Mike Dastic - What is the difference between a sales process and a sales methodology?
A sales process is the set of specific repeatable steps your sales team must follow to convert prospects into customers and close a sale, in other words it is a detailed manual.
Now, the sales methodology is the most general framework in which each sales process fits, it has more to do with the attitude and vision that one has about sales and within this framework, the process, the plan is elaborated.
Do you need to have both?
Ideally yes. Why? Because there are many ways to approach sales, many methodologies (which we will briefly describe in this article). First you must choose your vision, your approach, and then already think about the concrete steps, in your plan.
Now, could you go directly to the sales plan without deciding on a methodology? Of course you can, but that will leave you a very important gap: the sales vision that you are going to apply and that should organize your entire process. Maybe then you start to mix it all up "by trial and error" and hopefully it works for you, but it is always better to work in a more informed and systematic way than leaving it to chance.
There are methodologies that can share sales techniques, but there are also sales methodologies that are in opposition, that their vision of sales is radically different. That is why we always recommend choosing a sales methodology (or at least compatible methodologies) so that, based on it, you can design your sales plan, your "magic recipe".
Most popular sales methodologies
1. Sale of solutions. It became popular in the late 70's and early 80's. The salesperson should focus on what the customer "hurts" and not on the products that his company sells. The products are then offered as solutions to remedy that pain.
2. Challenger model. Based on the book by Dixon and Adamson and bearing that name: Challenger. Challenge means challenge. And that's what the salesperson should do, push the customer or challenge their preconceptions during the sales process.
3. Sandler model. Sellers of this model must deal with customer objections from the beginning, so both customer and seller time is not wasted. The intention is that, instead of the seller convincing the customer to buy, it is the customer who almost ends up convincing the seller to sell the product.
4. Consultative selling. The sales representative becomes the customer's advisor. He has earned this place based on listening to the customer over a period of time. Thanks to this strategy, the salesperson has come to know the customer and offer him what he needs, thus gaining authority as his advisor.
5. Inbound Sales. It is characterized by attracting customers based on offering them relevant content for them, instead of offering them irrelevant messages that will never interest them. It was born from the belief that:
1. Buyers today search for information (online) before contacting a sales representative.
2. Buyers block messages and sales techniques that are irrelevant to them (phone calls, television commercials ...).
3. Buyers are the ones who control the experience and therefore the seller is left with a more humane, more helpful approach to sales.
As you can see, there are methodologies that could be compatible and others that are not. The important thing is that you choose the approach that convinces you the most and from there, you build your sales process.
By Mike Dastic
Mike Dastic - What is the difference between a sales process and a sales methodology? A sales process is the set of specific repeatable steps your sales team must follow to convert prospects into customers and close a sale, in other words it is a detailed manual. Now, the sales methodology is the most general framework in which each sales process fits, it has more to do with the attitude and vision that one has about sales and within this framework, the process, the plan is elaborated. Do you need to have both? Ideally yes. Why? Because there are many ways to approach sales, many methodologies (which we will briefly describe in this article). First you must choose your vision, your approach, and then already think about the concrete steps, in your plan.
