Sales Return to Basics: Beyond Digital

An increasing number of companies have transformed their operational infrastructures to adopt greater technological resources and dependencies. However, time has shown that the eagerness to replace traditional sales management practices—such as making calls, holding in-person meetings with clients, organizing periodic activities to strengthen relationships, and monitoring customer satisfaction—with digital solutions only has led to mistakes.

Particularly in the field of business and sales, efforts to maintain and identify new customers must stem from a robust understanding of the target audience and a clear recognition that, to achieve business growth, conventional customer outreach and retention tactics must prevail.

This need is evident in Puerto Rico’s demographic landscape, explained Dr. José “Joe” Díaz, master sales coach and president of Peak Performance, Inc., an organization focused on assisting businesses to enhance their performance within competitive markets. 

“For the first time in history, six generations coexist on the planet, and each sees the world very differently. Each has preferred channels for absorbing information; the rules of the game have changed dramatically, and you must connect with what’s new, what’s old, and what’s in transition,” Díaz emphasized.

He said that to reach the entire market, one must appeal to both older and younger generations, which, in principle, requires “going back to basics.” On this point, Díaz, who holds a doctorate in psychology, warned that although a salesperson does not control the sale, they can still take action to produce results.

Understanding that prospecting involves contacting potential customers, Díaz offered specific recommendations to carry it out effectively:

 

1. Engage in sales management. This includes making calls, building relationships, and, if necessary, negotiating expectations with a prospective client.

2. Develop the technique for closing a sale. A salesperson’s choice of close, whether traditional, inverted, or combined, will depend on the line of questioning. They should anticipate a need, offer solutions, and alleviate the customer’s doubts to secure a “yes”.

3. Product mastery. Knowing a product’s every detail helps anticipate concerns and enables you to answer questions confidently.

4. Understanding language patterns. What to say, how to say it, and when. Recognizing that the person asking the questions is in control will help you develop the best strategies for having a conversation with the customer and for building a bridge that leads to acceptance of the sale.

To this end, Díaz added that the relationship between a salesperson and a prospective customer begins as a stranger-to-stranger dynamic. To bridge that gap and build a connection, a salesperson must master increasingly rare skills, including listening to and analyzing customer needs, building trusting long-term relationships, presenting a clear and differentiated value proposition with authenticity, and persisting despite a “no.”

To underscore the importance of connecting with customer needs, the consultant recommended, for example, using the SurveyMonkey platform to gather information and actively listening to customer feedback. He also suggested offering personalized, omnichannel service, anticipating needs, and training staff to develop empathy and communication skills. Together, these elements contribute to successful sales management.

Likewise, metrics and data analysis are essential for structuring prospecting and managing sales performance. The lack of empirical evidence on performance indicators often hinders companies’ ability to take corrective action to address negative patterns.

“What cannot be measured cannot be controlled; what cannot be controlled cannot be improved, and what cannot be improved cannot be optimized,” said Díaz, emphasizing that 92% of companies fail to measure their sales performance effectively.

Sales can be measured by implementing performance analysis and data collection strategies. By extracting information from a customer’s demographic profile, it is possible to tabulate the buyer’s gender and purchases and to measure key preferences and sales patterns to appeal to a particular audience. Similarly, analyzing a salesperson’s figures, closing rates, customer approach, and overall performance can shed light on the effectiveness of their sales efforts. This is only possible by combining an automated tabulation system with digital platforms that generate these metrics and with practical experience in managing sales directly with the customer.

Lastly, the certified strategist provided a guide to best practices for sales growth and customer retention that should apply to every business optimization effort. To this end, he recommended the following steps:

 

1. Understand why a customer buys, because understanding the selection criteria is crucial to maintaining a lasting relationship.

2. Observe the empirical results of sales efforts, “including the closing numbers; every salesperson should know this.”

3. Create a fluid structure within the company so that “everyone can communicate their ideas. Regardless of who they are or what position they hold in the company, everyone should have the ability to contribute a good idea.”

4. Be open to both new and old ideas.

5. Train your salespeople without sparing expense or time. “Sales are the lifeblood of any business… if you don’t develop your salespeople, you put your organization in a vulnerable position,” Díaz noted.

 

 

This content was written and/or produced by the GFR Media BrandStudio team for Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (“Popular”). Member FDIC.

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