3 steps to optimize your sales process
The sales process has similarities with the marketing funnel , but it addresses the issue from an operational point of view, that is, how your business is day-to-day and how the communication and customer attraction process is integrated, so the focus of the commercial process must be aligned with the marketing and communication strategies
What is a sales process
We define the commercial process or sales process as the orderly process in which a person goes from prospect to customer and becomes a recurring customer.
Let's say it is a win-win cycle in most cases, since to have an excellent business you must first make sure you have an excellent product or service.
Phases of the commercial process that every company has
In short, any sales process has a beginning, a development and an end, in this way we divide these steps into: (Before, During and After) in your commercial process.
1 Unit before (to be a client)
The unit of before is usually associated with the upper part of the marketing funnel , however, this is not necessarily true since, if you already have a customer base or a higher positioning than your competition, you will know that your sales come from different sources , some more profitable than others.
From this module we will analyze the following aspects
1. Analyze your competition
Explore the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal against those of the competition, focus on the most relevant aspects for your clients, since the analysis of the competition can get out of focus when we analyze too many variables.
You can make observations and visits to the points of sale of your competition, as well as interviews with people to obtain the information that is most important, not everything is found on the internet.
2. Determine the potential scope
Determining the number of potential customers and the way in which people buy your products is the starting point to initiate communication actions, since each business model has its peculiarities.
You can obtain the information from sources such as inegi by making a geographic and demographic segmentation, or in sources such as the facebook ad planner you can find the information you need by segmenting by interests and categories related to your audience.
3. Acquisition sources (Online and Offline)
Determine which channels and means of communication are most profitable, as well as the efforts you require to obtain the results.
The starting point is to define if your product or service is actively searched by users or is it discovered through communication channels such as banners on Facebook or Instagram.
This unit is measured in the number of new or predisposed customers.
2 Unit of the during (purchase)
At this point, your customer base already buys from you or is interested, as it is time to give it an extraordinary experience so that you highlight your competitive advantage.
It doesn't matter if you compete for price, quality, cost benefit, etc. It is at this point that the objective is to understand how to create or improve the shopping experience of your customers.
1. When you have physical points of sale
You already know your competition and what your market is looking for, it's time to implement improvements that deliver a superior experience than expected, so think about which elements you can improve and stand out from your competitor.
- Point of sale presentation
- Accessibility and ease of location
- Cleanliness, order and ease of purchase
- Customer service at point of sale (In constant improvement)
2. When there are no points of sale
It integrates a complete digital presence since we all like to receive a good treatment in person, it also applies by digital means.
- Good usability on website or e-commerce
- Clarity and effectiveness in the purchase process
- Virtual or automated customer service support
- Follow-up right after purchase
This unit is measured in percentage of leads converted into sales
3 After Unit (how you make it come back)
This unit is in charge of generating strategies so that customers who have already bought return and remain loyal to the brand. What is analyzed?
1. Content strategy
- Create content that educates and adds value to your customers
- Create a monitoring system giving support and post purchase maintenance
- User manual and training
2. Promotion strategy
- You have already bought product A, you may also be interested in product B
- Loyalty programs
- Discounts and promotions
This unit is measured in the number of repurchase income and it is the one that gives the highest profitability since a returning customer costs less to acquire it, as well as the sale process is shorter.
