Sales Pipelines, Targets and Funnels

Some Truisms and Falsisms  Anybody can sell  No product sells itself  Salespeople are trying to trick you  Selling a lot means your successful  “He could sell ice to the Eskimos.”

Why I Love Sales  Your solving peoples problems  You’re providing revenue to your company  You get to travel  You get to meet people  Every day is a new challenge

Solving People’s Problems  There is value in what you are providing  You understand their business  You offer insight to new initiatives  You provide an ear to bend  You are part of their team

What is the Value  Figuring out the proper price  Figuring out what the customer wants  Understanding what is good for your company  Calculating costs to price  Is it a sustainable business?

Finding Your Customers  Marketing as your partner  Creating relationships  Understanding their purchasing cycles  Keeping in Touch

Working the Funnel  Target Market  Suspects  Prospects  Interested  Committed  Closed

Working the Pipeline  Different than working the funnel  Keeping a steady flow  Managing the seasons  Managing the quarters

Sales vs. Evangelism  Creating awareness  Creating excitement  Whipping up some press  Creating Opinion makers

Compensation  High Paid employees  Base vs. commission  Commissions  Bonuses

Customer Support  Customer Ownership  Charging For  Long Term Commitments  Requirements Gathering

Questions