Managing your Sales Pipeline

By June 26, 2019September 3rd, 2019Blog

The process of managing your sales pipeline, shepherding new leads to becoming a customer, is a journey with a number of defined way markers.  Recognising and paying attention to each of these steps is critical in ensuring that you end up with a committed and contented client.  

The process is surprisingly straightforward, although it does take discipline.

Step one is to qualify your lead. Do your research. Assess your leads on the grounds of their requirements and whether you can meet them; their budget and whether they can afford you: the status of your contact (whether they are the decision maker); and, finally, the timeframe they have in mind and whether you are capable of meeting it.  
Step two is to meet with your lead. Be organised. Have a plan for the meeting, a set of talking points to keep the conversation tight and on track. As with a job interview, be aware of your body language and how you come across both in terms of your appearance and mannerisms. Our article on Gravitas can help with this stage.
Step three is to submit your proposal. Be structured. Your proposal needs to be carefully planned so that it is concise, relevant and convincing. Structure is the key: remember open with an attention-grabbing summary of what your lead needs and what results they are aiming for. Frame their issues as a challenge to be met, and then outline how you can provide the solutions to these challenges. Close with testimonials or case-studies demonstrating your past achievements.
Step four is to close the deal. Be positive. You’ve done the preparation, built a rapport and framed your services as solutions to your prospect’s specific issues. In short, you’ve done everything you need to position yourself as the best person for them to turn to. You just need to encourage them to sign on the dotted line. There are many approaches to take at this stage. You can ease them into committing by asking them the right questions: e.g. ‘how would you feel about increasing your productivity by 20%?’ If they are wavering, try offering a reduced service at a small discount, they might find your offer more palatable when it comes in easy to swallow portions. Finally, remember to be positive – assume that because of the strength of your proposal, you have the deal already and you’re just tying up loose ends.

How we can help

Chartered Developments can help you navigate your way through these steps. Our team of seasoned professionals have the expertise to offer support and advice, or even to take on the task of converting leads into customers. 

Intelligent telemarketing is at the core of what we offer so steps one and two are taken care of.  Our data experts and callers will ensure that all the leads we contact on your behalf are thoroughly qualified and that they meet the required criteria. Following this, we can take on the initial contact on your behalf, phoning your prospects, building a rapport with them and negotiating a face-to-face meeting. 

It doesn’t stop there though. One of Chartered Developments founding members, Peter Rosenwald, offers training in lead generation and negotiating skills to help build your skills in all these areas. From a deep examination of how the services you offer can dovetail with the needs of your prospective clients, to a step-by-step guide to how this shapes the questions you ask in the face-to-face meeting, the Architect of Needs programme will guide you to achieving results that would ordinarily  only be possible for professionals who have had years of experience honing their skills. 

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