Where is the bottleneck in your process?info.tabboards.com/Marketing/BOSS Presentations/Where are...
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Where Are the Bottlenecks in Your Sales Process? Bob Dodge – TAB Denver West
Transcript of Where is the bottleneck in your process?info.tabboards.com/Marketing/BOSS Presentations/Where are...
Where Are the Bottlenecks in Your Sales Process?
Bob Dodge – TAB Denver West
Why Be Concerned With Your Bottleneck?
The Kink in your Garden Hose…
Limiting Factor in your Production…
The Hour Glass in your Sales Process…
Let’s Look at Your Sales Process…
Is it a funnel?
Leads
Prospects
Customers
… or is it more of
an hourglass?
Let’s Look at Your Sales Process…
Is it a funnel? … or … maybe… a straw?
Leads
Prospects
Customers
What if?
You could remove the kink
in your sales process?
You could use this approach to
remove the kink in any of your
processes?
Would This Mean?
More sales… more shipments... more revenues?
Less stress, higher quality of life?
So… How Do We Find and Remove the Bottlenecks?
1. Define your process
2. Find the weak links
3. Determine root cause
4. Remediate…
5. Reinforce
6. Look for the next “kink”
Define Your (Sales) Process…
Initial Meeting
Set Appointment
Initial Appointment
Gather Requirements
Prepare Proposal
Present Proposal
Negotiate
Close Post Sale
Define Your Process…
Where is it done, what tools, by whom, what technique…?
Find the weak links
Frank told me he handed out business cards to all of his clients and told them he’d appreciate referrals…
… but got no referrals…” not sure why.
Initial Meeting Intial Appointment
Setting
Initial Appointment Gathering
Requirements
Proposal Preparation Presentation Negotiation Close Post Sale
Find the weak links
Joe told me he had 25 people say they wanted personal appointments… … but when they were contacted to schedule the meeting, they said “No thanks…” he never got the initial appointments.
Initial Meeting Intial Appointment
Setting
Initial Appointment Gathering
Requirements
Proposal Preparation Presentation Negotiation Close Post Sale
Find the weak links
Mary told me that she lost sales when she tried to close. She knew what the customer needed…
…but when she presented the solution (and the price) in their office, the prospects often said “Thanks, we’ll get back with you…” and of course, she never spoke with them again.
Initial Meeting Intial Appointment
Setting
Initial Appointment Gathering
Requirements
Proposal Preparation Presentation Negotiation Close Post Sale
Some will measure their process (and this is good…)
Intros Discussions Meetings Proposals Sales
Sales Rep A 2 2 1 0 0
Sales Rep B 14 8 4 0 0
Sales Rep C 8 8 1 1 1
Sales Rep C 0 0 0 0 0
Sales Rep D 5 5 3 0 0
Sales Rep E 8 6 4 1 0
Sales Rep F 1 1 1 0 0
Sales Rep G 6 4 2 0 0
Sales Rep H 1 1 1 0 0
Sales Rep I 1 1 0 0 0
TOTAL 46 36 17 2 1
Determine the Root Causes…
1. A, C , F, H, and I need more Introductions – why aren’t there more?
2. C is not getting enough Meetings after discussions – why not?
3. Overall, we are not generating enough Proposals – why not?
4. Only one sale –are Closing techniques the problem?
Intros Discussions Meetings Proposals Sales
Sales Rep A 2 2 1 0 0
Sales Rep B 14 8 4 0 0
Sales Rep C 8 8 1 1 1
Sales Rep C 0 0 0 0 0
Sales Rep D 5 5 3 0 0
Sales Rep E 8 6 4 1 0
Sales Rep F 1 1 1 0 0
Sales Rep G 6 4 2 0 0
Sales Rep H 1 1 1 0 0
Sales Rep I 1 1 0 0 0
TOTAL 46 36 17 2 1
Determine the root causes…
Frank told me he handed out business cards to all of his clients and told them he’d appreciate referrals but got no referrals…”
Needs a more efficient way to get referrals
Ask clients for permission to call their referrals
Be more specific as to who might be a good prospect
Coach his clients on what to say
Joe told me he had 25 people say they wanted personal appointments, but when they were contacted to schedule the
meeting, they said “No thanks…”
Consider what is being said, how it is being said and who is delivering the message.
Determine the root causes…
Mary told me that she lost sales when she tried to close. She knew what the customer needed, but when she presented the solution (and the price) in their office, the prospects often said
“Thanks, we’ll get back with you…”
Consider slowing down the pacing in proposal development.
Maybe she needs a Clear Distinct Future or an Up Front Contact.
Determine the root causes…
What are the remedies? The process step itself
Did we miss a step
The sequence
The way in which the task is done
What Are the Remedies?
What are the remedies? The person who does the step
The tool used for the step
The technique
What Are the Remedies?
You Have Three Choices
Ignore the problem – put up with the Status Quo
Try to fix it
Replace the “problem” (sprinkler, hose, person, software, brochure, etc.)
Remediate
Brainstorm the potential solutions
Plan the implementation
“Fix it!”
If You Decide to “Fix It...”
1. Make sure you have a baseline for measuring improvements
2. Brainstorm the potential changes – no bad ideas
3. Pick the best idea (or a blend of all the ideas)
4. Prioritize and sequence the ideas that should be attempted first
5. Determine the specific steps required to make the change – what needs to be done?
6. Assign responsible parties and due dates for these tasks.
7. Hold people accountable and recognize/reward their efforts to reinforce the fix
Why Reinforce (Recognize & Reward)?
You want your “fix” to stick…
You to build a culture where people know you are committed
You don’t want to build a history of “hit and runs”
If You Decide to “Fix It...”
1. Make sure you have a baseline for measuring improvements
2. Brainstorm the potential changes – no bad ideas
3. Pick the best idea (or a blend of all the ideas)
4. Prioritize and sequence the ideas that should be attempted first
5. Determine the specific steps required to make the change – what needs to be done?
6. Assign responsible parties and due dates for these tasks.
7. Hold people accountable and recognize/reward their efforts
8. Measure the impact of the changes and be prepared to back off the ones that make the problem worse!
Finding and Removing the Bottlenecks in any process…
1. Define your process
2. Find the weak links
3. Determine root cause
4. Remediate the root cause
5. Reinforce
6. Look for the next “kink”
