Fastest Way to Pinpoint Problems... Having a Sales Process

How frustrating would it be if you started to have some car problems and when you took it to a mechanic, they popped the hood, looked at it and said… I don’t know, you probably need a new car.

Now if you want a new car, then this is GREAT news. But a normal response would be extremely frustrated with the mechanic. They didn’t check anything out.

The reality is, a good mechanic knows where to look and what to test based on what’s happening. They know what it should be doing and how it operates so they go down their list.

• How’s the battery?
• Is the starter working?
• How’s the fuel system?
• How’s the engine compression?

The list goes on… until they find the problem. This again is because the mechanic knows what should be happening and it’s consistent.

In sales, when you don’t have a sales process and a rep is struggling, it’s oftentimes like the mechanic who just pops the hood and says, they aren’t a fit… time for a new one.

With a sales process, you can go down the list and see where they are struggling.

Here are the key stages of the sales process and the parts of the engine they can be compared to:

🚗 Discovery Call: Do they understand the prospect's pain points and needs? Are they asking the right questions and engaging with the prospect?

🔧 Follow-Ups: How are they doing these follow-ups? Are they including the pain points the prospect has and language that is specific to them?

🔍 Demo: Is the demo specific to the prospect’s needs? Are they engaging the prospect throughout? Are they setting up the next steps?

💰 Pricing: How are they presenting pricing? Are they just sending it over in an email or are they doing it on a call? Do they focus on the prospect’s pain points and the impact of their problems if they fix them? How does pricing compare to the impact of their problem?

🤝 Closing: How is their closing? Do they bring the prospect's words into their close? Are they focusing on what the prospect wants and why?

Knowing what should be happening at every step of the way helps you identify what’s wrong and where you can help. Whether it’s an individual rep that is struggling or the team as a whole… having a process helps you see exactly where and what is causing the problem.