Sample Checklists for the Sales Process

Sample Checklists for the Sales ProcessSample Checklists for the Sales ProcessPilots, regardless of their experience level, complete a pre-flight checklist every time they get on a plane. The pre-flight checklist helps to ensure that no critical step is overlooked or forgotten even if the pilot is in a hurry or preoccupied with other issues. In the same way, a sales process checklist can help you to track each stage of the sales cycle and is the first step to creating a sales process plan. The specific form of your sales process will vary depending on the nature of your products and the schrift of prospect you sell to. A salesperson selling expensive manufacturing equipment to large companies will have a much longer and more complicated process than a salesperson selling used books to consumers. However, any salesperson, regardless of product type, can benefit from a checklist review. Here are examples of both a simple and a complex sales process checklist that might suit your needs. Basic Sales Process Checklist Prospecting for Leads? Lead list checked against the database for duplicates? Lead fits basic prospect requirements (e.g. income level, type of business, etc.) Setting Appointment? Initial contact made (phone call, email, in-person visit, etc.)? Pre-qualification completed? Appointment scheduled? Researched prospect to determine needs Presentation? Final qualification completed the prospect is a true opportunity? Prospect needs assessing? Decision maker identified? Purchasing process and requirements identified? Next steps determined (scheduled a second meeting, collected RFP requirements, etc.) Closing? Prospect objections and questions addressed? Appropriate product/service type selected and accepted? Customer signed contract? Asked customer for permission to use as a reference or testimonial? Asked customer for referrals Post-Closing? Reported sale to sales manager? buchung processed and filled? Sent thank you note to customer? Followed up to c onfirm customer satisfaction? Resolved any questions or problems Here is a more complicated checklist suitable if you have a slower sales process or verstndigung im strafverfahren with more complex sales situations, like selling to multiple decision makers. Complex Sales Process Checklist Prospecting for Leads? Lead list checked against the database for duplicates? Lead fits basic prospect requirements (e.g. income level, type of business, etc.) Setting Appointment? Initial contact made (phone call, email, in-person visit, etc.)? Pre-qualification completed? Appointment scheduled? Researched prospect to determine needs? Sent meeting agenda and requirements to prospect Initial Presentation? Final qualification completed the prospect is a true opportunity? Prospect needs assessing? Decision maker identified? Purchasing process and requirements identified? Next steps determined (scheduled a second meeting, collected RFP requirements, etc.) Information Collecting? Prospect prioriti es, issues, and requirements documenting? Competitor comparative strengths and weaknesses assessed? Prospect internal advocate(s) identified? Prospect internal opponent(s) identified? Purchasing process documented and approved? Sales team and other collaborators briefed? Project funding applied for and approved Development? Prospect contacts and/or visits industry references? Proposal submitted to prospect and any requested revisions completed? Contracts submitted to prospects legal team for approval? Closing date determined Closing? Prospect objections and questions addressed? Appropriate product/service type selected and accepted? Customer signed contract? Asked customer for permission to use as a reference or testimonial? Asked customer for referrals Post-Closing? Reported sale to sales manager? Order processed and filled? Sent thank you note to customer? Followed up to confirm customer satisfaction? Resolved any questions or problems

Easy Ways to Spot Mystery Shopping Scams

Easy Ways to Spot Mystery Shopping ScamsEasy Ways to Spot Mystery Shopping ScamsSure, secret shopping is a work-at-home opportunity that will never pay much, but the idea is to make money- however little- so you should never lose money to a mystery shopper scam People do secret shopping because its can be fun, and they can make extra money from home and maybe get some free products and services. Plus, work-at-home moms like that they can often bring the kids along. But this lure of free stuff and relatively easy money is exactly what con artists use to find victims for their fraudulent schemes. So if youre interested in trying it, educate yourself about the difference between a legit secret shopping job and a mystery shopping scam. Unfortunately, there are many ways that scammers use mystery shopping to find victims. The Types of Mystery Shopper Scams Secret shopping scams typically fall under unterstellung categories. Check Cashing Scam This is the potentially most costly of all of these kinds of scams, costing victims thousands of dollars. In fact, it is a form of online fraud that pops up in all sorts of places. There are ways to recognize a check-cashing scam you should be aware of. The mystery shopper, who has likely just signed up with a new company, is given the assignment to evaluate a money transfer service or other financial institution. He or she is sent a check to cash and instructed to wire some of the money back to the mystery shopping company (the parte the sender keeps is supposed to be the payment for the job). The problem is, the check is bogus and will eventually bounce- but only after the money is sent, leaving the sender on the hook for that money. Banks make the funds available in accounts after three days, and wont discover that the check was phony until much later. Do not cash checks or send money for anyone. Period. Even if this isnt your first assignment for a company or it sounds really reasonable, dont do it. Mystery Shopper Fees These mystery shopping companies attempt to convince you that their opportunity is worth paying for and that you should show that youre serious about this opportunity. Remember, companies pay you to work for them, not the other way around. Certifications, classes, etc. are not necessary for mystery shoppers. Plenty of resources on mystery shopping are available for free on the Internet, so there is no reason to pay for lists or directories. Any company that attempts to charge you a fee is likely a scam. Even if they do provide a list or directory, it isnt anything worth paying for. Do not pay for mystery shopping. Even if it isnt a scam (though it probably is), mystery shopping doesnt pay enough to make a fee of any kind reasonable. Tips to Avoid Mystery Shopping Scams Heres some advice on avoiding mystery shopping scams. If it seems too good to be true, thats because it is. Mystery shopping doesnt pay much. Anyone who promises big money is likely a scammer. Dont respond to em ail pitches or newspaper classifieds for mystery shopping. You cant know who is behind them, and these are the typical places scammers look for marks. Dont pay for anything. This includes classes, directories, guaranteed placements, background checks, certifications, or products. Do your research. You should study and know the telltale signs of a work-at-home scam before you commit to anything.

Things dating apps teach about finding a perfect employer match

Things dating apps teach about finding a perfect employer match Things dating apps teach about finding a perfect employer match Time and again, when surveys ask workers what they like about their jobs, the most common answer is “the people.” If you love the people and the employer, the work itself is often enjoyable. In a Kununu review, one Adecco employee cited large, company-wide lunches, tickets to local events, and interacting with the employees every day as reasons for being “in love with this culture.”Likewise, a Staples employee wrote, “I have never been with a company that I have wanted to work my best at, 100 percent of the time.” Why? “[B]ecause the customers are lovely and kind, and so are my coworkers.”Of course, whether you’re compatible with a potential company’s people is not something you want to learn on the job. How do you figure out whether they’re a good match before accepting an offer?Below are four things to keep in mind as you search for a job, inspired by the online dating world:1) Be yourselfAs a blog on the dating app Hinge puts it, “If you want a real, authen tic relationship, it’s so important that you present yourself in the most authentic way … Filters don’t translate to real life.” Likewise, showy photos - like of you next to large, ferocious wild animals - are inauthentic. In fact, Tinder launched an all-out campaign to end their users’ “tiger selfies”: “Posing next to a king of the jungle doesn’t make you one,” they wrote.Just the same, exaggerating on your resume or cover letter, or putting up a front that you’re an expert in something when you’re not, prevents companies from getting to know the real you. They might be impressed by your accomplishments, but they won’t feel connected to you - which will ultimately sabotage your chances.Help companies get to know you by avoiding sweeping, vague self-descriptions. The online dating site Coffee Meets Bagel advises against using simple adjectives like “I’m funny, smart and kind.” That doesn’t tell a potential match anything about you except that you ’re unoriginal. Likewise, don’t say you’re a “leader”: offer a brief anecdote of how and when you led people.On the flip-side, make sure your potential match is for-real, too. Successful dating app matches Google and social-media-stalk each other before they meet, so they know they’re not getting duped; they verify that the restaurant they’re meeting at actually exists and isn’t in a dangerous part of town; they sniff out exaggerations, falsifications, and weird vibes.Give the same skeptical eye to potential employers. Read reviews and talk to connections who work there to verify all of the company’s sweeping, vague promises during the hiring process. If HR gushes about “phenomenal benefits,” ask to see a list. If your potential boss tells you there’s plenty of room for advancement, ask them to tell you about the last person they promoted.2) Seek similar interestsSimilar interests are not overrated. When you have limited time to spend with your significant ot her, you want to do stuff that you both enjoy. In one Bumble success story, the couple’s overlapping, abnormal interests helped them hit it off and stay together: they both love the gym, are weather geeks, and have dads who are preachers. They both have a strong Christian faith and want their partner to, too. Bumble’s research shows that even people with similar professions are attracted to each other.Aim for similar interests with your company, too. If you’re going to spend two-thirds of your waking hours doing something, it’s important to like it. And what you like depends on who you are. One employee at Fiber-Span Corporation was “completely in love with working with customers on highly technical networks and field engineering solutions to complex fiber optic and microwave radio network challenges.” An employee at Dicks Sporting Goods wrote, “I am a sports nut and this is a dream job!” while a Barnes Noble employee wrote about work that was fun “from beginning to end”: “What could be better than talking to people about books, learning [about] authors, meeting writers? It is a dream job.”Look for opportunities that synch with work you’ve loved in the past. An employee at Points of Light Foundation Conference said that her job was “a perfect match” because her background and passions were in television and community outreach, which is what she did in her new job. “It was fun and inspiring!”Once you’re at an interview, just as you would on a date, make sure to talk about how much you have in common with the company: you love what they love, which makes you a perfect match.3) Admit you like themBumble’s “SuperSwipe” feature lets potential matches know that you’re especially interested in them. Their data suggests that men who use SuperSwipe on potential matches are twice as likely to get a match. Why? We like people who like us.In the dating world, you let people know you’re interested in them by “SuperSwiping,† promptly responding to their messages, expressing excitement about meeting, or using dumb, endearing lines like, “Free for coffee? Because I like you a latte!” Whatever works.The same applies to job searching. “Truth be told,” Hailey Tully, the Communications and PR manager at Vita Coco, told Bumble, “You won’t make it past the first round if they don’t think you really want it.”In your cover letter and interviews, make it clear why you love this particular company. Tell them stories about the first time you encountered their product, or explain how you’ve always loved their niche and what you do now to feed your passion for it. Let them know you’re excited about the position, you want to learn more, and you want to meet them. Of course, only do that if you really are excited. Just like dates, employers can sniff desperation from across the Internet.4) Outsmart the honeymoon phaseIt would be interesting to chart the use of the word “soulmate” through the av erage couple’s relationship. My guess is people use it most in the beginning. Then they learn things about each other. He doesn’t do the dishes. She’s stupidly picky and close-minded about her movies. He lies to her. She’s rude to his mom. He’s a romantic at heart, traumatized by his ex-girlfriend, and will do anything for another chance. She’s a control freak but it all stems from insecurity and she’s working on it. Throughout the course of a long-term relationship, people learn that terms like “soulmate” are too simplifying.In careers, too, we set ourselves up for disappointment by idealizing potential jobs. Our dream jobs often turn into “nightmares,” as many Kununu reviews attest. “I thought I had found my dream job, [but it] quickly turned into a nightmare due to lack of communication and tight-knit cliques,” one Wealthmark Advisors Incorporated employee wrote. Another, as CSC, complained, “Really can’t say much good anymore. Was once my dream job. Now, I can’t wait to find a new company to work for.” One Ford employee summed that “A lot of new hires come in thinking it’s a cake walk to a dream job, and quickly change their mind after the first full shift.”Sometimes companies, like people, really do change for the worse. But, more often, the writing was on the wall. Know what you’re getting into by researching the company, reading its reviews, and talking to employees who worked there or, even better, have recently quit. No single account is going to be 100 percent accurate but, if you do well-rounded research, you should get an accurate sense. If you haven’t found any negatives at all, you haven’t done enough research. The key is to know what the company struggles with so you can anticipate it, or decide that you can’t tolerate that particular flaw, before taking the job.With authenticity, similar interests, expressed enthusiasm, and pragmatism, you can find a match made in heaven.This article originally ap peared on Kununu.