No matter what your job is, you’re going to have to sell your ideas.

Maybe you want to start a business, raise funds for your church, or just sell a product. It doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, it all begins with a great idea.

Now, how do you turn that idea into something that can be marketed to others?

Well, you start by figuring out pain points — what new customers could want or need. Talk to them. Straight-up ask them. That’s what market research is all about.

When you know what the demand is, commit to being the supply for it. 

My mission is to get eight billion people to know me. If enough people know me, they’ll buy from me. 

You always hear me say that money follows attention, and it does. To grab and keep that attention, you need to put yourself out there. 

TIME AND TIME AGAIN, BEST-KNOWN BEATS BEST PRODUCT.

Look at the biggest brands in the game that are doing it right. Starbucks, Netflix, Pepsi. They’re everywhere at the same time. In other words, they’re omnipresent.  

Even though you might not have the money these companies pour into their marketing budgets, you have an audience you can tap into. 

Talk to your friends and family. Reach out to people they know. Post on every social media platform — from Instagram to LinkedIn and everything in between.

Do whatever it takes to improve your sales prospecting, obtain referrals, and get your message across to potential leads. And when you think you’ve done enough, do more.

Attention and intention go hand in hand. 

Once all those decision-makers’ eyes are on you, be very clear on why you want them to be there. Otherwise, you’ll lose ‘em.

Before you even think about trying to close, communicate the goal of the interaction right away. Why do you want this potential client’s time? And why should they give it to you?

Doing so creates a level of agreement that allows you to continue smoothly down the defined sales cycle and close deals.

Next, what’s in it for them? To position yourself as the best solution to a potential customer’s problem, focus on the value only you can provide.

YOUR sales pitch SHOULD OFFER MORE TIME, MONEY, SECURITY, OR FREEDOM.

For example, earlier this year I bought a private jet that cost me $65 million. It sounds excessive, but it’s actually a solution for all of these problems I had:

• Traveling to clients anywhere in the world;
• Flying where I want, when I want — not on the airline’s schedule;
• Avoiding crowds and being able to work undisturbed;
• Bringing multiple associates or even my whole family with me.

On top of all that, it was one hell of a tax write-off.

So, you gotta understand that your customers don’t want more problems, they want more money. How can you help them get it?

Believe it or not, a ridiculous amount of sales reps never even make a proposal. Don’t be one of them.

After you walk your client through your idea, intention, and solution, now is the time to present the opportunity — the offer. 

It goes both ways. While your client can weigh their options, you can double down and handle any common objections they may have.

When you make the proposal, keep it short, sweet, and to the point. You want to show all the information they need for decision-making — without overwhelming them and losing their attention.

Don’t get it twisted. Proposing and closing are two different stages of the sales cycle. 

A proposal is where you negotiate and get agreement. The close is where you ink the deal and an exchange takes place.

However, there’s a certain way you have to ask qualified leads for the close. I talk all about it in my bestselling book, “The Closer’s Survival Guide“, with more than 100 scripts to close deals. Here are some of them:

• Delivery Close: “When would you want to take delivery or have your new _______ installed? Right away or tomorrow morning at around 11:00?”
• Check Close: “Would there be any other changes or additions you would want made to your _______  before we come to an agreement on the figures?”
• Agreement Close II: “I agree it’s a lot of money and expect that you knew that before you got here. I need your OK here and here.”

Finally, the last piece to perfect your sales cycle is following up with new leads. This step is so neglected by others in the selling process that by merely doing it you separate yourself from the crowd.

There are several types of follow-up that you need to keep in mind. First, following up with the unsold client until you sell them. Then, maintaining customer relationships to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth. Last, heating up contacts that have gone cold.

Regardless of the category your client is in, follow up until they follow through.

Putting the Sales Cycle into Action

To help you get a better picture of what all this looks like in real life, let’s walk through the roadmap together.

Here’s a step-by-step example:

1. Let’s say your idea is to raise $100K for charity.
2. Grab the attention of a bunch of people who would be aligned with the cause you want to support.
3. Clearly state the intention of your fundraiser — to ask for the money.
4. Present the solution with details on where the money will go, who it will benefit, and how it will have a massive impact on their lives.
5. Wrap everything up in a proposal that outlines how each individual contribution will make a difference and help hit the final goal.
6. Close the deal by securing commitments.
7. For those who didn’t commit, follow up to reinforce the benefits of donating. If they already helped, ask if there’s any way they can commit to more or know anyone else who can. You can also reach out to those who haven’t contributed in a while to remind them of why they donated in the first place.

As you can see, all the stages of a sales cycle work for any goal you’re trying to achieve.

Everything I’ve told you up until now is a great overview to get you started with sales cycle management. But to really dig deep and master this skill, book a meeting with my team to find out how Cardone University can help you ace the sales game.

Yes, It’s as Easy as It Seems

To sum up, these are the seven steps to the most effective sales cycle. No more, no less. There’s no need to complicate things.

However, you need to complete each step fully for the overall to work. One step builds upon the other. If you skip one, your results will suffer.

Move from an idea to attention, intention, solution, proposal, close, and follow-up.

It’s that simple, folks.

Be Great,

Grant Cardone

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