CLASS : Credibility- Listening- Accountability- Style-Sell

PRE-SALES BRINGS CLASS TO THE SALES PROCESS

Great statement on the value of Pre-Sales in the selling process... The PreSales professional has been affectionately called “Doctor Demo” or “Demo Monkey”. The PreSales job title varies from company to company. From Sales Engineer to Solution Consultant... no matter what a PreSalesRep is called, they should consistently bring CLASS to the sales process.

In this case,
CLASS is more than an elegance of style, taste, and manner. CLASS is an acronym that stands for qualities and characteristics found in top PreSales professionals. The CLASS acronymn has been developed over several years of serving as a PreSales representative in addition to building several PreSales organizations. It is a simple way of describing the essence of a quality PreSales team member wherein each letter in the word CLASS stands for a desirable characteristic:

C - The “C” stands for Credibility. No doubt the PreSalesRep (PSR) represents their company’s products and/or services with greater depth and breadth than any other person on the sales team. Credibility is established with the prospect through the knowledge of products and solution opportunities offered by the PSR. The credibility the PSR builds allows them to have a relationship with the functional and technical interest parties of the potential customer. When a PSR establishes their credibility, additional benefits result... such as Confidence with Commitment to do what it takes to make the sale.

L - The “L” stands for Listener. A PSR may seem credible with lots of product and/or technical knowledge... but if he or she does not listen to the customer, the sale is less likely to be successful. A good PSR listens to the desires of the prospect and does an effective job of relating that information to the rest of the sales team. Listening is also crucial in the relationship between the Lead Sales Rep and the PSR, in order that the team functions effectively.

A - The “A” represents Accountability. Being accountable to both the sales team and prospect means doing what it takes to get answers when an important question arises about product functionality, technical capabilities, or service commitments. An effective PSR must be willing to diligently research the answers to questions. Providing well-researched, accurate answers trumps a spur-of-the-moment educated guess every time. It takes a team Attitude to win business; the PSR who proves his or her accountability to the team is truly an asset.

S - The “S” indicates Style. Style is that intangible presence the Sales Rep brings to the table. When the PSR has been brought in to support the sale, the PSR and the Sales Rep must work in tandem to represent the company and solutions for prospects. Style involves methodology—the manner in which information is relayed to the prospect. It includes identifying the level of simplicity or detail necessary to communicate that information. A PSR’s style should always convey Support and Sincerity and compliment the sales team.

S - The last “S” in CLASS stands for Selling. Never forget that the object is to eventually make the sale! An effective PSR should be intentional about focusing on the selling process. A prospect does not need all the answers to all the questions at once. A productive PSR participates in the sale rather than trying to control it. Keep this in mind with the previous qualities and you’ll end up being a strong selling influence with credibility, listening skills, accountability, and style.

In summary, the top notch PreSalesRep brings CLASS to the selling process and is a valuable asset to the sales team, the prospective customer, and the company he/she represents.

Source By William Champion.