One response to “Sales Funnels: What Is It, Stages And How It Works”

1. 

   jackbuno

   July 1, 2025

   Here is how I taught my salespeople word for word engineered sales pitches. It might be too long for this send. A SCIENCE OF WORDS
   FORM AND ANATOMY OF SALES

   The act of selling can be defined scientifically and shown to conform to the same parameters needed for proof in science; able to duplicate with predictable results. I define it as manipulating the invisible dynamics that cause change to occur between cause and effect.

   Sales is a profession! To engineers, carpenters, electricians, lawyers, and all other professions, including salespeople, success is predicated on the acquiring of very specific skills. These skills are specific. Between true professionals and amateurs lies a vast majority of people without these necessary skills. Even wearing a sales title, doesn’t negate the fact, that one may not possess the understanding of the tools, or may not yet possess the skills necessary for success in the field.

   It must be clearly understood that in order to define a salesperson, sales tool, sales law or principle, we must acknowledge there is a difference between one who wears the mantel of salesperson by title or degree, and a professional ‘Salesperson’. Since selling is dependent on the effectiveness of the words used, the professional Salesperson’s understanding is honed in a way that can’t be faked or fudged with shortcuts and stumbling. I point this out because we’re dealing with the precise use Words to accomplish very specific results;

   Successful sales companies use presentations designed to utilize past experiences with customers. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘canned pitch’. There is a natural reluctance not to accept benefits engineered presentations offer. Instead, most neophytes prefer to assume they’re sharp enough to wing it. This confidence in the use of their own words, can be traced to the remains of an ego that has not yet accepted the required learning needed by fledgling salespeople. The desire to speak ‘off the cuff’ is caused by their belief, that they don’t need the cumulative knowledge of others who have sold the particular product or services offered.

   note: add in understanding that humans cannot multitask is a scientific fact. therefore, if you know what the prospect is thinking, he cannot be thinking anything else. And since you are putting very specific thoughts into his brain, he is led into thinking just like you. You have the foreknowledge of the thoughts that lead to your predetermined conclusion; the customer thought like me, and likes my product as much as I do!

   The advantage of using a planned presentation, for both company and salesperson, exists when someone is in a slump or not yet started, and asks management for help. The only thing that has to be asked is, “Let me see your presentation”. If they don’t know it, they’re wasting our time asking for help. Help for what? A salesperson cannot be helped if they don’t understand the basics! If however, they do know the presentation, we can center attention on other possible problems like personal appearance; the superfluous ‘talk’ during the introduction; the close; or the post close. It’s a safe assumption that if a presentation is working for others, it can rightly be assumed, all other things being equal, that it will also work for them.

   The purpose behind an ‘engineered’ phrase or statement, is to soften impact, or eliminate objections that could possibly threaten a sale. “Designed” allows us to use predictable natures of our clients, who, while under influence of our presentation, allow us to persuade them, from inside of their defensive awareness’s.

   No matter how sharp a person is, ’off the cuff words’ will ever be as effective as planned responses to specific situations. Words chosen to accomplish these purposes have the effect of not only neutralizing a potential objection, but turning it to advantage while subtlety changing the prospects view of his own position and his attitude about you.

   The following is an example that involves the selling of a water treatment devise:

   Let us envision that we are visiting a prospect who has purchased a simple treatment device, say, a sink filter, or some piece of equipment we don’t sell. We have to get the message across that what they bought won’t provide the same benefits as our product. In other words, at this point they are still regarded as a potential customer. The inexperienced salesman doesn’t understand how to tell them their choice was not what he would have recommended. Herein lies the risk of losing a sale. The amateur devises a statement that may, or may not, convince the prospect I am right, and he was wrong. Unfortunately, it’s not to our benefit if the prospect thinks he heard us imply that he was ‘dumb’ in his choice. Especially if the spouse is listening.

   Each time we try to ‘wing it’, we are placing ourselves in a position of chance, and we don’t want to do that. By chance, I mean, the next words of the customer are left up to him, meaning the attitude and responses are not under our control. You will in a sense be casting your die, and waiting to see where the prospects head will take you. Your are in effect, basing your income on the chance that the prospect will deduce on his own what is best for him.

   Here is a ‘planned’ statement designed for the above situation.

   “Mr._________, it’s good to see you’ve taken some precaution against these problems all of us face. At least you folks are aware of the health concerns! —most people have no idea these problems even exist. Here! [going to kit or book]— I’ll show you something that the public is not even aware of—–I’m sure you will find it interesting!”

   Using these 56 easily spoken words we will have accomplished the following:

   1. ‘it’s good—’ Gives a compliment! People draw a compliment to themselves when one is given.

   2. ‘you have taken ‘some’ precaution—’ the word ‘some’ allows me, without saying it, to tell him he has not done the whole job—it being said without putting him down and he will not notice it

   3. ‘problems all of us face—’ phrase reinforces an awareness of the problem that first concerned him and prompted his original purchase — and is common to — all of us

   4. ‘ At least you folks are aware—–’ a compliment setting them above the ‘un-aware others.’

   a. ‘health concerns’ gives them credit for an awareness they may not really have had, possibly but, accepting credit for their awareness, is not refused.

   5. ‘most people——–’ sets them up for the next sentence— they won’t want to be in the group that’s unaware .

   6. Here! —this is an interruption stopper— designed to stop the prospect from responding— allowing the smooth transition to opening the demo kit

   7. ‘I’ll show you something—’ Setting up for a demo—mystery— no elaboration— people love mysteries. If they don’t give you a hard stop, you are free to proceed.

   8. ‘public is not ‘even’ aware of–’ I’m making them privy to information that is not common. I have also very gently placed him below me in product knowledge. He knows, he is ‘the public.’ He also knows that he can only claim the public’s knowledge. He will not question my position as an authority on his problems.

   9. ‘you’ll find it interesting!’ Is a motivating statement used while opening the test kit.
   It’s now hard for the prospect to say I’m not interested’. After all, it was for being interested in the first place, and concerned, that the complement was given, and absorbed by him.
   [1&5]

   CLASS EXERCISE
   1. List all the possible mind-sets that the prospect can be expected to hold prior to you initiating the sales presentation [Satisfied, disappointed, skeptical, concerned, hurried, ECT.]

   2. Discuss the specific planned order of phrases, the steps, and the reasons for their particular place in the order.

   3. Show the predictable results that occur in a deviation from the engineered formula, and why.

   4. Explain what the natural tendencies of the undisciplined salesman are, that lead to an undisciplined presentation.

   5. Discuss the justifications that a salesperson can argue against the use of ‘planned’ presentations.

   6. Show the inadequacy of ‘winging it’. Try some off the cuff’ responses and see if they cover all the points.

   7. Discuss the control points that stop the prospect from acting in a way counter to the desired response.

   READ A THOUSAND BOOKS ON SELLING AND FAIL, OR READ ONE
   AND DO EVERYTHING IT SAYS AND SUCCEED

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