We all live in the Sandler Submarine

Do you want to earn more money and have more fun in your sales position? Easy, just master the art of identifying your prospect’s pain. For this, it is necessary to have a sales methodology or system. That’s where Sandler’s proven Sales System comes into play for you. It is not easy, but very manageable.

Sandler uses a visual aid to help show his sales process. We call it the Sandler Submarine:

The Sandler submarine has 7 chambers or steps in its process and moves from left to right. If a real submarine is in danger, the crew close each other’s chamber in an effort to prevent the sub from sinking. It works pretty much the same way with the Sandler System. Take care of each step along the way, and you’ll have a much better chance of avoiding a sunken deal. In fact, with a proven systematic approach to sales, you have a good chance of consistently positive results.

Having good sales techniques is like fueling your submarine, it makes it run. However, without an established system, random techniques will only produce random results. In the Sandler System, discovering the prospect’s pain is the engine that ties it all together, leading to consistent success.

WHY HAVE A SYSTEM?

Most people have a system or at least habits that they fall back on when it comes to many daily routines, like taking a shower, getting ready for work, and even on your daily commute. You call for a system that works for you and usually in the most efficient way, or at least what you perceive to be the most efficient way. So if sales are your livelihood, doesn’t it make sense to have a proven process or system that produces great results?

Achieving great results will make your sales job more profitable for you and even make selling fun. yes fun Winning is fun and getting more deals means more profit. So hop on the Sandler Submarine and enjoy the ride. The seven proven steps will ensure that you do everything you need to do to uncover your prospects’ problems and pain, the key to getting more and better business.

THE SEVEN STEPS

The seven steps are briefly described below. Keep in mind that the first two will be constant in your sales discussion, which means you’ll need them throughout the entire process. The last five steps are sequential landmark events that you’ll complete and lock, like a watertight seal on a submarine, before proceeding with any perspective. We’ll go deeper into each step in future blog posts.

1. Linking and reporting

The first step is to establish links and relationships. It is important that your potential customer likes you, respects you, and trusts you. We use many tools like DISC Y NLP to help us establish a strong bond and communication process.

2. Contract in advance

The advance contract is a verbal (sometimes written by email) agreement between you and the prospect about what will happen in your current and/or future conversations. It sets the table and in many cases, the expectations for both parties when it comes to a sales meeting. In the Sandler System, we use the acronym for five steps PAATOto establish the guidelines for the contract in advance.

P is for the purpose of discussion or meeting

HAS is their agenda, what topics would they like to discuss

HAS It is for your Agenda, what topics would you like to discuss?

you is to establish an amount of time needed for the meeting that is appropriate for the issues being discussed

EITHER is for a Result that is acceptable… Yes, No, or a future meeting.

3. Bread

In the pain step, salespeople try to uncover three to five deep-seated emotional need points: pains. If they find no pain, the prospect is disqualified. No bread, no profit. Go to the next offer.

4. Budget

Assuming the prospect has three, four, or five pains, move on to the fourth step, which is called the budget step. In the budget step, you’re looking to find out how much, if anything, the prospect will pay to ease the pain. You need to find out if there is money available to deal with this problem. All the resources the prospect will need to commit to your project should be agreed upon here.

5. Decision

This fifth step, the Decision Step, is sometimes referred to as the last contract up front. This is because in this step you reach an agreement with the prospect and confirm that he or she has the authority to make a decision in your favor. You and the prospect agree that after you share with the prospect how you intend to work with them, solve their problems, and ease their pain, he or she will make a decision.

6. Compliance

We call the submission the Compliance Step. This sixth step begins with salespeople reviewing the previous pain, budget, and decision steps and sharing recommendations on what they would specifically do to alleviate that pain. when the sellers “to fulfill the bread”, they offer the prospect a product and service that solves the problem, and nothing else.

7. After sales

This seventh step, the Post-Sales Step, occurs after the sale is closed. It has three purposes. The first is to check for any buyer’s remorse and address it, if any. (Wouldn’t you rather hear about it now than later when you’re not face to face with the prospect?) The second is to get introductions or referrals or, if you prefer, set the stage for getting them later. in the relationship. The third is to discuss next steps and delivery schedule details and provide any deliverables to others in your organization. This step ensures that you have a smooth transition to the next stage of your customer relationship.

It is important that you follow the seven steps in the system in the order in which they are presented. They are specifically organized to ensure that you can progress smoothly through the sales cycle without “missing a spot.” I look forward to a deeper look at each step in future blogs. Stay tuned.