How to Make Winning Software Sales Calls

Here are eight steps to make your software sales calls more effective:

Before the Call

STEP 1. Rethink your role. A software sales call is not an opportunity to “pitch” – a monolog that attempts to convince a customer to buy. Instead, a software sales call is a rapport-building dialog between the right salesperson and the right customer. The subject matter of the call should be how your software can address key business issues – not the software and its features and functions.

STEP 2. Do your homework. You’ll never understand – or be able to articulate – your prospect’s business problems unless you do your homework. Before each sales call, learn everything that you can about the potential customer. There is a wealth of information available on the Internet about virtually every company. Here’s a rule of thumb: you should never have to ask the customer a question that’s answered somewhere else.

STEP 3. Create an agenda. An agenda positions you not as a salesperson asking for a sale but as a consultant or advisor. This is particularly important for software sales situations, because software sales always deal with business solutions and opportunities. This allows you to credibly position yourself as much more than just a product sales rep. To have the best impact, the agenda should be on your company’s letterhead, and should have the customer’s full name spelled out, with the time and date. Ideally, the agenda should consist of five to seven questions that focus the conversation on the customer’s needs, going from the general to the specific.

During the Call

STEP 4. Listen before you talk. It’s a truism that listening builds trust. In the early stages of the sales call, asking questions (and then listening to the answers) makes the customer more relaxed and allows you to learn valuable information that can help you move the sale forward. If the information stops becoming useful, compliment the customer, and gently redirect the conversation. Example: “That’s really a good point, Joe, and it reminds me of something I want to show you…”

STEP 5. Address stakeholder issues. Do not make the mistake of addressing your presentation solely to the senior manager in the room. While he or she may be the final decision maker, software-buying decisions are almost always shared by a large number of stakeholders. Therefore, as you make your presentation, speak to each section of the audience, making sure that the conversation addresses whatever issues and concerns they might have.

STEP 6. Defuse the competition. Never criticize a competitor openly. Instead, praise them honestly for what they do well, but then show the customer why it would be a better business decision to work with your company. Example: “Well, ABC is an excellent software vendor and they’ve been in business a long time and have high standards. However, I believe, based upon what you’ve told me about your needs, that we can satisfy them better because…”

STEP 7. Sell value not price. Because software is often highly discounted, it’s likely that the customer will pressure you on your license fees, consulting fees, etc. Rather than get involved in a discussion over price, you’re better off emphasizing the value of the entire software package to the customer’s firm. Try something like: “When people buy technology, they tend to look for three things: the finest quality, the best service, and lowest price. However, I’ve also noticed that no company can consistently offer all three – the finest quality and the best service at the lowest price. Which two of the three do you think will be most important for your long-term business goals?”

STEP 8. Treat closing as a process. Your objective is the action step you will ask for at the end of the call. Maintain momentum at the end of each call with the next step specifically in place or by asking for the next step. Check for feedback throughout the call to gauge how you are doing. End every meeting by saying you hope to work with the customer. Keep the action step in your court so that it is your job to follow up.

The above is largely based on a conversation with Brian Tracy, chairman of Brian Tracy International, a human resource company whose customers include IBM and McDonnell Douglas.