Where Are the Bottlenecks in Your Sales Process?

Bob Dodge – TAB Denver West

Why Be Concerned With Your Bottleneck?

The Kink in your Garden Hose…

Limiting Factor in your Production…

The Hour Glass in your Sales Process…

Let’s Look at Your Sales Process…

Is it a funnel?

Leads

Prospects

Customers

… or is it more of

an hourglass?

Let’s Look at Your Sales Process…

Is it a funnel? … or … maybe… a straw?

Leads

Prospects

Customers

What if?

You could remove the kink

in your sales process?

You could use this approach to

remove the kink in any of your

processes?

Would This Mean?

More sales… more shipments... more revenues?

Less stress, higher quality of life?

So… How Do We Find and Remove the Bottlenecks?

1. Define your process

2. Find the weak links

3. Determine root cause

4. Remediate…

5. Reinforce

6. Look for the next “kink”

Define Your (Sales) Process…

Initial Meeting

Set Appointment

Initial Appointment

Gather Requirements

Prepare Proposal

Present Proposal

Negotiate

Close Post Sale

Define Your Process…

Where is it done, what tools, by whom, what technique…?

Find the weak links

Frank told me he handed out business cards to all of his clients and told them he’d appreciate referrals…

… but got no referrals…” not sure why.

Initial Meeting Intial Appointment

Setting

Initial Appointment Gathering

Requirements

Proposal Preparation Presentation Negotiation Close Post Sale

Find the weak links

Joe told me he had 25 people say they wanted personal appointments… … but when they were contacted to schedule the meeting, they said “No thanks…” he never got the initial appointments.

Initial Meeting Intial Appointment

Setting

Initial Appointment Gathering

Requirements

Proposal Preparation Presentation Negotiation Close Post Sale

Find the weak links

Mary told me that she lost sales when she tried to close. She knew what the customer needed…

…but when she presented the solution (and the price) in their office, the prospects often said “Thanks, we’ll get back with you…” and of course, she never spoke with them again.

Initial Meeting Intial Appointment

Setting

Initial Appointment Gathering

Requirements

Proposal Preparation Presentation Negotiation Close Post Sale

Some will measure their process (and this is good…)

Intros Discussions Meetings Proposals Sales

Sales Rep A 2 2 1 0 0

Sales Rep B 14 8 4 0 0

Sales Rep C 8 8 1 1 1

Sales Rep C 0 0 0 0 0

Sales Rep D 5 5 3 0 0

Sales Rep E 8 6 4 1 0

Sales Rep F 1 1 1 0 0

Sales Rep G 6 4 2 0 0

Sales Rep H 1 1 1 0 0

Sales Rep I 1 1 0 0 0

TOTAL 46 36 17 2 1

Determine the Root Causes…

1. A, C , F, H, and I need more Introductions – why aren’t there more?

2. C is not getting enough Meetings after discussions – why not?

3. Overall, we are not generating enough Proposals – why not?

4. Only one sale –are Closing techniques the problem?

Intros Discussions Meetings Proposals Sales

Sales Rep A 2 2 1 0 0

Sales Rep B 14 8 4 0 0

Sales Rep C 8 8 1 1 1

Sales Rep C 0 0 0 0 0

Sales Rep D 5 5 3 0 0

Sales Rep E 8 6 4 1 0

Sales Rep F 1 1 1 0 0

Sales Rep G 6 4 2 0 0

Sales Rep H 1 1 1 0 0

Sales Rep I 1 1 0 0 0

TOTAL 46 36 17 2 1

Determine the root causes…

Frank told me he handed out business cards to all of his clients and told them he’d appreciate referrals but got no referrals…”

Needs a more efficient way to get referrals

Ask clients for permission to call their referrals

Be more specific as to who might be a good prospect

Coach his clients on what to say

Joe told me he had 25 people say they wanted personal appointments, but when they were contacted to schedule the

meeting, they said “No thanks…”

Consider what is being said, how it is being said and who is delivering the message.

Determine the root causes…

Mary told me that she lost sales when she tried to close. She knew what the customer needed, but when she presented the solution (and the price) in their office, the prospects often said

“Thanks, we’ll get back with you…”

Consider slowing down the pacing in proposal development.

Maybe she needs a Clear Distinct Future or an Up Front Contact.

Determine the root causes…

What are the remedies? The process step itself

Did we miss a step

The sequence

The way in which the task is done

What Are the Remedies?

What are the remedies? The person who does the step

The tool used for the step

The technique

What Are the Remedies?

You Have Three Choices

Ignore the problem – put up with the Status Quo

Try to fix it

Replace the “problem” (sprinkler, hose, person, software, brochure, etc.)

Remediate

Brainstorm the potential solutions

Plan the implementation

“Fix it!”

If You Decide to “Fix It...”

1. Make sure you have a baseline for measuring improvements

2. Brainstorm the potential changes – no bad ideas

3. Pick the best idea (or a blend of all the ideas)

4. Prioritize and sequence the ideas that should be attempted first

5. Determine the specific steps required to make the change – what needs to be done?

6. Assign responsible parties and due dates for these tasks.

7. Hold people accountable and recognize/reward their efforts to reinforce the fix

Why Reinforce (Recognize & Reward)?

You want your “fix” to stick…

You to build a culture where people know you are committed

You don’t want to build a history of “hit and runs”

If You Decide to “Fix It...”

1. Make sure you have a baseline for measuring improvements

2. Brainstorm the potential changes – no bad ideas

3. Pick the best idea (or a blend of all the ideas)

4. Prioritize and sequence the ideas that should be attempted first

5. Determine the specific steps required to make the change – what needs to be done?

6. Assign responsible parties and due dates for these tasks.

7. Hold people accountable and recognize/reward their efforts

8. Measure the impact of the changes and be prepared to back off the ones that make the problem worse!

Finding and Removing the Bottlenecks in any process…

1. Define your process

2. Find the weak links

3. Determine root cause

4. Remediate the root cause

5. Reinforce

6. Look for the next “kink”

Questions?

Bob@TABDenverWest.com

www.TheAlternativeBoard.com/events