Sales concept, techniques and processes

Imagine investing a lot of money in the perfect store, having tons of inventory, hiring employees, developing the website and at the end of the month the cash registers report 0 sales. It's no use having the best product on the market if no one wants to buy it.

That shows the importance of marketing in your company: no matter what kind of business you have, the ultimate mission will always be to sell a product or service that solves a customer need.

Without sales there is no turnover and the company will go bankrupt sooner rather than later.

We imagine you don't want this situation, do you? Find out below how to create a competitive sales team that will allow you to be profitable at any time of the year.

Take paper and pencil and don't miss it. 

What is sales?

It's hard to think of a world without sales, but believe it or not, it existed. 

Before there was currency, people like you and me needed products to satisfy their basic needs, but since there was no unit of value they used barter. 

Fortunately this changed, because it was a rather cumbersome process. 

But enough of the story. Let's now look at how sales works in marketing.

We define it as the process in which a product is exchanged to a customer for a specific amount. This commodity solves a tangible need of the user, who is willing to pay to get a solution.

Sales are for companies like oxygen for human beings, without them it would be impossible to survive. Therefore, it's important to pay attention every month to the volume of turnover in order to anticipate possible inconveniences.

The sales process in a company

Let's discover together how a company's product sales process works:

1. Attention

In this first step the salesperson or the company will try to get the attention of the potential customer and for that there are different techniques.

If you sell cell phones you can make an ad in Ads or hire an influencer to recommend your store. 

The idea is that the user identifies the product and your business as the solution to a specific problem.

2. Interest

The second step is to awaken the prospect's interest once he/she has learned of our existence.

In these cases, content marketing is a very interesting alternative. If he's already entered your website, what better than to make a comparison or create a text that talks about the best cell phones on the market.

Being concise and transparent will help the user to make a decision.

3. Desire

If the previous two phases have been done correctly, it's very likely that the visitor will feel a desire for the product in question.

Here you can show them the benefits of the mobile, specific features and how it fits their customer profile. It's all about increasing the likelihood of purchase through valuable content.

4. Action

The previous phases have a single goal: to get the user to buy. In fact, the final decision is made at this stage, so it's important to show the necessary information to help them make their decision.

Some authors call it the closing of the sale, since this is where the exchange is made for the price we have set. 

Your job is to guide him through the whole process and reduce his fear through satisfaction guarantee, money back guarantee or after-sales service. 

Factors that influence the sales process

The truth is that there are many elements that influence the selling of a product or service.

We are faithful believers that a sale does not happen by chance, so you must create a strategy that takes into account the following factors:

1. Buyer persona

The Buyer persona is the archetype of your ideal client. Defining it is vital to focus your resources on those users who have proven to be interested in your proposal.

Find out what their tastes, interests, demographic details, age range and professional activities are. These characteristics will allow you to define the ideal sales channel for that particular profile.

2. Goals

Clear objectives are indispensable for any company. If you don't know what you want, you will never achieve a significant result.

There are many ways to set goals, but we favor SMART objectives. They allow you to project where you want to go according to how measurable, relevant and achievable it is in time.

Apply it and you will see how your project's outlook becomes clearer.

3. Budget

A marketing budget is of great importance for the sales process.

The truth is that before you start marketing you must establish a marketing strategy, and for this you have to define how much capital you have available.

From there you will know which tools are compatible with your working budget.

4. Commercial team

It's difficult to succeed as a company if you don't have the right team. 

Marketing is an art that requires people specialized in the different aspects that compose it. Make sure you have a profile for each area and you will increase your chances of success.

Some of the most sought-after positions today are:

• Social Media Manager.

• Specialist in inbound marketing.

• SEO Specialist.

• Copywriters.

5. Infrastructure

Having a warehouse and physical store does not imply the same logistics as a website. Therefore, you must define what infrastructure you will have in the business to know how many resources you will need at each moment.

6. Sales channels

Where do you plan to offer your product? Remember that today there are multiple alternatives, from social networks, ecommerce, retail and much more.

Each one requires a different preparation and logistics, so you must define it in the marketing strategy to work it properly.

7. Types of sales

We refer to the sales model you will have, whether it is a B2B or a B2C, since each one must address its audience in a different way.

A user who needs a cell phone for personal use is not the same as a company that requires software for its administrative processes. 

Keep this in mind so that you can better promote your product or service.

This way, we can't find a way to explain the importance of sales for business. It's not only about having a nice design and attractive copy, your company must produce results and one of the most relevant is marketing.

What about you, do you want to increase sales in your company? Discover the other articles we have in the school, surely one of them will give you the answer you were looking for.