by Steve Trang
Sales isn’t what most people think it is, says Steve Trang. Convincing people to buy or sell something they don’t want isn’t Sales. It’s definitely not the plaid jacket used car salesmen and their uncouth behavior.
Steve is one of the top sales trainers in the real estate world. He is a successful realtor, broker, real estate investor, and owner of Scottsdale Community Bank. Investors who acquire hundreds of real estate properties each year hire Steve to train their sales teams.
What Is Sales?
A salesperson is a problem solver. The client has a situation that they need to be resolved. Sales are finding the solution to what ails them.
The hitch comes in with human nature. People want their problems solved but they don’t want other people to know they have a problem. This makes it rather tough to assist them.
Sales is a Process
Everyone knows someone who is just “naturally” good at sales. Usually, this person can talk a great game and schmooze people.
But they’re not doing anything that is repeatable, nor can they train anyone else. They’ll stumble across something that works sometimes but when it doesn’t work, they don’t know why.
With that in mind, Steve says you need a Sales PROCESS. The larger the transaction, the more you need to learn about the client’s problems and what they need to solve them. A Sales Process handles the following:
- Extracts information
- Proposes a good solution to their problem
- Can be taught to others
- Can be objectively scored, measured, and improved upon
Key Points of a Sales Process
Steve has spent years designing a Sales Process for maximum success. First, you must gather crucial information from the client. However, the client won’t give that to you easily, usually because they are wary of salespeople. Additionally, the larger the transaction – the more cautious clients become.
Steve’s Sales Process has been developed over many years and works in all situations because it puts the client’s needs first. The salesperson isn’t trying to convince the client to act, rather the Sales Process uncovers what the client needs so you can craft a solution. To further explain, see the breakdown below.
There are eight main steps to a proper Sales Process:
- Establish the Rules – sets expectations
- Extract Pain Points – find the real reason the client needs help
- Transition – restate the Rules and Pain Points to get an agreement
- Extract Price – what price the client wants
- Extract Timeline – how long to solve their problem
- Extract Decision Makers – who really makes the final decision
- Close the Appointment – recap all of the above, and expose any hidden objections
- Prevent Seller Remorse – prop up the client so they feel confident in their decision
Notice that price was not mentioned above. That’s because too many people focus on price and not solving problems. Frequently, the winning offer is not the best price but one which solves the client’s actual, hidden, and real problem. If the key point for the client is price, you will discover that by going through your Sales Process.
Overall, when you approach sales from this direction – you close more deals and solve more problems.