The 3 Ultimate Questions in Sales Management

One of the fundamental issues in many sales driven organisations is that it is organised inside out. Instead of organising it outside in, with the customer (need) in mind and focus.  A perfect example of inside out is building sales processes around ourselves, our products and our perspective. 

If you’re analysing a clunky or broken sales process and asking, “how do we get them to the next step?” You’re asking the wrong question. 

Instead, we should focus on the reflection of the sales process, e.g. the buying process of your prospect. Understanding the buying process is critical to be able to influence their decision making.  

If we map this buying process, then we can figure out how to serve them in each step. When we focus on their needs and help them over hurdles, they see us as allies in their decision instead of another person trying to sell them something. 

So the three ultimate questions to ask yourself and/or your sales reports are: 

1. Where are we in the buying process of our prospect? 
2. What are we doing in each next step to influence their decision-making? 
3. How long does it take for the prospect to decide? 

Sales professionals can only answer these questions if they: 

• Know the buying process of their prospect 
• Know where they are in this process 
• Know what to do to influence (the process of) the prospect 
• Know the Decision Making Unit (DMU) 
• Know the time lines 

Do you or do your sales reports know the buying process of your prospects? 

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