Creating a Truly Customer-Centric Sales Process

Summary

Creating a Truly Customer-Centric Sales Process
The Advanced Selling Podcast
Release Date: December 19, 2024
Host: Bill Caskey

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Introduction

In this solo episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey delves into the intricacies of developing a truly customer-centric sales process. Drawing from his book, 12 Bold Moves, and his extensive experience as a B2B sales trainer, Bill provides actionable insights and strategies aimed at transforming the traditional sales approach into one that prioritizes the customer's needs and value.

Overview of a Customer-Centric Sales Process

Bill begins by challenging the conventional notion of a customer-centric sales process. He posits that while many sales professionals believe their processes are customer-focused, a critical examination often reveals otherwise.

Key Insight:

"Almost all of you would say no, it's customer centric. But if I were to look at it, I would probably have a different conclusion." [00:03]

He encourages listeners to reflect on whether their sales processes genuinely offer value to the customer beyond the immediate goal of making a sale.

Providing Value Beyond the Sale

One of the cornerstone concepts introduced is the importance of ensuring that the sales process provides tangible benefits to the customer, irrespective of whether a sale is made.

Key Points:

• Assessments and Analyses: Offering assessments or analyses helps customers understand their own needs and challenges better.
• Value Proposition: A sales process should clarify how the product or service can solve existing or latent problems for the customer.

Notable Quote:

"I want your process to benefit the prospect whether they buy from you or not." [00:03]

Utilizing Assessments and Recommendations

Bill emphasizes the use of recommendation documents as a tool to add value. By capturing insights from sales calls and providing tailored recommendations, sales professionals can demonstrate their expertise and commitment to the customer's success.

Example Highlight: Bill recounts a scenario where he used AI to create a recommendation document for a VP of Sales. This document recapped the call, outlined actionable steps, and provided strategic advice, thereby positioning himself as a trusted advisor rather than just a salesperson.

Notable Quote:

"I recapped on our entire call. I used AI for that. And then I made a recommendation here. The five things I would do first." [00:03]

Leveraging AI in the Sales Process

Embracing technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), is presented as a means to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the sales process. AI can assist in generating comprehensive analyses and personalized recommendations swiftly, allowing sales professionals to focus more on building relationships.

Key Points:

• Efficiency: AI tools can quickly process information from sales calls to produce detailed reports.
• Quality of Output: When used correctly, AI-generated documents can be highly valuable and tailored to the customer’s specific needs.

Notable Quote:

"I'm becoming much more comfortable with AI. So what it's spitting out is really useful." [00:03]

Avoiding "Commission Breath"

Bill addresses a common pitfall in sales—the perception of being driven solely by commissions. He warns that demonstrating an overemphasis on sales can erode trust and deter potential clients.

Key Points:

• Authenticity: Customers can sense urgency that is excessively sales-oriented.
• Trust Building: Focusing on providing value rather than pushing for a sale fosters stronger, long-term relationships.

Notable Quote:

"You can almost guarantee you they do [feel commission breath]." [00:03]

Impact on Closing Rates

By adopting a customer-centric approach, Bill asserts that sales professionals can significantly improve their closing rates. Providing genuine value and actionable insights makes prospects more inclined to engage and commit.

Key Points:

• Increased Trust: Customers are more likely to buy from someone they perceive as genuinely supportive.
• Higher Conversion Rates: A value-driven process can potentially double the closing rates from 20-25% to around 50%.

Notable Quote:

"I think this process will help you close 50% of your deals." [00:03]

Conclusion

Bill Caskey wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of reevaluating and refining the sales process to ensure it is genuinely customer-centric. He encourages listeners to implement the discussed strategies, such as offering assessments and leveraging AI, to enhance the value provided to prospects and, consequently, their own sales success.

Final Thought:

"Take a long, good, hard, long look at your process and ask yourself the question, is it helping my customer make a decision? Is there value in it? And if not, get busy on this." [00:03]

Bill also promotes his book, 12 Bold Moves, as a comprehensive guide for sales professionals seeking to implement these strategies effectively.

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This episode serves as a compelling reminder that shifting the focus from making a sale to genuinely assisting the customer can transform sales outcomes. By integrating assessments, leveraging AI, and prioritizing authentic value, sales professionals can foster deeper relationships and achieve greater success.

Transcript

[A]

Hey everybody. Bill Caskey, Solo Episode Advance Selling Podcast. I hope you continue to join us for our main episodes we release on Monday morning Solo Episodes. Brian does a few, I do a few, try to do at least one a week. And I know I've been a little bad about getting these out, but I am changing my ways. Today we're going to talk about something that is a part of a I wrote a book last year or in 2024, I guess it's still this year, called the 12 Bold Moves and I also have an implementation and training program available behind it. If you want to learn more, go to 12 Bold Moves.com. but anyway, month one is where we talk about what we call a customer centric sales process. And I know if I were to ask you is your sales process customer centric or you centric, Almost all of you would say no, it's customer centric. But if I were to look at it, I would probably have a different conclusion. And the question I would ask myself is, is there anything of value there for your customer or prospect? Is there anything in that sales process where if they didn't buy from you, they could still get value out of meeting with you and going through a process or procedure with you? Most of the time there isn't. Now this topic probably requires more than a five minute solo episode on some random podcast you're listening to, but here's a couple of thoughts that I think will start to juice your mind up little bit and get you thinking about this. I want your process to benefit the prospect whether they buy from you or not. So how do we do that? Well, one way to do it is to offer some kind of assessment or analysis of their problem. The fact is that when people come to you, sometimes, not all the time, but I'd say more often than not, they really don't know. They know what you do and they might have a sense of the product, but without you explaining how the product works and how it helps them solve a problem. Sometimes these problems are problems they know they have. Sometimes problems problems they don't know they have. But either way that is extremely valuable to them. If through your survey or assessment or just questioning, just a process of questioning, you can determine for them where their needs are, what where their problems are. My recommendation to all of my clients is create a rec document, a recommendation document, and say basically here I'm going to recapture. I just did this on the in a call a few weeks ago where I had four people on the phone VP of Sales North America a couple of Their team members, his team members. And after our call, I recapped on our entire call. I used AI for that. And then I made a recommendation here. The five things I would do first. Now, he can take that and go off into the distance and look up 17 other sales train, but he's not going to. He's not going to because I'm the one that was asking the questions that precipitated the analysis and the interpretation. And in that analysis, I also gave my opinion. I was. I was not shy about saying, look, if you go down this path, here are the five things to avoid. Here's the five things to look for, for. Here's what I would recommend the curriculum to be. And I did it all through AI So it didn't take that long. Now I'm becoming much more comfortable with AI So what it's spitting out is really useful. But the point is, now that that process is beneficial for him, he's not wondering, well, I wonder what Caskey does. And he's not. I'm just not talking on these calls. I mean, I'm talking and I'm asking, but he's getting something. And I prepared it and packaged it in a very nice document so it. It really felt like something special. Now, should I have charged for that? Maybe. But it wasn't that kind of thing. It wasn't where I said, look, I'm going to charge you five grand for this assessment. I would have needed to come in, work with the sales team, talk to some of his people, you know, fill out surveys. That's just not. I. You know, that's not bad, but that's not my business. I want to get right to the point. I want to know what the problem is, where they're trying to get, what's stopping them, and then create an interpretation document or a recommendation document. So that's just one example of what you can do if you don't have anything like that. Now, then here's what happens. The customer is always wondering, is he really into this? Is she? Can she really help me? Or do they just want to sell me something? I've heard it. I've heard it referred to as commission breath. When you're breathing, you're breathing the need for commission. And when you're needy and you're attached, people can feel that. I know you don't think people can feel that when you do it, but I can almost guarantee you they do. So that's your assignment here, is start thinking about what can I do to bring value to the sales process, then what you're going to find is people will be much more attracted to you because they will know that you're not just about making the sale that you want to help them all the way through. Now, are you going to have some people who take this recommendation and they go somewhere else and buy? Yeah, but you have that anyway. You know, if you're only if you're closing, I don't know, 20, 25% of your deals, you're having first calls with people. I think this process will help you close 50% of your deals. Now, will you lose a few? Maybe. But I would just chalk it up to marketing expense. So hopefully that served you today. But I want you to take a long, good, hard, long look at your process and ask yourself the question, is it helping my customer make a decision? Is there value in it? And if not, get busy on this. This is just one way to do it today. It's a way I found. I teach my clients to do it. They all love it. I use it. But you'll have to decide if it's right for you. I hope this has served you today. I always say that, but I always hope it does. I'll see you on the next solo episode. If you'd like to get a copy of my new book, 12 Bold Moves, where I take you through the exact moves you need to make as a sales professional. If VP of Sales, go to twelveboldmoves. Com.