A five-step sales framework for IT sales, with focus on Step 1: Gaining Access. You need 12-15 contacts through voicemail and email to reach the right decision-maker. Most organizations skip retention entirely, the biggest missed opportunity in the cycle.
All right, everybody, let's keep moving forward in our quest to be the best here as we explore this 360 IT Sales System. And the first step in the whole process, we've got a total of 5 steps. The first is gaining access. Now, where does gaining access begin and where does it end? And how does this 360 thing kind of work out? Well, what we want to do with my IT Sales System is we want to complete the full circle, okay? So we wanna bring in a customer at the top of the circle, we wanna sell them and then we wanna retain them. As they come back to the top of the circle, we wanna renew them again and again and keep them in that loop. So the first step is being able to establish a very good rapport in terms of gaining access. We need to be able to get vividly to the right person. Step number 2 is making a change. These folks that we're talking to, we're asking them to make some type of change. From something or from nothing to something, our system, or from one of our competitors to us. So step number 2, and we're gonna detail all these one by one here in just a second. Step number 2, decisions and change. We all know that change is brutal. Step number 3, presenting proposals. What is it that you're doing and how are you presenting proposals? Are you doing things to create what I like to call the path of least resistance? Step number 4, yet another decision. After you make your pitch, you present your proposal, then another decision has to be made. Remember, people hate making decisions, so you have to make that process really, really easy. And then of course, step number 5 is the retention plan, and that's where a lot of us fall short because we truly as a company do not have in place an accurate and detailed Advertiser retention program. All right, so let's rock forward with step number 1, gaining access. Now, there's all kinds of ways that leads might come into your office. Maybe you've got a very detailed lead nurturing system, but at some point you're going to have to get on the phone or email potential customers to get them to switch. All right, if you truly believe, or if you've been told, that you can accomplish all of this via email, I'm here to tell you that that is not correct. Now, it's not that it won't work, but it's a matter of you wanna go from good to great, where you're gonna have to get really good at gaining access. Here's the thing to remember, guys, is that we live in a world of overstimulation. Think about it. It can take as many as 12 to 15 touches when you're trying to sell an IT product. Products, whether it's advertising on a website or new software or an upgrade to current software, even if it's hardware. Guys, you've got to remember something. We live in a world where people require more stimulation than ever before to make a decision. So don't be discouraged easy. You're going to have to overstimulate in a lot of cases. Now, what are your access issues? Is your access issue that you don't know the right person to call? Is your access issue that you don't have their email? Is the access issue that the email is old or it's wrong? You need to stop for a minute and identify what are the things that stop me from potentially getting on the phone with the person and giving them a demo. Detail those things out and then begin to attack them one by one. Now, for me, what I really feel is so important is this one point on your screen now and that's How about having a really good voicemail and email strategies? See, a lot of people in the sales space will teach you to never leave a voicemail. You only wanna talk to people when you're on their— your terms and not theirs. Here's the thing that I like to say: I love to use voicemails as a way to advance my marketing message and as a way for me to become a known entity to that individual. Next, what is the most common obstacle you face? Most of the time, that common obstacle actually is you, and you need to have a better process. What is your attack pattern? How many times are you contacting a person via email or voicemail? And remember, it's 12 to 15 times, so how are you doing it? When are you doing it? Are you doing things on a set pattern? Look at the schedule on my screen. Are you talking to people on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Tuesday, Thursday basis? Do you have a battle plan, or are you just sitting there with your headset on and hoping to shoot the moon? Are you just hoping that you're gonna shoot from the hip and be able to bring in a big account? Guys, we're gonna now move on to step number 2, and this is all about decisions and change. So let's move on to the next video.
