Application of the structure of the trade conversation in practice

Sales Trainings

So let's look at the definition of structure itself. According to   Wikipedia, the structure  (Latin:  "construction,  way of building") is primarily:  

1. The arrangement of the components of the layout and the relationship (interconnectedness) relationship between those elements, characteristic of that layout; the manner in which parts of any whole are interconnected. The structure is what gives the whole unity is a permanent element of the organized whole.
2. Structure is a way of putting something in some order.
3. Internal structure of the body.
4. A layout whose elements are related to each other in a specific way with the relationships in a given way; the whole, built in a certain way from some elements; Team.

Based on my training experience and my own sales practice, I conclude that a good understanding of the structure of the trade conversation gives many benefits to sellers. So let's look at what my proposed structure might look like:

1. Welcome and opening introduction
2. Needs analysis
3. Overcoming objections and reservations
4. Sales closing

The model presented above contains the most important elements of the trade conversation. However, it often happens that the authors of various training concepts introduce additional stages, expanding the model to 6, 8 or even 12 steps. However, based on my sales experience, I find that the introduction of many elements can only cause unnecessary confusion during such a modeled conversation. I also noted with amazement that, there is lack of main step in the current training concepts of sales conversation’s structure.  Do you think that the elements above should contain any additional content that can significantly affect our effectiveness?

The answer to the above question is not at all the easiest. Perhaps you will propose some new element that could follow the stage of overcoming objections and reservations. Or maybe you'll think it's better to insert another item in the form of a trial closing sale. You may want to replace overcoming price objections as an important step. Well, each of them can make a difference from the point of view of your sales process.

Nevertheless, my personal experience points to one element that is overlooked in most scientific and training concepts, which can essentially affect the effectiveness of our sales message. I mean preparing for the conversation. Although this stage is not implemented directly during the trade call, it can affect up to 99% of sales efficiency. Taking this into account, I  decided to include the preparation for the talks   in the model of the structure of the trade conversation presented by me.  When you modify the image of its most important elements, it is as follows:

1. Preparation
2. Welcome and opening introduction
3. Needs analysis
4. Overcoming objections and reservations
5. Sales closing

The five stages are the basis for building our customer communication strategies. Sales practice makes it possible to learn that it is knowing the above steps can translate into the effectiveness of our work. However, in our daily work, we should consider one more of the key trading skills that affect sales efficiency.I mean speaking the language of benefits that most often occur when presenting our product and service. Although the same benefits language it is difficult to treat as a permanent part of a commercial conversation, which always occurs within the same specified time frames. Nevertheless according to sales effectiveness seems to be necessary to take into account it the sales process.

Thus, the extended picture of the structure of the trade conversation should look like this:

Figure 1. The structure of sales conversation

Figure 1 presents the most important stages of sales conversation from a practical point of view. However, based on personal experience, including numerous observations of sales processes, I noticed that while preparation and welcoming and opening introduction is permanent and immutable about its place in the structure of sales chunks, then the next three elements are movable. Needs analysis, presentation with benefits language in relation to diagnosed needs, overcoming objections and reservations, and closing sales can occur repeatedly. Therefore, the next figure shows all the recurring stages of the trade conversation in the scheme of circular tide.

Figure 2. The structure of the trade conversation in the circular flow scheme.

Why is it so important to present several elements of the trading structure in a circular flow scheme, especially in practical terms? This is due to the fact that the sales experience shows a certain regularity: the seller very often has to recognize the needs several times in one conversation. Immediately after the question he shows certain advantage, successively reacts to some emerging objections from the client, then is forced to return to diagnosing needs, because many details need to be even more discussed.

For example, let's look at a car salesman who is well prepared for a trade call and he asking an open ended question at the stage of needs analysis:

"What do you pay attention to when buying a new car? For example, many of my clients pay attention to the following features[1]: dynamic engine, comfortable seats, good suspension, attractive body line, good acceleration. What could be crucial for you in making such important purchasing decisions as buying an vehicle?"

Similarly, looking at football training, we can see that the success of a player consists of many elements, developed over years of hard work, during numerous trainings during children's, youth and adult. In order to make steady progress, it must systematically strengthen appropriate sports competences, otherwise known as training units. At the very heart of football training lie the following skills: shots on goal, passes, centering, ball control technique (dribbling), head shots and more.

"Knowledge of the structure of the sales conversation

allows you to focus on specific sales stages"

As in professional sport, a trader should develop his skills regarding specific sales competences. A well-known and formulated structure of the sales conversation is the basis on which he can build his training plan.

Firstly, connecting to Our sales activity training-based on specific competences improves our effectiveness. Secondly, another benefit, which certainly cannot be overlooked, there will be continuous feedback, which as a seller we often need it: What have I done well? What elements of my sales techniques should I improve?. Consider  how many times when You have left the meeting with customer some thought had appeared  in your head: "I could  tell something about it?”, "Maybe needlessly  I agreed to such a low price, immediately?” It is astonishing that after the meeting most sellers immediately search information feedback of a negative nature. Unfortunately, our brain is so constructed that such as thoughts are typical: What did I do wrong? What  should I improve? 

Analogy very often, not knowing yet, whether our meeting was successful or failed, we are willing to believe that the customer will not certainly order the goods. That is why it is so important to know the structure of sales conversation, that gives us opportunity to develop a plan for our meeting in order to make it possible to receive return information. This would be especially helpful if (despite our every effort to sell goods or service) customer has not send an order to us for unknown reasons. This makes sure that conversations, which did not directly succeed in sending an order, provide us with positive information, whether we follow the agreed plan and timetable. This way we will develop in skills to focus on specific competences, which will increase our effectiveness. What is worth emphasizing, knowing  the sales conversation structure that helps managers  standardize sales and customer service processes.

 "Knowing of sales conversation structure

helps  managers

standardize sales and customer service processes"

How can We apply the above structure model in our daily sales activities? First of all, let's try to compare our commercial work to sport. After all, sports training can be joined to sales trainings. In professional sports preparation, it  is important to develop specific competences on a cyclical basis through the use of appropriate training units (skills).

For example, let's try to take a look at cycling training. In order to be able to climb to the heights of sports or at least think about cycling at the amateur level, it is important to develop the following training units periodically: training base, otherwise called level of training. Trying to translate this into a simpler language, this means a total number of kilometers traveled. In turn, it is worthy to mention a ride with a certain cadence (pedaling rate), i.e. the number of revolutions of the crank per minute. The person occasionally riding a bike usually moves in the range of 65 revolutions per minute. Amateurs can maintain a tenure while training at about 85 turnovers per minute, while for trained averages can fluctuate at 90-95 turnovers per minute. On the other hand, during cycling competitions, the average cadence during the ride is more than 100 revolutions per minute. So to be able to think about the development of these skills, every two-wheel-drive enthusiast should permanently include in his calendar systematic driving training with an elevated term.

In turn, an important element of cycling training is the ability to overcome climbs of different degrees of inclination and difficulty scale. It is during the climbs that most races are won. The technique of descents is also of great importance. It is impossible to learn how to cycle professionally without prior proper preparatory training. Professional training also assumes the ability to drive in the right aerobic zones. In order to develop these skills, the training plan should include training in the right heart rate zones. Therefore, it is important to develop skills of becoming longer and longer in different aerobic zones. After determining the value of our heat rate (maximum, resting, regenerative and on the lactate and regenerative threshold), the athlete can plan training. In a very simplistic way, it can be concluded that the development of the ability to stay in zone I (representing less than 50% of our maximum rate of heart rate) is the so-called. active regeneration. A muscle undergoing a slight load is regenerated faster than the one that does not work. In turn, zone II (50-80% of our maximum heart rate) is about a zone where you can increase your ability to exercise long-term. By training at the lower end of this zone, the body is immune, the immune system is strengthened in the middle zone, and in the upper the strength of high lactic acid concentrations increases. Training in the third zone (representing 85-95% of our maximum heart rate) allows you to increase the maximum strength. It is an aerobic training, during which the body learns to cope with more lactic acid.

Imagine that you are a sales manager in the customer service room, where one of your first tasks will be to train new employees so that they can serve their customers on their own. What will certainly help new sellers is the template for conducting dialogue with the customer (the structure of the conversation). Another and often underestimated benefit of implementing work techniques based on the structure of trade conversations is the significant time savings of our meetings and phone calls. Thanks to the procedure in accordance with the pre-prepared plan, we are able to make more efficient use of time. For example, knowing that after the welcome and opening introduction stage of the sale we should quickly go to the needs analysis, it is much easier for us to ask open ended questions. It is asking questions (the needs recognition stage) that will transfer the burden of conversation to our interlocutor.

More information about the structure of the sales conversation you can find in book: "The art of selling in practice-training guide book" was written by Krzysztof Czupryński Sales book

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