There has always existed a structured sales process. I think you'll be a bit surprised if I tell you that this process has slightly changed from 1865. Yes, you've heard it well, this was happening 150 years ago, when Mark Twain has created maybe the first sales bible in the world: "The successful sales agent". We all know him, for "The adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn", but only few of us know that Mark Twain was also a visionaire, a businessman.

Here are the five progressive steps from The Successful Sales Agent to what he called “Canvassing” taken in the following natural order:

·       First: Thorough preparation

·       Second: Securing influence

·       Third: Gaining a hearing

·       Fourth: Creating a desire

·       Fifth: Taking the order

21st century-translation:

1. First of all, we want to know who are our potential clients and this is what we call prospecting. We have a number of leads in our pipeline, potential clients to whom we try to sell.

2. Next, we meet our potential client and try to discover what's his "pain". We ask questions, aiming to discover the need (a need that maybe he is not even aware of yet). We call this phase "qualification". It is important that during this step, we question our choice of following this lead, as we might discover it's basically a waste of time. 

3. Now that we know the needs of our client, it is time to build a customized offer, which would suit his necessities. 

!! (to keep in mind) - an offer that has to answer his needs and not just to sell our product, one that will bring an added value to our client. 

4. What's next? It would be great if we could skip this step, but we need to negotiate, to solve his objections, to clarify all details about the deal, so we make sure there are no possible complaints in the implementation phase. 

5. It's time to close the deal, to sign the contract. The thing is... the selling process doesn't end here.  Sometimes, even though the deal is closed, it takes a while until you actually get the money. 

6.  Let's move on to the implementation phase: it's time to deliver what we've promised. You want to be known in this small world as a salesman that keeps his promises. This is how you should build your personal brand. 

7. Guess what? We don't stop, we do follow-up with our client, we make sure he is happy and we initiate the process of upselling or cross-selling.  We ask for references, new contacts, new leads... and then we start all over again. 

            Although I presented it as being linear, the sales process is circular. Actually, it is a spiral, because we sell more and more to that client. Through this, we upgrade our relationship from being just a salesman offering products or services to becoming a trustworthy partner and consultant, bringing value to their business.

Materials included: video lessons, PPT materials sent by email, homework review, 1:1 on Skype.

10 video lessons - 15-20 minutes each

Ideal 10 weeks to complete the course: 1 video per week followed by week of practice.

If you want to have a solid base to become a successful B2B sales person, this is the perfect starting point.