Last week we looked at the first 3 points within the 7 points sales plan. This structure can be utilised for both client meetings and individual sales calls. It’s for a conversation where you wish to present solutions to your customers’ needs – in other words ‘sell’ to them.
Points 4 – 7 of the 7 point sales plan:
4. Probe
The recruitment process and current requirements are just two of the topics that you can have business discussions with your client about, but they still find them quite boring, so let’s make sure that this conversation is more of interest to them, which helps to build rapport and means that you are gathering a lot more knowledge to be able to sell the company to your candidates.
Write a list of topics and write 10 open questions next to each. This will help with the planning of your calls as you can cut and paste relevant questions from your list.
5. Summarise
Now notice that we’re still not selling. Our aim here is to check our own understanding, show the client that we have understood their needs and wants to gain their confidence, give ourselves a moment to think, prioritise their needs if there are many and above all else, show that we listened to them.
6. Present (sell)
We are now ready to sell to the client, but I consider it more of a presentation as we are now presenting solutions to their needs / issues that we uncovered throughout our questioning at point 4. What’s key here is that we point out the benefits of what we’re offering to the client. Too many consultants focus on their ‘features’ and sell as many of them as possible – like a shopping list. The clients interested in what it will do for them… not what it is.
7. Close
We have now got to the close. We want to make sure that the position is clear for both sides. Never make assumptions at this point and make sure that you ask for what you want, confirm the actions for both sides and then put it in writing.
By utilising this simple structure, you will achieve so much more from your client meetings and calls than just ‘winging it!
Posted by Angela Cripps
Coming soon: Early on in my life as a recruitment consultant and manager I was involved in some in-depth interviews to understand the key competencies required to perform at a high level. I’m going to list those competencies and highlight the key attributes of each, so that you can assess how you’re doing in this new career of yours.
Did you find this blog useful? Then you’ll love our popular recruitment induction course Recruitment 101 which this recruiters tips series is taken from.
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