ACTION 4: IDENTIFY THE NEXT STEPS WITH SPECIFICS

Depending on what you sell, a decision may just be the beginning of your real work.

Once you have a decision, your job is not over, there is still more to do to keep the process moving forward: You need to clearly identify who is doing what by when.

Identify the next steps that you and the buyer will take after the conversation to ensure the order is fulfilled as promised. These steps could be creating a purchase order or the buyer making a down payment. Clarify the specifics of the implementation and detail future communication processes to ensure the sale moves forward. This allows you to set the right expectations after a purchase decision has been made and eliminates redundancy and lack of action. It speeds up the purchase process.

Here are several examples of the types of next steps you may need to clarify:

• If your buyer commits to a follow-up meeting with you and their manager, identify the date of the meeting, its objectives, and any information needed beforehand. This ensures that the next meeting will be successful.

• For corporate sales, when the decision is made to use your services, an internal purchasing process may begin. Help the buyer prepare the necessary specific details, specifications, and samples to move it forward internally.

• In consumer sales, identify how they can register for the warranty, make the payment, learn how to use the product, and also where they can get support if needed.

Identifying the next steps keeps your sale moving along.