Preparation for a sales call is part research, part planning, and part critical thinking. Sales representatives employed by Nalco Chemical Company prepare for each sales call by filling out a 13-point precall planner. One section of this form requires the salesperson to identify the objectives of the call. Nalco is a company that emphasizes professionalism, long-term partnerships, and staying focused on customer needs.4

In Chapter 8, we introduced the five stages of the typical buying process (see Figure 8.3). When you are calling on a consultative or strategic alliance buyer, you will usually not cover all of these stages during a single sales call.

Multi-call sales presentations are especially common in complex sales. Therefore, it’s best to develop presentation objectives suitable for each stage of the buying process. During the first stage—need awareness—customers may or may not be aware of their needs and problems. The need awareness stage is the “investigation” stage. Uncovering and clarifying needs will require the use of appropriate questions (covered in detail in Chapter 11). The following presentation objectives would be appropriate during the first call on a new prospect:

• Establish rapport and begin building a relationship with the customer.

• Obtain permission to ask need identification questions.

• Obtain personal and business information to establish the customer’s file.

During stage two of the buying process—evaluation of solutions—the customer is ready to consider possible problem solutions. In some cases, there may be several solutions that must be evaluated. Presentation objectives for stage two might include the following:

• Involve the customer in a product demonstration.

• Provide value justification in terms of cost reduction and increased revenues.

• Compare and contrast the features of, for example, a truck fleet lease plan with a fleet purchase plan.

Every sales call should have an action objective. An action objective is something that you want the customer to do during the sales presentation: provide specific financial information, schedule a visit to your manufacturing plant, agree to a trial use of your product, agree to a follow-up meeting, or place an order. An action objective brings a sharp focus to the sales presentation.5

Once you have an appointment with the prospect and the presentation objectives have been established, consider sending a fax or e-mail message that outlines the agenda for the meeting. This will confirm the appointment and clarify the topics to be discussed.6

Multi-call sales presentations are common in many areas, including the retail field. The sale of expensive recreational vehicles, leased automobiles, boats, and quality sound systems for the home or business often requires more than one sales call. High-ended clothing companies, retail stores and independent tailors make office calls to sell tailored clothing. One example is Tom James Clothing introduced in Chapter 1. Another is Mitchells/Richards, with stores in Westport and Greenwich, Connecticut. This progressive retailer, with a reputation for superior customer service, makes office calls upon request. Working with a customer at his office usually requires more than one sales call.7