Understanding the Buying Process in Sales

by Victor Antonio

I received a call from a salesperson, we'll call her Sara, trying to sell me an upgrade to an existing software application I currently own. Sarah began telling me about the product and proceeded to go through the laundry list of features. I listened attentively but I was struck by a simple misstep in her sales' process. Sarah never asked me what I was using my application for or what were some of MY NEEDS; which by the way were currently not available.

 
When she finished her spiel and asked for my thoughts, I said, "That's great, but can it do X?" She stammered for awhile as she tried to regain her sale's bearing. She proceeded to give me some fuzzy answer on how it could be done, but it would required some creativity on MY part to get it done. Thanks, but no thanks.
 

What did she miss? Salespeople are often times more focused on selling their products (i.e., laying out benefits, telling them about their great pricing, etc.) then they are about taking the time to understand how the buying process works.
 

The buying process is all about recognizing what steps are necessary to bring a sale to closure. Each step is critical and can make or break a sale for you. Equally important, you need to know who is involved in the decision making process in order to save you time and effort. No matter what product or service you sell, you have to go through a buying process similar to the following:
 

Need/Want Recognition
In the phone call example I mentioned above, Sarah the salesperson jumped right over this step and went right into selling. Understanding what the customer needs or wants is crucial. Getting a good understanding requires that you ask a lot of questions before you can offer up a solution.
In many cases, the customer may even be unaware of the a need they have. Have a set of questions prepared that methodically aim at discovering or uncovering a customers needs and wants.
 

Digesting the Information
Depending on the size of the sale, the customer will usually want to evaluate the information you've presented. They will also want to compare quantitative information (e.g., pricing, specifications, etc) with other products or services in the market. In larger sales, this evaluation process is a necessary step and can't be skipped. I've known to many salespeople in my life who try to ram a decision down a customer's throat without allowing them adequate time to digest the information presented. If you're selling cars, this strategy may work. But it doesn't play well with bigger sales.
 

Evaluation
After collecting information from various sources, the customer will more than likely narrow down the list of possibilities and come back to you the salesperson with a few more question. I recommend that you as a salesperson call to set up this follow-up meeting to address any unanswered questions or concerns. This is where the where you again begin to probe with questions on what the customer thought about the product or proposal. The aim here is to uncover any latent or hidden objections that might jeopardize the sale as you try to bring it to a close.
 

This stage is critical because you have to time the close. If you try to close to early, you might risk coming off as too pushy. A good indicator of when it's time to close, is when you go through a series of questions and concerns and the customer is responding to each of the answers positively. When you feel the momentum, go for the close.
 

Buying
I once heard that a sales is complete when the buyer buys again. I've always liked that saying because it is a reminder that the sale doesn't end with the sale, it begins. Satisfying a customer post-sale is just as critical to the long term success of your company.
 

Victor Antonio is a Sales Trainer and Motivational Speaker with 20 years of industry experience in the market.  He has a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA.

Copyright © 2005 by Victor Antonio   All rights reserved.  This article MAY be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, as long as the author’s name, website and email address are included as part of the article’s body.  All inquiries, including information on electronic licensing, should be directed to Victor Antonio.