3 Keys to Being in Control of the Sales Process: Even When You Feel Out of Control

Sales can seem difficult and out of control unless you know the keys to making the sales process easy. Always be in control.

Here are the 3 keys:

1. On every sales call, before the call is over, you must agree on next steps. You can never assume your prospect will follow up. You must discuss the next steps.

2. Here’s what to say: Depending on how the call went and the timing of your prospect, ask if it’s OK to schedule a follow up call at a specific date and time that is sensible for where you and the prospect are in the process.

• a. If your customer says "sure," then agree to the appointment date and time, and get it on your calendar. Email them confirmation.
• b. If the customer says something like, “I’m not ready to schedule a follow up call yet, I will reach out to you,” of course you cannot argue with the prospect. Here’s what to say: “That’s great. I will look forward to hearing from you. May I ask, if I don’t hear from you by the end of next month [or whatever timing is sensible], is it OK if I reach back out to you?”

3. If your customer reaches out to you before the soft deadline you mentioned above, then good for you. Most likely they will not reach out and so you will need to follow up. Either call them or email them to remind them, “I enjoyed our last conversation, and we agreed it would be OK for me to reach out if I didn’t hear back from you by the end of the month. What day and time works for you to talk again?”

This three-step process does two great things. First, it puts you in control, even if you feel out of control. Second, when you follow up like you promised, it shows your prospect that they can trust you. That you do what you say you will do. Since people buy from people they know, like and trust, you are going a long way to developing trust.