Xerox Sales Process

There has been quite an interest in the Xerox Sales Training article that I wrote as one of my first blog entries. Most of it sadly has been negative. In order to clear up any misconceptions about Xerox and their phenomenal sales training(Ranked 13^th best in 2005 per Business Week) let me first explain a few things:

• I will not do their sales process justice in one entry, or even one entire blog. I cannot replicate in text the experience I had in Lewisville, Tx
• This is based on their sales process in 2005 called Client Centered Selling – NOT based on anything else or anyone else’s sales process
• I am not using all of the information I learned because it would probably get me into trouble and hey, I could be competing against you some day!
• Finally it is not exhaustive, complete, or anything more than a fantastic conversation piece. I learned a ton from going through their sales training and it has made me successful now at two different companies.

Finally, I want to be clear. I hope that this causes MORE conversation rather than less. I do not want to discourage interaction, however if it is not constructive, I will not post your comments.

So after that unfortunate, but needed, disclaimer let me go a bit more into depth about the Xerox sales process and exactly why, as long as you follow the steps, it will make you successful

They have a 6 Step sales process and many of you will simply read this and say “duh”. I did too. The devil is in the details. Not many of you sales “professionals” actually follow this entire process every time. I would imagine it is that same group that wonders why they are not doing so well, or why they are continually being beaten by a peer who, “Does the exact same thing that I do”.

There is no mystery to it: Just have the discipline to actually follow the process every sales call.

Step #1 Identify Opportunities

You need to find any changes that have been made in the company recently or since the last time you spoke. Uncover the needs: Current state versus desired state of the client.

Step #2 Clarify

You need to position your questions to build the entire scope of the call around the benefits your client is seeking and how they align to what you, and only you, can offer. Clarify all of their needs based on the opportunities uncovered in Step #1. Then agree on the action needed and summary close on the next step needed. Be sure to zero in on their points of pain.

Step #3 Develop Requirements

Discuss the decision making process and what is needed to make that decision. Make sure that criteria favorable to your product are included and get the customer to rank order the criteria if possible. Make those favorable criteria to your product a requirement for the sale.

Step #4 Recommend Solution(s)

Review the criteria, check for any additional needs (or if anything has changed if time has passed between Step 3 and 4) and for each of the needs highlight the business value that Xerox can offer that no one else can. After this, agree on the solution to be offered moving forward.

Step #5 Gaining Commitment

Summarize the unique value you will deliver. Ask for commitment, then agree on the terms and next steps in the process.

Step #6 Managing implementation

Finally go over and agree on the timeframe for the implementation plan. Make sure that you under promise and over deliver. Adjust the plan should it need to be amended.

So that is it. Notice that you preliminarily close (trial close) at the end of each of the 6 steps to move forward to the next step. So, at the end the decision is easy because you have handled each objection in the appropriate phase of the sales cycle. All of these six steps should be completed in every sales cycle at some point depending on the client’s specific situation and need.

Be flexible and Great Selling.