What Is Active Sales: Essence, Methods, Stages And Techniques

Hello! In this article we will talk about active sales.

Today you will learn:

• What is active sales;
• How to write an active sales script;
• How to implement active sales by phone and on the Internet.

The concept of "active sales"

Sales is one of the most important functions of any commercial enterprise. In the process of sales, contact with potential customers, presentation or demonstration of goods, registration of the transaction is carried out.

On the one hand, this process is universal: the buyer comes to the store, selects the product and pays for it at the checkout. On the other hand, the sales process can take place in different ways, depending on the degree of readiness of the client to make a purchase and the approach of the manager to make sales.

Thus, experts distinguish between active and passive sales.

Passive sales are characterized by high initiative of the buyer. The seller in this case acts as an “assistant if necessary”, for example, if the consumer cannot choose between two similar products.

In passive selling, the consumer comes into the store knowing what he wants to buy. To do this, he has the means and information to buy. The seller does not need to carry out work to find and attract customers , it is performed by the marketing department , which is entrusted with the work of determining the needs of the target audience , informing consumers about the product and the company.

Active sales, on the contrary, are characterized by high initiative of the seller. It is the seller who manages the entire sales cycle: looking for a client, identifying needs, presenting a product, responding to objections, and making a purchase.

Thus, we can conclude that active and passive sales differ in goals.

The purpose of passive sales is to sell the product to existing, loyal customers, such customers are called "hot". "Hot" consumers come to the seller with one goal - to buy a certain product.

The purpose of active sales is to attract new customers.

Who is Active Selling for?

Determining the sales technology that suits your business is quite simple.

Passive sales are suitable for those who sell a product with a strong brand, exclusive products and mass consumption products. Everything that the consumer will look for in stores.

Active sales of goods are most effective when making large transactions or selling high-value goods. For example, active sales technology is often used by companies working with corporate clients (that is, in the B2B market ), when customers are other organizations that purchase products in medium and large quantities to meet their needs.

Active sales are also applicable in the service sector. They have become especially widespread in the form of telephone sales or telemarketing. Surely you have been called at least once from some cosmetic center and offered services, this is a classic example of active telemarketing - calls to a “cold” client base .

Remote sales. In the event that your target consumer is far away from you, you can use the phone or the Internet to implement active sales. As a rule, with the geographical dispersal of consumers, passive sales are impossible due to the difficulty of disseminating information about the product.

Personal selling. If you use personal selling in your activities, then you simply cannot refuse active sales. A good example of a mix of face-to-face and active sales is a house-to-house tour where a sales rep comes to a potential customer's home and demonstrates their product.

Supermarket. The sale of goods in supermarkets absolutely does not prohibit you from using the technique of active sales. Promotions and tastings can be considered a good example of the use of active sales techniques in department stores . At the same time, not only the company conducting the action wins, but also all other companies whose goods are presented at the point of sale.

Small companies and individual entrepreneurs will also benefit from the use of active sales.

Active sales technology

The most important thing in active sales is the formation of a trusting relationship with the client. At the same time, active sales often involve the first contact with the consumer in person or via telephone or the Internet.

The task of the salesperson is to interest a potential client. At the same time, active sales are characterized by excessive intrusiveness, which resonates with the consumer's reaction.

Active sales can be embodied in the following forms:

• Direct sales - the sale of goods through physical outlets or through any other personal interaction between the seller and the buyer;
• Telephone sales - the sale of goods through telephone conversations with a potential client. At the same time, we are talking about “cold” calls , that is, calls to potential consumers who are not yet familiar with your company and product.
• Internet sales . This type of active sales includes email distribution of a trade offer .

Regardless of which type of active selling you use in your company, you can use techniques or techniques that improve the sales process by standardizing effective actions.

What needs to be done:

• We collect the maximum amount of information about the client and his needs . This is very important, because the goal of sales is to satisfy the needs of the client. If the seller is aware of the problem of the consumer before entering into direct contact, then he can easily interest him. This stage is especially important when selling goods through the phone.
• Prepare a sales script . A sales script is an approximate scenario for a conversation between a seller and a buyer. It allows you to standardize successful sales patterns. At the same time, for each type of sales, the script must be different, because sales by phone are very different from personal sales. In the scenario, it is necessary to work out several options for the development of events. For example, you can call at the wrong moment - one scenario. In principle, the client is not interested in your offer - the second scenario. It is also recommended to work out the maximum number of possible customer objections so that the manager knows how to respond to them.
• Identify the needs of the client, understand his problem . Even if you managed to collect information about the client before talking with him, a couple of clarifying questions will not be superfluous. They will allow you to pinpoint the problem and find the right solution.
• Product demonstration . A very large number of enterprises present their goods daily. Listening to another boring consumer offer is often simply not interesting. Try to use a descriptive technique in your product presentation, where you will not just say the name of your product, but describe its features that will help solve the problem of the person in front of you. For example, a student before an exam can be sold a chocolate bar as follows: “Nuts are great for activating the brain, have a positive effect on memory, and cocoa improves mood and gives self-confidence.” This primitive example illustrates a descriptive sales technique.
• How are you better than others . Write down your unique selling proposition, it will allow you to reasonably respond to objections.
• Use every opportunity for further interaction . In the event that the visitor cannot immediately make a purchase decision, offer him to exchange phone numbers or send a trade offer by mail for more detailed consideration.
• Handle customer objections . The manager must clearly understand how to respond to a particular objection, as well as feel when it is necessary to interrupt the dialogue. Do not impose or put pressure on the interlocutor.
• The manager must know the product he is selling . If you do not follow this rule, then the buyer will simply go to more professional competitors.

Stages of active sales

• Preparatory stage . As mentioned above, you first need to collect information about potential customers. If it is impossible to do this for each customer, then we create portraits of typical visitors to your store .

Each typical consumer should be characterized by individual consumer behavior. For each type, a marketing complex and a sales model are developed, and a sales script is formed.

In addition, the preparatory stage of sales includes the study of the company's products and assortment.

The result of this stage should be an understanding of what, to whom and how you will sell.

• First contact with the consumer . At this stage, you need to greet the client, give your name and the company you represent, and get the name of the client. This will allow you to defuse the situation and form a trusting relationship.
• Determine the problem of your interlocutor . The third stage should consist of short questions from the sales manager and detailed answers from the buyer. The task of the seller is to obtain the most complete information about the needs of the client. It is the third stage that determines the success of the entire sales process.
• Product presentation . This stage is closely related to the third. The task of the trader is not just a demonstration of the goods to the client. You must show how this or that product can solve the consumer's problem.
• Reply to objections . This stage is one of the most difficult. But you shouldn't be afraid of it. Customer objections signal their interest in your offer. The need is formed, your task now is to neutralize doubts. This is where the sales script that we compiled at the preparatory stage should help you.

When responding to client objections, you must adhere to several rules:

• Listen to your interlocutor, he must express his opinion, do not interrupt him;
• Be involved, share the client's point of view, show that you are familiar with his situation;
• Do not be afraid to ask clarifying questions, you need to find out exactly what your interlocutor wants;
• Justify your answers using product characteristics that are of value to your interlocutor.

1. We sell . Now you have to sell, because in order to achieve this goal, you have spent a lot of effort.

To get the long-awaited “I take”, use the following rules: ask the client unambiguous questions that can be answered “yes” or “no”; make an offer to buy after two positive answers from your interlocutor (the rule of three “yes”).

Active sales department

It's time to talk about how to set up a company for active sales. The main link in the system of active sales are salespeople or account managers. They form the sales department.

In order not to overpay and get a good result, you first need to think about the purpose of organizing a sales department. It can be attracting new customers, selling a product, forming a long-term relationship with a client.

The goal defines the necessary skills of the salesperson, according to which the employee is assigned to one of the following groups or subsystems of the sales department:

• Generators are those managers who carry out work on the formation of a client base. They make cold calls, are responsible for attracting customers to the outlet. Marketers also belong to this group of specialists. Generators may not be highly qualified. They can work with scripts. Accordingly, the costs for this group of specialists will be low.
• Sellers are those professionals who directly carry out sales. They work with those who came to the store, but are not yet ready to buy.
• Lead generators are those who are focused on long-term cooperation with the client. They may not sell the product, but arrange a meeting for further work. > Each of the subsystems performs its function, but it can be excluded due to uselessness. For example, you need to sell a large consignment of goods in a short time. To achieve this goal, generators and sellers are enough for you.

Rules for the formation of the sales department

• Do not spare money for education . The profit of the organization depends on how professional managers show themselves. Conduct seminars, lectures, games, trainings to improve the skills of salespeople .
• Introduce sellers to the market . Your manager should be aware of the main competitors and their sales methods. Your organization should have its own “face” and its own sales technique.
• The manager must understand what he is selling . Otherwise, the client will accuse you of incompetence and leave.
• Standardize the actions of sellers . Personalization, of course, should be, but in moderation. Feel free to write down your company's most successful salespeople. This will allow you to create an effective sales scenario, the structure of which we will now talk about.

Active sales script structure

Regardless of which type of active sales you choose (in-person sales, telephone sales, or online sales), your script will contain several required structural elements.

Consider them:

• Greetings . This is your first contact with a client, so you must introduce yourself and get the name of the interlocutor. Such a beginning of the dialogue will position the client for further conversation. In addition, when using the technique of personal selling, experts recommend watching the visitor for 20-30 seconds, this will reveal his preferences for any category of goods.

Example: “Good afternoon! My name is Anna, how can I contact you? If you use telemarketing, then do not forget to name the company you represent after your name.

• Clarification of the circumstances . If you have chosen telephone sales for yourself, then ask if your interlocutor is comfortable talking now. If the answer is no, find out when you can call back and continue the conversation.
• Identification of needs . Once you have identified a category of product that will be of interest to the client, offer him help. For example, you work in a women's clothing store. A girl who pays her attention exclusively to office clothes has come to you. Show the visitor new arrivals and discounted arrivals, or showcase several sets. This will lead the client to a conversation about his needs.

In telephone sales, use information about the customer's past purchases and preferences. Ask leading questions. For example: “Does your company use office paper? How often do you have to buy it? Would you like paper delivered directly to your office at your request?”

• Product Description . Explain how your product can solve customer problems.
• Reply to objections . We have already spoken about this structural element, so we will not dwell on it.
• Farewell . Even if the customer has not purchased your product, you should thank them for their time. Keep this structure in mind when writing a sales script for your business.

Active phone sales

Telemarketing is one of the most popular ways to implement active sales. In the case of active calls, telephone sales take the form of cold calls.

The specificity of active telephone sales is that the manager is the initiator of the conversation; for the client, the call is, as a rule, a surprise.

In this regard, the seller may experience the following problems:

• The interlocutor does not want to talk . In this case, the best option is to politely end the conversation. Thank you for your time and apologize for the inconvenience;
• The other party cannot continue the conversation at this time . Find out when it will be convenient for him to continue the conversation;
• Negative reaction . Prepare your managers for possible aggression from the client, otherwise your sales department will have a high turnover of staff. To avoid the above problems, you must interest the interlocutor by offering him what he needs. Therefore, do not neglect the preparatory stage of the sales process, it will allow you to increase the effectiveness of cold calls.

Telemarketing can have three goals: selling, obtaining information about consumers, obtaining contact information for the client, and replenishing the client base.

In telephone sales, as in any other, you must adhere to the rule: "dialogue, not monologue." The seller must master the technique of active listening, the main methods of which are: repetition of the most important conclusions of the interlocutor, "yes," repetition of the last phrases.

Active online sales

Active sales on the Internet involve not only the sale of goods through an online store , social network or bulletin board, but also the use of various tools for distributing and promoting products online.

The main of these methods are presented in the table.

Description

• Email distribution - Personalized emails containing a sales offer or promotional information
• contextual advertising - Advertising , which is displayed only to those users who are interested in the advertised product on the network
• Social media targeting - Advertising aimed at a specific target audience

Target

• Email distribution - Selling, informing
• contextual advertising - Attracting new customers
• Social media targeting - Attracting new visitors

Price

• Email distribution - customer base cost
• contextual advertising - About 30 rubles for one transition
• Social media targeting - Depends on the social network (from 10 to 50 rubles per click)

For more information about the specifics of active sales, we advise you to refer to the following sources:

• Nikolay Rysev. "Active sales";
• Eugene Zhigiliya. "Call Master";
• David Mattson. “Psychology of successful sales”;
• G. Beckwith. “Giving the invisible”;
• Gavin Kennedy. “We can agree on everything! How to get the most out of any negotiation.