I was building a new computer the other day and everything was going well. That is, until I went to install the operating system. For some reason, it would not install.

At first, I thought it was the operating system's CD, but I quickly discounted that as it was fairly new and it was not scratched or anything. I then checked all my connections to see if something was unplugged. The problem was not there either.

Finally, I decided to remove the cd-rom and install another one I had on another computer. Ah, that was the problem!

It turned that the cd-rom was not able to read the operating system's cd as it was burnt out. After installing a working cd-rom, I was able to install the operating system and my new computer was up and running perfectly.

It is amazing how just one bad device on a computer can literally disable the entire thing.

Ok, so what does this have to do with increasing your sales?

You see, it turns out that much like computers; we sales professionals must have all our 'devices' working properly in order for us to do an efficient job in selling. In our case, the 'devices' can be broken down into the parts of the Sales Process. Nonetheless, if just one part of our sales process is not functioning properly, it can literally disable the entire thing - much like in the case with my computer.

So, how can you ensure that the parts of your sales process are working properly? Well, let's take a look.

The Sales Process can be everything from the planned acquisition of a customer to the close of the sale.

The way I learned it is basically in this order:

1) Prospecting - getting the right customers

2) Building Rapport - communicating properly with them

3) Qualifying - correctly determining their needs

4) Presenting - informing them about your products & services

5) The Closing - Asking for the sale

How are your 'devices' holding up?

Let's start with Prospecting. Are you targeting the right customers? It doesn't matter how great the other elements in your sales process are. If you're targeting the wrong customers, you'll never get the sale.

To target your customers correctly, ask yourself some questions about them. What are their demographics? What do they like? Where do they hang out? What do they want? Take out a pen and paper and make a worksheet to right down the answers to these questions. Armed with the above knowledge, you'll be well on your way to easily targeting your customers.

Next, let's look at Rapport. Are you building a good line of communication between you and your prospects? Notice I said communication as in COoperation and COmmunion. Yes, communication is a two-way street. That said, who's doing most of the talking? Are you? Maybe you should be listening more.

Great salesmen are also great listeners. They listen to their prospect's needs and problems and are able to provide viable solutions. Remember that next time you're speaking with a prospect. You might even be surprised how many prospects help close the sale themselves - just by your letting them do all the talking!

In Qualifying your prospects, all is lost if you weren't listening to them. Hence, to properly qualify your prospect, you must know what they need or want - and this knowledge comes from you asking qualifying questions and listening to their answers.

What kind of questions? Questions like: what's your budget; what's most important to you; and how soon do you need a solution are good for starters.

Armed with the answers you receive, you can now Present solutions (your products and services) to their problems. Now, when you do, are you trying to over-present your prospects by showing them or informing them about products or services they don't really need? Are you focusing more on the features of you offer? Do you try to up-sell them too early?

If you're doing any of the aforementioned things and they're killing your sales, then consider the following: Instead of trying to oversell your prospects with stuff they don't need, inform them about things that compliment what they're about to purchase. Focus on the benefits of your products and services, not the features. Finally, up-sell them when they've handed you their credit card, not before.

The last step in the sales process, and your last 'device', is the Closing. You've gotten this far. Your 'devices' have all worked properly and have done their jobs. So, are you asking for the sale? It would be a shame to get this far in the sales process and not have anything to show for it.

If you're not asking for the sale, then here's a quick solution: act as if the sale is already a 'done-deal' - then ask for the sale! It's as easy as that.

In conclusion, each step in the sales process brings you one step closer to the desired end-result - and that is the close of the sale. By carefully analyzing each step, you can determine which one you need to fine-tune. Once all your 'devices' are working properly, you'll begin to see explosive growth in your sales. (c) 2006.


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About the Author

J. Garces Jr. is an Internet entrepreneur and runs several successful online businesses. His sites include AsSeenOnTvMegamall.com, an As Seen On Tv products site, and ExpoBooths.com, where you can find information about the Real Estate Wealth Expo