Sales is an alignment process where two parties explore an opportunity for mutual benefit and agree to take action together.  The seller helps the buyer by solving a problem using known solutions.  The buyer has to trust the seller’s advice.

Step 1.  Create interest in the buyer and diagnose a “pain” (a need with urgency) having negative consequences.  This is also when the seller needs to qualify that the buyer has the Power to decide.  Alternately a Sponsor can lead to a person with power.

Step 2.  Offer a vision of how that pain and its consequences can be eliminated and assign a value to the solution.  The key at this stage is credibility and proof.  The seller must have credibility and expertise in the problem domain.

Step 3. The seller needs to “close” or lead the buyer to a commitment.  The seller has to drive the process by having an “evaluation plan” from start to finish (“If I can show you…, would you…?”).

Translate customer Needs into a Commitment by way of a Vision-

Vision:  “Imagine being…”
Capability: “If you could…”
Impact:  “What happens if…”
Need:  “So you need/want/wish to…”