employees by providing examples and encouraging statistics. Don’t let your employees relax and teach them to change a minus to a plus. With negative statistics on cold calls, an example can be given that only every 14th call produces results. Therefore, if every 10th call is responded to, it will be perceived as a victory.

Mistake 6. Inability to plan time

Time management is an important skill for employees. The inability to plan your working day and control the work schedule of the active sales department can lead to disastrous consequences for the company. Failure to make appointments, failure to meet delivery deadlines, failure to fulfill promises or their delay in time - this is an incomplete list of the consequences of inability to manage working time. Develop a personal calendar for each manager, combining general production activities. Monitor its implementation over a period of time. Pay special attention to newcomers, who should note any deviations from the plan. Working together on the results will reveal inaccuracies and errors in the plan, so the newly developed plan must take these errors into account.

Mistake 7. Fear of failing a deal

These experiences are most common for beginners on the eve of their first or major transaction. Strong emotions can have a destructive effect on an employee’s behavior with a client. Subconsciously, a manager may display traits that are unusual for him, jeopardizing the conclusion of a deal or further corporate relations. It is best to teach reframing techniques to employees by giving specific examples. The perception of the same fact by different people is diametrically different, so managers of the active sales department need to constantly work on their emotional state.

Mistake 8. Lack of preparation for negotiations

Inexperienced specialists believe that the fate of a deal is decided during negotiations, and are surprised that meetings do not produce the expected effect. Effective active sales managers in negotiations only confirm previously reached agreements. The entire success of concluding a deal occurs in the preparatory stages, when all the details necessary for both parties are identified. The meeting marks the final point in a long chain of negotiations. In addition, without determining the format of the meeting and the list of participants in advance, you can find yourself in a very unpleasant situation. At the preparatory stage, newcomers must provide the manager with a detailed negotiation plan for approval. Beginners should be trained in the technique of conducting active sales, know key phrases that help out in case of excitement or unexpected situations.

Error 9. Missing follow-up letter ( English reminder letter, follow-up letter)

Even if the meeting ends negatively, be sure to write a letter thanking them for their time and describing your proposal again. Beginners often miss this point. But such a letter will allow you to leave a pleasant impression and will remind you of your offer again. A successful follow-up letter will be a manifestation of individuality. The easiest way is to develop a corporate template for such a letter. Include the duty of active sales managers to send letters and control their sending by entering a separate item in the meeting report form. A unique template will make life easier for you and your employees and will help you stand out among your competitors in the future.

Mistake 10. Loose clothing

Introduce corporate standards of appearance, especially during meetings and negotiations. Business attire is very important for employees of the active sales department, because they are the face of the company. Newcomers often try to break business etiquette by allowing themselves a more free style. It is necessary to explain to new employees the difference in how clients perceive business-style and casual employees. The success of a transaction often begins with the first impression, especially in certain circles. The newcomer's reluctance to meet corporate business standards of appearance may be due to an inability to engage in active sales or fear of communicating with clients. Perhaps such an employee will be effective in departments that do not conduct meetings and negotiations, for example, when making calls.

• 4 mistakes sales managers make that need to be corrected urgently

"1C-Rarus"
Area of ​​activity: development of standard industry solutions, implementation and support of 1C products
Form of organization: group of companies
Territory: head office – in Moscow; offices - in St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Ryazan, Sochi, as well as in Kyiv and Sevastopol
Number of personnel: 1700
Main clients: Rusfinance Bank, RosBusinessConsulting, Finam, Caterpillar

Copying material without permission is permitted if there is a dofollow link to this page

Active sales are technically the most complex and, at the same time, the most effective type of sales. They can be used in almost any situation and in any market. There are companies that generally prefer only this method of promotion. But it is important to know the specifics and stages of active sales.

Training specialists in active sales is difficult, takes a lot of time, and it is far from certain that it will be successful. The fact is that in active sales a lot depends on the charisma and psychological fortitude of the seller. To facilitate the process of training such specialists, the entire sales process is usually divided into main stages. There are six of them. Below we will talk in detail about each of them.

Stage 1. Getting ready to sell

The preparatory stage involves, first of all, the preparation of the seller himself. The transaction must be completed, the contract must be signed, the goods must be shipped or the service provided, and money must be received from the client. In order for everything to work out, you need to exude professionalism, be confident in yourself and that the product offered will really help your client.

In order for everything to work out, you need to exude professionalism, be confident in yourself and that the product offered will really help your client.

It is required to carefully study the goods and services that will be sold through active sales; it is necessary to have comprehensive knowledge, be ready to answer any of the client’s trickiest questions and provide reinforced concrete counterarguments. You will need to work with objections, criticism, and dissatisfaction. You may even have to face overt aggression.

In terms of psychological readiness, you must be confident in your knowledge and in the product offered to clients. Don't forget about the physical component of training as well. You shouldn't look sleepy or groggy. Good spirits, clear eyes, a friendly, inviting smile - this is what a successful seller needs.

Stage 2. First contact with the client

General concepts of politeness and courtesy will help you, together with the right psychological and physical attitude, cope with the first contact with the client and win him over, put him in the right mood.

To do this, you need to implement 3 main actions:

1. Greetings. Politely and kindly wish you a good day.
2. Performance. Provide your name and the name of the company you represent.
3. Acquaintance. Find out from your future client how you can approach them.

If the client meets you halfway and introduces himself, in fact he subconsciously agreed to a detailed presentation of your product, and it is very likely that such contact will result in a deal. You can safely move on.

Stage 3. Identifying needs

It must be said that at this stage you have to not only identify, but also independently formulate the client’s need. After all, he may not even know about the product you offer. To do this, they most often use the awakening of purchasing motives. Absolutely every buyer has such motives. There are five of them in total:

• Quality.
• Safety.
• Convenient to use.
• Improving your own life.
• Financial savings.

It is necessary not only to identify, but also to independently formulate the client’s needs.

The need for novelty is also sometimes highlighted. This motive is additional, since it is not present among all purchasing groups (usually among young people). A striking example of the implementation of such a motive are new products in the world of radio electronics. Buyers are literally sweeping the latest models of smartphones off store shelves.

By asking questions in such a way that the potential client can tell you as much information as possible about himself and his problems, you can form an opinion about which motive will be easiest to awaken in him. Don't forget that there are no wrong answers. If you are not satisfied with the answer to a question, then the question was formulated incorrectly. Listen to the client and you will hear him.

Based on the client's problems and needs, you should proceed with the presentation in such a way as to awaken the maximum possible number of motives. This will allow you to close the deal faster.

Stage 4. Product presentation

This is a relatively simple stage, the essence of which is the correct presentation of information about the product. You must form it on the fly, based on data from the previous stage of the conversation.

The presentation should follow the classic scheme: property - benefit or property - solution to the problem. By telling the client about certain properties of the product, you simultaneously demonstrate how many of his problems will be solved.

Do not forget to focus on quality, ease of use, economic feasibility and the uniqueness of your offer. Once you have given the client detailed information, you will have to move on to the most difficult part of the sale - dealing with objections.

Stage 5. Dealing with objections

An incorrectly chosen word at this stage can jeopardize the entire deal. Be extremely careful. Follow a strategy that includes the following sequential steps:

1. Active listening. Listen to the client, understand the essence of his objection, use the effect of presence.
2. Joining. To overcome a client’s negative reaction, you must first agree with him and join his point of view. Immediately after this, without taking a break, continue the conversation with a counterargument. If they tell you there is no interest, say that the offer is unique.
3. Clarification. Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions if the reasons for the client’s objections are not clear to you.
4. Arguments. Give arguments to dispel the client’s doubts and uncertainty about the properties and quality of the product, as well as the company’s image.

To overcome a client’s negative reaction, you must first agree with him and join his point of view.

Stage 6. Closing for sale

To sell, you need to offer to buy. This is an immutable law of sales, without which there will be no transaction. This also has its own subtleties.

After all, you won’t be satisfied with a negative answer? To get an affirmative, ask the question in such a way that it can only be answered “yes” or “no.” This will dramatically increase the chances that the conversation will close on a deal. Applying the rules of three “yes” also often works. You must ask 3 questions sequentially, so that the client definitely answers yes to the first two. The third question is to ask if he is ready to make a purchase right now. You can also use additional incentives in the form of information about limited supply.

And finally

We tried to give you an idea of ​​the main stages of active sales. As can be seen from all that has been said, this process requires a high speed of thinking and a quick response to changes in the situation in the conversation. Your manager must be 200% ready.

In active sales, you need to measure every step. The client's mood may change, this also needs to be taken into account. Be sure to conduct training. In game situations, practice all the typical situations that your managers may encounter.

Long preparation and hard work will bring you high levels of sales and good income, but be prepared for the fact that this path is not easy. The stages of active sales in trade are a necessary basis of knowledge that every sales manager must learn.

Have you already gotten a job as a sales manager or are you just planning to?

Despite the apparent simplicity of this work, I would still like to warn you that this work is not easy and its ease is visible. In fact, prepare for the fact that you will come home much later than usual and feel worse than a squeezed lemon.

Yes, because selling is not as easy as it might seem to an inexperienced person. This comes with some difficulties. Therefore, before applying for a job as a sales manager, I advise you to think carefully, because a manager is not just an 8-hour employee, a manager works constantly, even in his sleep, on vacation, at a resort, or at his dacha. You only need to make a choice once, and this choice will determine your future life without rest. Are you scared yet? This is good. Because, despite all of the above, working as a sales manager is very interesting - constant meetings, new acquaintances, a new flow of information, a very wide scope of activity and no routine.

What do you prefer? Quiet, monotonous, slightly boring work according to one established scheme once and for all, without leaving the workplace?

Or do you still want new experiences?

Answering the question of where to start, I can only say: you need to start with the right choice of profession.

Before you start working as a manager, think about whether this is what you want? Or is it out of hopelessness?

If you are out of hope, then it is better to look for something else, because the work of a manager is specific and is not suitable for all people.

I can roughly list the qualities and properties of a person capable of doing this work. Firstly, sociability, or, as it is now usually called, sociability. But, on the other hand, sociability does not mean talkativeness or talkativeness. Despite all his sociability, a manager must be able to keep the organization’s trade secrets, listen to the client and be independent from others. The work of a manager implies a large amount of independence, i.e. you must be able to make decisions, take responsibility and have some (quite high degree) of self-organization.

Secondly, a manager is a creative person who will work not according to a scheme, but according to a strategy that is inherent to him alone. Moreover, the strategy is constantly changing, adjusted according to the acquired knowledge, experience and specifics. Creativity lies precisely in creating new packages of proposals, looking for a different approach to people, being flexible and easy. The work of a manager involves adjusting the existing product to the consumer, looking for a need and satisfying it using available resources.

Thirdly, the manager should not be withdrawn, irritable or hot-tempered; this work must be taken seriously and responsibly, but you cannot take everything that they tell you to heart, otherwise it will be doubly difficult for you.

A manager is the most flexible worker, the easiest conversationalist, the fastest-thinking specialist, the most creative artist and the most organized pragmatist. Can you combine all these qualities in yourself? Then you are on the right path, this work will bring you happiness.

If something is missing and you do not feel the strength to acquire this quality, then there is no need to tear yourself and your character down. For what? When can you find a different kind of job!

So, do you still want to be a manager? It is perfectly! This means you are suitable, because a good manager must also be courageous and confident in his abilities. Believe me: you won’t be bored, you won’t have time to be sad, but you won’t have time to dream either.

I hope you don't regret your decision! Remember one simple truth: if you constantly regret the decisions you make, then why make them!?

So, the choice is made!

You have been hired as a sales manager. In terms of sales of what, it doesn’t matter yet. How do you like this surprise?!

Try to take this at its word for now, in the future we will try to convince you with examples that those who sell sausage and tights, office equipment and metal, advertising and snow (to residents of the northern regions) are united by the same principles.

One way or another, you are expected to make deals, sign contracts, and make profits for the company you work for. Well, of course, you are full of desire to earn more money as quickly as possible.

Where to start?

The management of the organization you work for will probably have its own answer to this question. Then your success, as well as the success of the enterprise, will depend on your diligence and on how correct the leadership path is. Not a very convincing dependency. After all, you always want to have the maximum influence on the events in which you are involved. As a rule, this requires knowledge and experience.

The latter comes with age, but knowledge can and should always be acquired.

Therefore, to the question “Where to start?” The answer is very simple: “From knowledge.”

Fortunately, there is now plenty of literature devoted to marketing and advertising issues. Books on this topic are written in compliance with the basics of marketing. Simply put, they are designed for a variety of segments of the population. Some of them are written in such a language that they are intended, apparently, only for professors of economic sciences, although this is not stated in the annotation.

At the first stage, so that the new business does not scare you away, we recommend publications for dummies.

However, both the most abstruse and the simplest book with pictures should be written not in intricate scientific language, but simply and clearly.

In order to start selling (sausage, tights, metal, computers, advertising, air) and conduct them successfully, the sales manager must answer three questions.

What? To whom? How?

In other words, what, to whom and how he will sell.

What is the product or service of the company you work for.

To – this is a client of the enterprise where you work. These are those who are already buying a product or service from an enterprise today, and those who can buy a product or service under certain conditions tomorrow or in a month from your company or from an organization competing with you.

How is the strategy and tactics of a specific sale. To work with each client, the manager must study it and develop an action plan designed specifically for this buyer.

That is, this is the case when their theory can be considered adapted to our practice.

The described approach to the sales process is relevant for all types of goods and services. If you still try to classify sales objects into groups, then I would like to propose the following gradation for a sales manager:

1) to sell a product is to sell something that you can touch with your hands and whose quality can be determined at the time of purchase according to specified criteria: TV, telephone, food, etc.;

2) selling a quick service is selling certain actions, the result of which (i.e., the quality of the service) can be assessed immediately after purchase according to specified criteria, for example, washing a car, learning a foreign language, etc.;

3) selling a slow service means selling certain actions, the quality of which cannot be assessed immediately after purchase. In this category, the most striking example is just some types of advertising services.

Even if you are not an expert, you understand that selling a slow service is the most difficult. Many managers have had to do this repeatedly, and below we will provide some practical recommendations on this matter. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Don't forget: you need to figure out what you will be selling.

The answer to this question should be given to you by the marketing department, if it is provided for in the staffing schedule. If there is no such department, you should torture the manager or the official to whom he directs you.

You probably guessed that the answer to the question “what are you selling” is not limited to the literal voice of the product or service. The situation is more complicated. If your company has a competent marketing department, consider yourself lucky. You will be provided with comprehensive information about the product according to all the criteria necessary for your subsequent work. But you should prepare for the most difficult option. You yourself will have to figure out everything about what you will sell.

There is a joke on this topic.

War. The prisoner is being interrogated through an interpreter. Translator: “Here from er name?” Prisoner: "May name from John Smith." Translator (slightly angry): “Here from er name?” Prisoner (perplexed): “May name from John Smith.” The translator hits the prisoner with a flourish and angrily asks: “Is this from er name?” Prisoner (falling from his chair and crying): “May name from John Smith.” Translator (looking angrily into his eyes): “I’m asking you for the last time, how many tanks do you have?”

Seriously, you need to know what questions to ask and understand what exactly you are asking. Only then can you expect to understand the answers.

Well, now, in more detail about how to start working with a client

There are several stages of work that a manager goes through when working with each client. This:

1) telemarketing;

2) meeting;

3) agreement;

4) work on the implementation of the agreement;

5) control over the fulfillment of all contractual obligations;

6) final stage;

7) communication support.

All these stages are listed in a somewhat simplified diagram; sometimes they are more complex, but more on that later.

I will explain each of the listed stages in more detail.

The first stage is telemarketing. This term came to us from Western literature (sometimes it is called telework), and in Russian it can be called the not very beautiful word “calling”; telemarketing sounds better - calling a client.

Regardless of whether you are looking for a client yourself or they will give you a ready-made work base, the first stage of establishing contact is a call, which should lead to further cooperation.

What usually happens during a telephone conversation? Oh, there can be a huge variety of variations - from concluding a contract to dissatisfied statements addressed to sellers, advertising and you personally. You must be prepared for this in advance. But lately, it is encouraging that most companies still adhere to business etiquette and it is rare to hear an open message, but this happens in the practice of any manager.

If you are not sent and start a conversation (believe me, this happens in 98% of cases), you inform the potential client about your services, benefits and advantages. This often ends with a request to fax or email your proposals. This ends the telemarketing stage.

The point of this stage is to:

1) make contact;

2) find a client in need of your service;

3) inform the client;

4) try to continue contact, schedule a meeting.

Telemarketing has no other tasks, with the possible exception of indirect side research into market needs and general conditions. By the way, this is a separate conversation. Looking ahead, I would like to say that it would be a good idea if you record in writing the approximate needs and wishes of your clients: this will help you form your own idea of ​​the sales market, as well as (possibly) formulate an improvement proposal for your superiors and increase your turnover.

The second stage is the meeting. If, during the teleworking stage, you managed to get the client to schedule a meeting, you can be congratulated, because a meeting is a big deal, eye contact will not interfere with your work. Although, to be honest, my personal practice has convinced me that the meeting is not such an important moment, because if the client is stubborn, little can convince him and your personal charm is unlikely to help here. But I won’t dampen your enthusiasm: meetings are necessary, and they should be, because this is another effective tool for a manager. At a meeting, try to test your gift of persuasion and influencing people.

The third stage is an agreement. Its essence is the simplest and one of the most pleasant - the conclusion of a sales agreement. For you, this means fulfilling the assigned task (financial plan) and generating a salary.

A financial plan is an individual task assigned to a manager by the company’s management, consisting of a certain fixed turnover in monetary terms. To put it simply: when you start working, you will be told the amount for which you will have to enter into contracts monthly, in which case you will have the opportunity to receive a salary and other privileges as a manager. Otherwise, you will be deprived of some opportunities, and if you systematically fail to fulfill the plan without a good reason, you will simply lose your job.

A financial plan is put before the manager in order to control and evaluate his work, because it is difficult to otherwise evaluate the work of a sales manager: the seller’s result is expressed precisely in turnover.

Let's return to the stage of concluding the contract. Drawing up and signing is the most striking moment, it is almost a victory, more precisely, it is a complete victory over the client, but a victory that entails further work. Let's move on to the next stage.

The fourth stage is the implementation of the agreement. The manager’s task is not only to conclude an agreement! The work does not end there, but a new, most creative part of the task begins - fulfilling the order. What is meant by completing a task? Organization of work on the project - clarifying the smallest details and putting them into practice, creating a layout, writing text, evaluating the work done by creators, etc. At this stage, there is the closest contact with the client, the greatest interaction with him. The manager is required to be creative, active, proactive and entrepreneurial. When the work required from the manager directly has been completed, the next stage begins.

The fifth stage is monitoring the fulfillment of all obligations. This stage includes two elements.

1. Control over the fulfillment of obligations by the client (payment for services, provision of materials necessary for work, compliance with agreed deadlines, etc.).

2. Control over the fulfillment of obligations assigned under the contract to your company, i.e. control over the implementation of work that is not performed directly by the manager himself, but which must be completed in the proper manner, in the proper time frame, with the proper quality.

Both elements must be controlled by the manager, and in the event of a failure, he must make a decision to overcome the difficulties encountered.

It must be remembered that in this case the manager performs a very responsible job and is like a policeman who regulates traffic: “You are going now, and you will go next.” To avoid congestion, stoppages, and misunderstandings, the manager must be literally omnipresent. It would seem that all this is simple and interesting. Believe me: all this is exactly so, but there is one nuance: it is quite difficult to keep track of all this if you have several contracts concluded at the same time. Therefore, the manager must also have excellent memory and excellent organizational skills so as not to lose volume and be on time everywhere.

The sixth stage is the final one. It is not chosen by chance and consists in correctly completing the project. And completing it correctly means not forgetting anything, taking into account all wishes and, most importantly, informing the client about the work done.

During the period of execution of the contract, you cannot leave the client in the dark about what and how you are doing. You need to keep him informed of events so that you don’t get the impression that you’ve lost money or are idle. A good manager always unobtrusively reports on the work done. This, on the one hand, allows you to maintain contact, on the other, to get closer to the client and remain in his memory for a long time, on the third, to find out his wishes and involve him in the creative process of work, which will not only make your task easier, but also reduce the level of dissatisfaction with your work as it is completed (after all, the client made the decisions himself!).

Also, the final stage includes the signing of a certificate of work done, which indicates that the client has no complaints about the work done. This eliminates the possibility of various dissatisfaction arising over time and is documentary evidence of the work done by you and your company.

The seventh stage is maintaining communication. If you've worked with someone before, it becomes much easier to maintain further contact than with clients you haven't worked with before. If you have fulfilled the terms of the contract efficiently, then most likely they will contact you again, and for this you should not lose touch or disappear for a long time. Before ending your partnership, agree on your next contact (“When can I call you again?”, “Shall we collaborate further?”, “I hope this was not a one-time collaboration?!”, etc.).

If we take the percentage of stages, we can say that for a good manager, about 40% of calls continue with a meeting, 60% of meetings lead to the conclusion of an agreement, and 100% of agreements survive until the act is signed and new agreements are concluded.

So go for it! Of course, refusals await you, from which no one is immune, but the more experienced you are, the fewer refusals you will receive and the more contracts and positive connections you will have. In this area, success is directly proportional to the work experience and the presence of personal qualities of the manager. The ability to analyze will also come in handy. The ability to speak beautifully and correctly is also necessary. Basically everything in one!

What other questions might arise?

Oh, believe me, there will be a lot of them!

For example, how to find clients? What a pressing question this is for every manager!

When you are hired, this issue will need to be discussed - will they provide you with a client base or will you have to look for them yourself. If they provide you with a base, this will make your work easier, but only for the first few months. All the same, you will come to the moment when it will be necessary to search for so-called new blood. If they don't provide you with a ready-made customer base, don't be alarmed. Finding new clients seems scary only at first and due to inexperience. In fact, all this is not so scary; all sales managers do this.

“Okay,” you say, “but where to look?!” And we will be happy to answer this question for you. There are a lot of sources! For example, the same advertising - on radio, television, in newspapers, magazines, and directories. An excellent source is the telephone directory of organizations (which contains not only their name and telephone number, but also the field of activity of the company, which will make your work easier). Or maybe a little differently: you are walking down the street, walking, looking around, and suddenly you see a new organization, remember its name (or write down the phone number, if one is indicated), then (if the phone number was not indicated) call the help desk service, find out the phone number and... Consider that the new client is already in your database. The next stage is establishing contact with a new potential client. True, sometimes it turns out to be a very comical situation. One day I call a client (I found the company in the newspaper):

– Hello, can you tell me who I can talk to about advertising issues?

- With me. Do you want to suggest anything?

Of course, all this would be funny if it weren't so sad. Unfortunately, this case speaks against advertising - in this case it had no effect.

But this doesn't always happen.

In general, by and large, advertising is a matter of chance. Whether you're lucky or unlucky, little depends on you personally. You can come up with original and striking advertising, but much is determined by the needs and market conditions. Advertising is effective only when it is favorable to the manufacturer. The effect of advertising is manifested only in relation to competitors, and not in relation to the fact of the appearance of consumers. After all, the market is not dimensionless, a number of subjects participate in it, they all need something, and what can satisfy the need is in demand. If a need can be satisfied in several ways, then not only the one that is better will be in demand, but also the one that is known to the majority and the one that is accessible to the majority. Therefore, advertising appears and is relevant only for those who have many competitors and who need to form a consumer segment. Advertising is not needed by those who have a permanent circle of consumers and who have no competitors, although they may need informative advertising, but more on that later.

Therefore, never renounce the effectiveness of a project: what is effective for one organization may not be suitable for another; what you think will produce an effect may turn out to be an outright dummy, and what seemed not very bright and impressive may turn out to be a brilliant project. There is no more elusive and elusive commodity than advertising, which is why it is very difficult to sell. But it’s also interesting, because there is no broader sphere than advertising in which you can realize yourself not only as a seller, but also as a creator.

Believe me: there really are very wide opportunities here, reasons for using imagination and developing new projects, everything is constantly changing here, and this is very interesting. You, too, can change something and must have time to change yourself along with these movements. You must keep up! If you fall behind, you may not be able to catch up and join the general flow.

The advertising market is developing very dynamically and changing very dynamically. Perhaps he is becoming obsolete? Partly. And this only means that it’s time to change and change again! Run ahead, run ahead and be first - this is the credo of good advertising!

In principle, as you probably already understood from all of the above, to be a sales manager, you do not need to have special knowledge and qualifications, but to be a successful manager, you will need to delve into the basics of economics, advertising, marketing and business, if only to make a positive impression on your clients with an understanding of the main market trends and sales technology.

There are various seminars and practical advice that can help you acquire additional knowledge in the field of sales and sales management, but you can still gain basic knowledge only through your own experience, through trial and error, analysis of conversations, victories and failures.

For more than seven years of work in the field of management in a provincial city, he passed through all levels of the official hierarchical ladder. He began his career in advertising as a creator of advertising audio and video scripts, texts of advertising leaflets and articles, and a developer of long-term advertising campaigns. Only much later did he learn that all these responsibilities are united by the terms “creator” and “copywriter”, which came into use from abroad. The first translated literature concerning the basics of the advertising business also came from there.

He read the works of David Ogilvy and Claude Hopkins, discovering for himself the variety of spheres that the engine of trade absorbed. It turned out that such a “simple business - selling something - combines knowledge from various areas of life: psychology, economics, sociology, literature and much more. And only in this case will success come to you. Not random and momentary, but thoughtful, strategically built and therefore forever.

These discoveries, of course, together with other personal qualities necessary for a manager, literally made our friend fall in love with the advertising business and allowed him to soon receive the position of development director in a fairly well-known organization engaged in the production of seals and stamps. By leading an excellent creative team of professionals - managers, designers, layout designers, creators, artists and other specialists, he contributed to the new formation, or, more correctly, positioning of the company. In less than two years, we managed to create a large advertising holding company with a full range of advertising services, known far beyond the city and region.

To this day, he considers this successful experience invaluable in his career.

It was then that inconsistencies first emerged between the beautifully described import experience accumulated over centuries, the well-functioning capitalist market and our Russian reality. Their theory did not apply to our practice without serious adaptation.

I didn’t go to bed mainly because in our country for a very long time the problem was “how to buy?”, and not “how to sell?”. Manifestations of deficit ideology are still an obstacle hindering the activities of Russian marketers and advertisers.

This phenomenon is especially noticeable in provincial cities. It is well known that Moscow is rapidly absorbing foreign investments with their huge advertising budgets.

Along with investments in metropolitan organizations came a new approach to strategic planning, management and motivation of personnel and, of course, advertising and sales.

The province lives at a slightly different pace. And most of us have to live and work in provincial cities.

The experience of strategic planning and management of a large (more than 70 people) organization, gained in an advertising holding company, was then polished by our friend when solving the problem of introducing a new advertising agency to the local market, of which he is currently the founder.

While still a copywriter (today this term can be used much more boldly), our friend received his first personal selling skills. He had to constantly adapt the theoretical knowledge of foreign books to our reality.

By making mistakes and drawing conclusions from them, accumulating statistics on real situations that arise during sales, he gradually formed the methodology for sellers, which is still used by managers trained by him in various companies today.

In this book, we offer several practical recommendations both to novice sales managers, wanting to help them in their rapid professional development, and to those who have been working in this direction for a long time. We hope that the description of the algorithm for solving some problems will strengthen them in the correctness of the chosen actions.

Let the experience concentrated in this book help you develop your own sales methodology and your own algorithm of actions, which will be unique to you and which will be constantly improved throughout your professional journey.

A manager should not stop there - a manager should always move forward and lead those around him, including clients, who are often distinguished by conservatism and rigidity of thinking. A manager is a part of progress that manages the advertising, marketing and business market.

We wish you to become a worthy representative of this class of people! Class? Yes, precisely class, because managers are special people who are called upon to lead, and not to be followed, who must be able to fight and retreat in time, convince and be convinced.

Are you still reading this book? So, you are almost a manager, or maybe already a manager? In any case, you are on the right track! What could be better than borrowing and learning from experience?!

Want to know what active selling is? First, these are calls to find new clients, then the sale of goods, and then further work with the client to sell him a new product or related services.

Active sales is the search for new sales channels and their constant development.

The essence of active sales is constant initiative on the part of the seller, the ability to communicate and maintain relationships with the client, transferring him into regular purchasing mode.

In a word, when a salesperson goes to a client, it is an active sale, and when a client comes to you, it is a passive sale.

HR departments of large companies, constantly recruiting employees for sales departments, have learned from their own experience that such work requires a special psychological type of managers, since there is a risk of high emotional stress, leading to rapid fatigue and decreased performance.

Practicing psychologists note that active managers with strong energy easily sell products, and therefore recommend that employees have a positive outlook on life, sports and fitness, including strength training.

Selling cheap goods and services with a price of up to 4,000 rubles through such sales is considered unprofitable, except in cases where such goods are sold in large quantities, for example, bottled water for the office. The contract for its supply within a year amounts to a significant amount.

Active professional sales are also used by enterprises that do not have distributors. They also create a large sales department, hire managers and train them to work with objections, write scripts and invite business coaches to improve the professionalism of their “sales people” to get as much profit as possible.

A classic example of such a business is the sale of cars at the Rolf showroom.

As soon as you purchase a car, they start calling you from the dealership and offering additional services. For example, tinting, a different wheel diameter, branded T-shirts for the seats, velvet mats, a net in the trunk and a bunch of other bells and whistles. As a result, you will cave in and buy something, since you can discuss your new car day and night with anyone, and even more so with showroom professionals.

If you decide to take a ride in Sochi, you will receive about twenty SMS messages that on your way in Voronezh, Rostov, and Krasnodar they are waiting for you at Rolf salons to top up or change the oil, and check the wheel balancing for free. You will be able to feel the active care of Rolf managers and you will buy a new car and related products from them!

Speaking about active sales, an important detail should be noted - their strategy involves a comprehensive study of the potential client, especially the circle of people authorized to make decisions.

A convincing presentation of the product depends on the manager, so it is advisable that he himself uses what he sells. He will feel all the features of the product, it will be easier for him to convey to the buyer not so much the price as the value and advantages of the product. He will talk about the products offered in his own words, emotionally, avoiding well-worn clichés.

A manager is successful when he sells with faith in the product. And his biggest mistake is superficial knowledge of the product being sold.

Active professional sales are considered the most effective and this is what experts recommend relying on to achieve success:

• for professionally trained personnel;
• for well-structured department management;
• on effective sales technology, developed taking into account all the advantages of the products sold.

A company that is going to intensively promote products must have its own corporate regulations for working with clients and a brief to determine their interests and needs.

And transaction agreements, developed by the legal service for the fastest signing by the client, should basically contain the positions of the commercial proposal with which the client was familiar with earlier and to which he did not object.

Copyright "All-Russian Business Club"