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40 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2024 Feature Article by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 All art is process-oriented or procedural—a bold claim that many artists might take issue with. Still, painting with oil on canvas follows a process of building colors from bottom to top; watercolor on paper follows a different pro- cess. Learning a musical instrument follows a process, and building the skills to play music with others requires precise communication and a mastery of the song to be played. ese are all procedural things. Contrary to popular belief, selling is also more a process than a magic-filled art, and one part of the process that seems artful (but is actually procedural) is qualifying your pros- pect. Qualification answers this fundamental question: "Is this lead a good fit as a customer or not?" The Process Start with your business plan, a working business model, and a strategy. Know who you want to go aer, and with what product or ser- vice. Now, how do you determine whether a prospect is right for you? e old saw in sales is, "If you're going to get a 'no' from the customer, get it as soon as possi- ble." Don't waste your time on someone whose mind is made up. is sounds reasonable, but successful salespeople will tell you to be persis- tent and that "no" means "not at this time." So, how do you tell the difference? e Miller Heiman Strategic Selling method is one of the most authoritative sources on the concept of selling as a strategic partnership between the buyer and seller. In their book, Shifting From Prospect to Customer