RR#102 - My killer sales framework

Sales make or break a business.

And if you don’t know what you’re doing, sales calls can be a minefield.

Loads of entrepreneurs don’t have a structure that they work from. And it literally costs them hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

So below is a sales call structure that one consulting client has used to increase close rates from 26% to 44%.

It’s the one I use, too.

Use this as a template for your next call. I promise it works.

Step 1: Prepare

• This is the easiest step to do. But it’s also the easiest step to skip.

• But here’s the thing: if you invest just 10 minutes preparing for a sales call, you will close more deals.

• You’ll be more confident.

• You’ll ask better, more relevant questions.

• And avoid burning your credibility by asking dumb questions that a few minutes of research could have prevented.

Step 2: Opening

• Build rapport

  • When I say ‘rapport’, I don’t mean getting chummy and talking about local football and the weather.

  • Because when it comes to selling high ticket services, credible trumps likeable.

  • Instead, I mean quickly establishing that you are confident, competent, and credible.  

• Set the agenda

  • “I have us down for x min, is that what you have? Great, I have some questions to go through…”

  • This is all about taking control and setting clear expectations for how the call is going to go.

  • And giving yourself the space to run your process.

• Credibility

  • The best way to build credibility is to have your prospect do it for you.

  • If your call is with an inbound lead, it’s as simple as asking them to tell you what led them to book a call.

  • If not, ask them if there was anything specific in your outreach that led them to respond.

Step 3: Diagnose

• You wouldn’t trust a mechanic’s recommendations if they never looked at your car.

• Diagnosing is all about:

  • Clarifying the challenges they are having.

  • Confirming you can help.

  • Creating credibility for your prescription.

• The most effective way to diagnose what’s going on? Identify where they are now, where they want to go, and what’s holding them back

• Once you think you have it: summarize it for them and have them confirm you diagnosed the problem accurately.

Step 4: Prescribe a Solution

• Always ask for permission to present your solution. It lowers defenses. “Sounds like I understand the problems you’re facing. And I can certainly help. Does it make sense to walk you through what that looks like?”

• It’s now time to present your process. Start by explaining - at a high level - how you approach solving problems. Then, explain how that approach applies to them.

• Absolutely crucial: tie it back to everything they told you was important in the diagnosis. Otherwise, they’ll feel they’ve wasted 20 minutes answering questions that weren’t really relevant.

Step 5: Close

• After following the process, closing will ideally feel almost anti-climactic.

• There are generally 2 ways to close. The first is to ‘Close With Questions.’ Example: “So, where would you like to go from here?” Let them close themselves.

• Alternatively, you can use the ‘Assumptive Close.’ You can ask “Any reason not to get started today?”

Step 6: Handle objections

• Your aim isn’t to ‘overcome’ the objection. Nobody buys when they feel like they’re in an argument.

• Once you get an objection: your job is to figure out the real underlying issue. The best way to do that is to be legitimately curious and ask questions.

• Remember: We serve by selling. If we can genuinely help solve a meaningful problem, we have an obligation to sell properly.

If it works for you, let me know. Hope it helps.