The Importance Of Having Standard Operating Procedures For Sales
In the great battle that is the world of contracting, every painter is a warrior, every project a battlefield, and every client an ally to be won over. Sun Tzu, in his timeless manual "The Art of War," delineated the strategies and philosophies essential for victory on the battleground. Let us take this path of strategic warfare into the contracting and painting world, establishing a master plan for winning not just battles but the war – achieving consistently high sales and building an empire of satisfied clients.
The Grand Strategy
1. Know Your Enemy and Know Yourself
Sun Tzu emphasized the importance of deep knowledge of oneself and the enemy. As a contractor, your first task is to identify your ideal client. Dive deep into understanding their needs, their preferences, and what makes them tick.
Ask yourself:
- What attributes make a client ideal?
- What are their main concerns when it comes to painting?
- How can you address these concerns effectively?
Detail a profile of your ideal client and align your strategies to attract and engage this specific demographic. Mastery of this step is like having a map of the battlefield; it grants you the foresight to strategize effectively, attracting clients who resonate with your services.
2. Strategic Prospecting:
Prospecting is akin to deploying scouts to find the best battleground. Create content that acts as a magnet to your ideal client. Utilize social media, email, and text marketing to create a strong pull towards your services. It's about laying down a network of information and resources that funnel potential clients right to your doorstep. Implement 'assignment selling' to continuously nourish and guide your prospects to become leads. It’s not just about hunting; it’s about cultivating fertile grounds from which future projects will emerge.
3. Lead Intake and Pre-qualification
In this stage, you are a diplomat negotiating terms with potential allies. Craft a system that gathers information efficiently and aids in nurturing a relationship with potential clients. It is here where you employ a Shinfu pre-qualification process, dissecting the motives of your prospects and creating a clear pathway towards agreement or respectful disagreement. It's a delicate dance of mutual discovery, where both parties learn if they are fit for alliance.
4. The Sales Call
Here, you step onto the battlefield, ready to showcase your strategy, weaponry, and skill. The sales call should only be undertaken with clients who have passed through the pre-qualification with a positive signal. Here, your strategy should be so finely tuned that your presence alone makes a compelling argument for why you are the best choice for their project.
5. Pursuit and Engagement: The Follow-Up
In war, "pursuit" is as important as the battle itself. The follow-up involves pursuing the client delicately yet firmly, reassuring them of your expertise and readiness to serve them to the highest standard. It's about sustaining a relationship, ensuring that the ties remain warm and mutually beneficial.
6. Closing the Contract
Here, you’re a skillful negotiator, sealing the alliance with your new ally, ensuring that they are fully on board with your strategies and plans. It’s about guaranteeing them that they have made the best choice, and that victory is assured with you by their side.
The Tactical Execution
1. Communication: Bridging the Sales and Field Team
Once an alliance is forged, it’s time to marshal your forces. Here, your responsibility is to communicate the exact scope and special conditions of the project to your field team, ensuring a harmonious and synchronized effort in achieving victory on the battleground.
2. The Handoff: Transiting from Strategy to Action
The handoff is a ritual, a passage of trust where the well-crafted strategy is handed over to the execution team. It signifies trust, harmony, and a collective effort towards a common goal – project success.
3. Executing the Project
With the strategy in place and the team well-briefed, it’s time to march into battle. It's the stage where strategy meets action, and the real test of your preparation and foresight begins. As the leader, your role is to ensure a seamless flow of operations, orchestrating a symphony of skills working in harmony to create a masterpiece.
The Aftermath: Sustaining the Relationship
1. The Check-In
After victory is achieved, it’s time to nourish and sustain the alliance. Keep in regular touch with your clients, reassuring them of your continued support and service. It’s about proving that the alliance was not just for a single battle but for a long-lasting relationship.
2. Warranty Call: Assurance Beyond the Battle
As the one-year anniversary of your victorious project approaches, remind your client of your continuous support through a warranty call. It's a gesture of goodwill, assuring them that you stand by your work, ready to address any concerns.
3. The Endless Cycle: Continuous Refinement and Growth
In the world of contracting, there is no end to the battles to be won. Continuously refine your strategies, keep abreast of the latest techniques and tools, and never rest on your laurels. Always be on the lookout for ways to grow, improve, and evolve.
Conclusion
In conclusion, view every project, every client, and every prospect as a crucial part of a grand strategy. With these strategies derived from the timeless wisdom of "The Art of War," embark on a journey of building an empire of satisfied clients and triumphant projects.
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