Five Steps to a Sale

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Summary

MtL System Module 6 provides context for using the Five Steps to a Sale approach in a real case.

MtL Tutorial Module 6 provides background, instruction, a practice case, and input prompts to prepare leaders to use the Five Steps to a Sale Framework.

Use this five-step sequence to educate prospects about how the best do what they are trying to do and then how you can help.

Developing a systematic approach to cultivating demand for its products and services is a key step in the evolution of every successful organization. Many early-stage leaders long for a silver-bullet solution; that is, they look to hire someone with a lot of contacts and an extroverted personality to hit the market and drum up demand.  Such efforts usually fail.

Leaders cannot count on building a scalable demand creation system by hiring one super-salesman after another. There are simply not enough to go around. A better strategy is to figure out for themselves how to create demand for their offerings and then hire and train others to follow their lead.

What follows is a sure-fire method for systematically turning prospects into customers that every executive, client manager, product manager, and sales professional can and should add to their tool set. It takes a lot of work to prepare properly and to execute well in a teaching-mindset, instead of a selling one, but those who are up to the task will be well-rewarded.

Step-1: Describe what you think your prospect is trying to accomplish.

Step-2: Describe what others who have done the same found difficult.

Step-3: Describe how the best have succeeded.

Step-4: Describe alternative courses of action.

Step-5: Recommend next steps.

The following are mnemonics by which to recall the five steps:

ALIGN

  • Aim (prospect’s goal)

  • Limits (common challenges)

  • Insights (how best succeed)

  • Guides (alternative approaches)

  • Next (recommended next steps)

FRAME

  • Focus (prospect’s objective)

  • Risks (what’s difficult)

  • Achieve (successful examples)

  • Methods (options to consider)

  • Engage (recommendations)

VALUE

  • Vision (prospect’s aim)

  • Alerts (difficulties faced)

  • Lessons (how the best win)

  • Understandings (options to explore)

  • Execute (next steps)

TRUST

  • Target (prospect’s desired outcome)

  • Roadblocks (common challenges)

  • Upsides (ways winners succeed)

  • Solutions (other approaches)

  • Takeaway (recommendations)

GUIDE

  • Goal (what prospect wants)

  • Unease (typical issues)

  • Ideas (best practices)

  • Directions (alternatives)

  • Endorse (recommended actions)