Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/179253
MARKETING CONSULTANT Sales is a Process, not an Event BY SCOTT STROUD "A problem will remain a problem until you reduce it to a process." – Jeffery K. Prager, Founder, Backroom Management Services. I learn a lot from my clients. And the quote above by Jeff Prager has become a mantra that influences everything I do. It should become yours too. Think of the biggest difference between a factory-built home and a site-built home. It's the process by which the home is constructed, right? When a home is built in a factory, every step of the process is clearly laid out, understood and followed exactly to achieve predictable results. The same can be said of both marketing and sales. Why follow a process? Simply put, buyers have a process that they go through when making major purchasing decisions. First introduced by John Dewey in 1910, the typical stages of the buying process are: 1. Problem/Need Recognition 2. Information Search 3. Evaluation of Alternatives 4. Purchase Decision 5. Post-Purchase Behavior So, if we understand how buyers think, reason and make decisions, doesn't it make sense that we align our selling processes with how they are already thinking and acting? Sure it does! But that's not what we do. As salespeople, marketers, business owners, etc., we tend to shoot from the hip and start from scratch with each new prospect. Why? First of all, what is a process? The dictionary definition is, "a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end." OCTOBER 2013 22 THE JOURNAL Creating a process requires strategy, planning, monitoring and measuring results. In other words, time, effort and discipline. Salespeople tend to resist implementing processes. They (we; I am one too) all too often rely on our wits and communication skills to address each new sales challenge, thus reinventing the sales process each time. (And salespeople inherently hate the paperwork – the routine process part of sales that is so critical.) But as much as we relish our role as 'mavericks', when we fail to follow a process we inevitably miss things that slow down the sale. On the other hand, sales professionals who subscribe to a process make more sales and spend less time selling. As sales coach Ross Robbins puts it, their process is "a track to run on," giving them structure that saves time and energy and produces better results. Marketing as a Process - AIDA Admit it – you hate marketing. Advertising is expensive and more 'guess' than science, so you never know what's working or where you'll see a substantial return for your money. That's probably because you don't have a strategy or a process. The purpose of your marketing program is to create AIDA – awareness, interest, desire, and action. Do you see how this aligns with the buying process listed above? Your marketing message is most effective when: • You reach prospects at the time they recognize a need and are searching for a solution – you get their attention; • You capture their interest with a message that resonates with their needs and wants, and Illustration A