The Secret Behind Hayward Miller
At Hayward Miller, we believe that frequent, effective communication is the key to selling. Following our own method called “The Hayward Miller Way”, we have proven procedures in place that allow our team to increase the probability of converting leads into sales.
The B.A.N.T. Process
The Hayward Miller Way encourages salespeople to firstly capture all the incremental data we need from our leads. This is based on the B.A.N.T. process (Budget, Authority, Need & Timeframe) a qualification method, that when used appropriately, provide the seller with all the crucial information needed in order to find out whether the lead is “hot”, long-term or, not worth pursuing. Budget allows you to question whether this lead will have the finances for your services, Authority scopes out who has the decision-making power and therefore the person you would approach with your sales pitch with. Need is self-explanatory; does the lead have a true and existing requirement for your services? Timeframe, now, timeframe covers various aspects; firstly, how long will it take to acquire the sale and secondly, how long will the work be needed for, long-term or short-term? Understanding what these questions are asking and knowing how to approach them will save you time and hassle.
Once you feel you have acquired all the answers to these questions, only then should you move things further. There’s nothing worse than giving a great sales pitch, getting people interested and you discover that your supposedly “hot” lead doesn’t have the budget to buy your services. This is why the BANT criteria are so essential when first uncovering a prospect. After having met the BANT criteria, it’s now time to develop the relationship. Understandably it’s not always easy to answer all the BANT questions in one communication, it can take many, so keep in contact!
Developing the Relationship
Having had all the introductory conversations and developed a good idea of what your prospect needs. What you do now is develop the relationship. You need to sell yourself, your values, why you believe in what you’re selling, communicating this information in an honest, genuine manner gets great results and your prospects will pick up on that benignity. Do this frequently and your prospects will not forget you, your mannerisms and most importantly what you’re offering. People buy into people, not things and the reason for this is because they see a common value.
The Importance of Frequency
Now throughout everything said, one thing should be prominent. Frequency. Communication cannot develop if not frequent. You may think, “I contacted the prospect two weeks ago, not much could have developed since then?” The answer is maybe yes or maybe no, it doesn’t matter, the important factor is that you need to find out, and no guessing! For all you know, your prospect could have been contacted by one of your competitors and because they were the more recent contact, your prospect may feel more inclined to do business with them. Getting in contact with your prospect doesn’t always have to be a call, it can be an email, letter or through a Social Media post. Never be the first or last communication, be the constant and familiar, this ensures your prospects will always recall who you are, what you do and how you can support them.
“2% of sales are made on the first contact”, but “80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact”
– The National Sales Executive Association and independently validated by Hayward Miller’s own research.
Written By Leyla Hussein