Optimizing Your Entire Sales Process

Even when you are excellent at closing a sale, your numbers can be down due to natural ebbs and flows in the economy or product demand. But there are other reasons why you might not see the sales you want and deserve: you might not be doing your homework.

We get it; not everything your sales team does results in sales. And that’s okay, as long as you are prepping for future sales.

For some salespeople, the concept of pre-planning lasts as long as it takes to enter a new target persona in their contact list. The reality is that sales, especially sustained sales, is a minimum 90-day process and one that a sales team should always repeat.

Here’s a quick look at how you should be approaching your sales for next quarter.

90 Days to More Consistent Sales

In the latest Media Sales Report, half of salespeople said it takes a month or less to go from the first discovery call to closing the sale. 91% said that their entire sales process takes less than 90 days.

Sales success isn’t just about convincing people to buy your product. It’s about finding the right people to target.

When intending to have the perfect vacation, you have to plan for it. It’s even in the phrasing, “planning your vacation.” But do you also plan for your sales success?

If the answer is no, or kind of, then it’s probably reflected in your sales. There will always be those lucky sales where you walk in or call and have exactly what the client needs at exactly the right time.

But what if you could make that happen instead of hoping for the whims of fate and fortune?

You can!

Optimizing Your Entire Sales Process Starts with Planning

The key to success with the 90-Day Rule (or any sales plan) is to have a plan. While many business programs might talk about marketing analysis or product lifecycles, very few actually address the nuts and bolts of sales. They may tell you it’s about seeing a need or providing a solution for the problem, but what does that mean?

With the 90-Day Rule, you and your staff can figure that out.

What exactly is the 90-Day Rule?

It’s more simple than most people think. It boils down to: “What you do today will impact your sales in 90 days.”

That’s still a bit more broad than most people need, so let’s start with the basics.

The First 30 Days Toward Optimizing Your Sales Process

On Days 1 -30, your sales team should prospect and learn everything they can about their target personas and the product.

Using this system for an existing salesperson? No problem.

It’s still a good idea to offer a reminder of why the product is the best and what features it offers. This is a time to review new features or pricing options and make sure your sales staff can answer any questions that might come up in the sales process.

This is also the time for your sales team to learn about their target persona. Who are they trying to sell to?

If you sell a luxury project, it’s time to help your team identify those prospects. If it’s a well-known and often used and well-known project, then it’s time to help the team focus on differentiating themselves from the competition.

It’s good to think of the first 30 days as the knowledge-gathering phase. The team should be focused on knowing absolutely everything there is to know about the product and its customers. This should be when they contact existing customers for referrals and cold calls and develop a potential client list. Some sales may happen during this stage, but the goal is to figure out who you will target for sales later on.

As an employer, your job in the first 30 days is to provide the best training and support you can for your team.

The Middle 20 Days: Optimizing Your Client Relationships

If you are new to a sales team, new to a company, or just trying to ramp up some lagging sales, the second 30 days should be focused on building or rebuilding relationships with your clients. This is a time to call to check on your existing clients and get to know your prospects.

When these are existing clients, it’s time to check in and see how they are. This can be a time to revisit their needs or address any concerns. If the client is unhappy, now’s the time to fix that.

While the first 30 days were about getting to know your product, the second 30 days are about getting to know your buyers. Take the time to make sure you know everything you can about their business and put yourself in their shoes.

Would buying from you make their lives easier, better, or more convenient? 

The Final 30 Days: Optimizing Your Income

For most salespeople, getting to yes means generating income. This 30-day period is about taking all the knowledge you’ve been gathering and putting it together into a sales pitch that addresses your client’s needs and improves your bottom line. And yet, it is a place that many people struggle with.

If you have done your first 60 days right, asking for the sale becomes infinitely easier. You know you have what they need, you know why they need it, and you have built a relationship so that you can explain it.

The best part of the 90-day plan is that you can start it again at any time! You can even have a different schedule for each client if needed. With a rolling schedule, you can keep building your client base for continual sales!

Key Insights on Streamlining the Sales Cycle 

1. The First 30 Days: Prospecting and Knowledge Gathering

• Activities include reviewing product features and pricing, learning about the target persona, contacting existing customers for referrals, and developing a list of potential clients.
• The goal is to equip the sales team with comprehensive knowledge before reaching out to prospects.

2. The Middle 20 Days: Building and Nurturing Client Relationships

• This stage is about connecting with existing clients and prospects identified in the first 30 days.
• Salespeople should aim to understand the clients’ businesses, needs, and pain points deeply.
• The objective is to position the product/service as a solution that can make the clients’ lives easier, better, or more convenient.

3. The Final 30 Days: Closing Sales and Generating Income

• Armed with a deep understanding of the product and the client’s needs, salespeople should focus on crafting personalized sales pitches and closing deals.
• The groundwork laid in the previous 60 days should make it easier to demonstrate how the product/service addresses the client’s specific needs and improves their bottom line.