This document discusses the benefits of a proactive sales approach. It emphasizes preparation, such as updating client information, researching competitive strengths, and anticipating common objections. Examples are given for how to proactively address objections like "just looking" in a greeting. Preparation activities are outlined, like researching where clients get information and finding independent reviews. The goal is to shape the sales conversation by addressing potential concerns upfront, rather than reacting to objections later in the process.

1. Proactive Selling
pro·ac·tive
Adjective
(of a person, policy, or action) Creating or
controlling a situation by causing something
to happen rather than responding to it
after...

2. Why use a Proactive Approach?
• Most sales people run into challenges on
every sale
• Most challenges are similar from sale to
sale
• Objections to cost, shopping competition,
or the belief the product/company doesn’t
fit their needs

3. Preparation
• We are sometimes in
such a hurry to cross
the finish line we forget
about all of the things
that will get us there
quicker

4. Preparation Examples
• What information needs to be updated?
• What 3rd party independent info can we use?
• What are our specific competitive strengths?
• How we will handle common objections
before they come up?
• What will we say? How will we get better
saying it?

5. Update your information
• Pew Research Center study said 58% of
Americans did online research before
buying
• This means that there is a good chance
that have up-to-date correct or
misinformation themselves.

6. Know your strengths
• Determine your client bases’ buying
motives and find out what strengths you
have over your competition. Example-Build
Quality may justify a higher price
• Collect independent information, reviews,
and articles whenever possible. 15 minutes of
research a day goes a long way

7. Some helpful research questions
• Where do my clients go to learn about
this/us?
• What has been said in the press/online?
Has anything changed since then?
• Where can I find industry information?

8. Proactive Objection Handling
• Instead of waiting until the end, getting an
objection, and having the client put up
their defenses; try this instead…
• Think of all of your most common
objections, share information during the
sales process to try and overcome these
things

9. Objection Example
• Here is a typical greeting in a retail
situation “Hi. Can I help you?”
• Client says “No. Just Looking.”
• Salesperson justifies why they need to sit
with him/her and need his help.
• Let’s look at a proactive way

10. Proactive Greeting
• When appropriate after brief pleasantries
• “Mr. Johnson. Why don’t we have a seat
for just 5 short minutes, I’ll find out exactly
what you are looking for in this ___. That
way I can save you a lot of time by
showing you exactly what you are looking
for. How does that sound?”

11. Proactive Greeting
• This works more often or not because:
1. You are telling them what you are doing
2. You are giving them benefits for doing it
(save time, less hassle, less walking,
weather, etc.)
3. You gave them a short time expectation, so
you have “faded the heat” on this concern

12. Proactive Greeting
• In a retail setting this greeting would then
allow you to:
1. find out your customer’s needs
2. help them select the right product
3. Share independent information with them
4. And show you’re a professional

13. Common Objections
1. Cost too much The chance of these can
2. Not what we’re be lessened during the
looking for proactive sales process.
3. Shopping around If not you can then
overcome them with
4. Shopping
competition professional, practiced
objection techniques
5. Company/Product
history

14. Want to know more
Email:
hillyerb@proactivesalestraining.com
Visit our website at
www.proactivesalestraining.com
www.proactivesalestraining.com

15. 23 years of sales and training experience
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