10 Unchanging Principles for Intelligence Gathering

  1. First, clarify what intelligence is currently needed. Gathering a lot of intelligence is not the goal; intelligence is a means to drive sales activities.
  2. Do not treat information favorable to yourself as intelligence. Such information often becomes a defense when results are poor.
  3. Listen to the customer and the main person in charge until they finish sharing their experiences and opinions. Customers may not organize their thoughts at the start, and important information is often unconsciously revealed during the conversation.
  4. Correctly judge the place where intelligence was obtained, who said it, and whether it is speculation or fact. Acting on incorrect intelligence leads to incorrect handling.
  5. Correctly grasp the timing for using intelligence. Intelligence only has value when it can be utilized.
  6. Be keenly observant of contradictions in intelligence. Contradictory intelligence can provide inspiration for sales activities. Develop the habit of exploring the background behind it.
  7. If you feel certain intelligence is helpful for sales activities, record it in relevant materials. If not recorded, it will eventually be forgotten.
  8. Report follow-up status to the intelligence provider. Providers who receive reports from salespeople will assist them from the sidelines.
  9. Master multiple sources of intelligence. Intelligence from a single viewpoint can bias our judgment.
  10. Persist in collecting necessary intelligence for sales activities. The harder it is to collect, the more important it is for sales activities.

10 Basic Principles for Formulating Execution Plans

  1. First, clarify the purpose of the plan. Is there a situation where the plan is only for showing to superiors, and actual actions are different?
  2. Refer to sales reports and other action-related data. Plans that are detached from reality must be immediately corrected.
  3. Do not deviate too much from last year's performance and your own personality. A salesperson who visits only 3 customers a day cannot realistically plan to increase to 10; it's just an unrealistic fantasy.
  4. Set schedules with buffer space. One plan not progressing as scheduled should not affect other plans.
  5. Think ahead about possible situations. For example, to support junior salespeople, you may need to accompany them on customer visits.
  6. Make deadlines clear. Rushing to catch up will ultimately lead to failure.
  7. Clarify whose help you need to execute the plan. Getting support from superiors is more effective than doing it alone.
  8. Confirm whether the plan may need to change due to involvement with other departments. When scheduling sales activities, check if you are required to handle other departments' tasks.
  9. Keep the written plan in a visible place. If it's in a desk drawer or archived, it cannot be utilized.
  10. Draw a column for execution results compared with the plan. Also set up a column for superior's suggestions to force yourself to execute.

10 Basic Principles for Proposal-Based Selling

  1. Set proposal goals. It is important to clarify goals (e.g., how many proposals in which area by which month).
  2. Clarify the purpose of the proposal. What is the purpose of this proposal – "to gather intelligence," "to draft a preliminary proposal," or "to prompt the other party to decide"? Be clear.
  3. Proposal work should follow three stages: draft, first draft, second draft. With limited intelligence, it is not easy to create a proposal that satisfies the customer. Continuously absorb and enrich intelligence during the drafting process.
  4. Support the customer's departmental policy. A proposal must not violate the customer's departmental policy to gain approval.
  5. Confirm whether the intelligence in the proposal is feasible. A proposal citing incorrect intelligence will not be accepted or recognized by the customer.
  6. When drafting the proposal, consider the positions and feelings of those negatively affected. These people may become factors of "opposition for opposition's sake."
  7. Present the proposal content in a way the customer prefers. Customers use their preferences as values to judge things.
  8. Have the person who fits the proposal's purpose explain the content. Choosing the wrong person may lead to unnecessary detours.
  9. The proposal should be implemented. Sometimes "agree in principle, oppose in detail" can frustrate the proposal.
  10. Follow-up actions after the proposal should be careful. The proposal is a trial balloon in business negotiations; the sales activities after the proposal are the real key to victory or defeat.

10 Basic Principles for Sales Activities After Handling Complaints and Disputes

  1. Visit customers at the same pace as before. Do not avoid customers who once gave you trouble.
  2. Do not suddenly become timid and obey everything the customer says. The incident has been resolved, and now you are in a new phase.
  3. During negotiations, do not say things like "it's not my responsibility." You may have held back such words during resolution, but avoid revealing them later because the customer knows the truth.
  4. Do not negotiate while reading the customer's expression. After painful experiences, one may not see things correctly.
  5. Even if the cause is within the company, do not speak ill of those involved. No one intentionally causes complaints or disputes.
  6. Express gratitude to those who supported solving the problem. Flattering verbal thanks are easy; express gratitude through actions.
  7. Do not offer critical opinions after the fact. Opinions should be given before resolution; after resolution, they are just comments.
  8. Absolutely do not let the same complaint or dispute recur. There is a saying "third time's a charm," but sales activities do not allow a second mistake.
  9. Organize past customer complaints and disputes as guidelines for future actions. Regularly self-check.
  10. Do not become careless even after time has passed. If you forget the actions and words that caused the problem, sales activities may become perfunctory.

10 Basic Principles for Formulating Execution Plans

  1. First, clarify the purpose of the plan. Is there a situation where the plan is only for showing to superiors, and actual actions are different?
  2. Refer to sales reports and other action-related data. Plans that are detached from reality must be immediately corrected.
  3. Do not deviate too much from last year's performance and your own personality. A salesperson who visits only 3 customers a day cannot realistically plan to increase to 10; it's just an unrealistic fantasy.
  4. Set schedules with buffer space. One plan not progressing as scheduled should not affect other plans.
  5. Think ahead about possible situations. For example, to support junior salespeople, you may need to accompany them on customer visits.
  6. Make deadlines clear. Rushing to catch up will ultimately lead to failure.
  7. Clarify whose help you need to execute the plan. Getting support from superiors is more effective than doing it alone.
  8. Confirm whether the plan may need to change due to involvement with other departments. When scheduling sales activities, check if you are required to handle other departments' tasks.
  9. Keep the written plan in a visible place. If it's in a desk drawer or archived, it cannot be utilized.
  10. Draw a column for execution results compared with the plan. Also set up a column for superior's suggestions to force yourself to execute.

10 Basic Principles for Proposal-Based Selling

  1. Set proposal goals. It is important to clarify goals (e.g., how many proposals in which area by which month).
  2. Clarify the purpose of the proposal. What is the purpose of this proposal – "to gather intelligence," "to draft a preliminary proposal," or "to prompt the other party to decide"? Be clear.
  3. Proposal work should follow three stages: draft, first draft, second draft. With limited intelligence, it is not easy to create a proposal that satisfies the customer. Continuously absorb and enrich intelligence during the drafting process.
  4. Support the customer's departmental policy. A proposal must not violate the customer's departmental policy to gain approval.
  5. Confirm whether the intelligence in the proposal is feasible. A proposal citing incorrect intelligence will not be accepted or recognized by the customer.
  6. When drafting the proposal, consider the positions and feelings of those negatively affected. These people may become factors of "opposition for opposition's sake."
  7. Present the proposal content in a way the customer prefers. Customers use their preferences as values to judge things.
  8. Have the person who fits the proposal's purpose explain the content. Choosing the wrong person may lead to unnecessary detours.
  9. The proposal should be implemented. Sometimes "agree in principle, oppose in detail" can frustrate the proposal.
  10. Follow-up actions after the proposal should be careful. The proposal is a trial balloon in business negotiations; the sales activities after the proposal are the real key to victory or defeat.

10 Basic Principles for Sales Activities After Handling Complaints and Disputes

  1. Visit customers at the same pace as before. Do not avoid customers who once gave you trouble.
  2. Do not suddenly become timid and obey everything the customer says. The incident has been resolved, and now you are in a new phase.
  3. During negotiations, do not say things like "it's not my responsibility." You may have held back such words during resolution, but avoid revealing them later because the customer knows the truth.
  4. Do not negotiate while reading the customer's expression. After painful experiences, one may not see things correctly.
  5. Even if the cause is within the company, do not speak ill of those involved. No one intentionally causes complaints or disputes.
  6. Express gratitude to those who supported solving the problem. Flattering verbal thanks are easy; express gratitude through actions.
  7. Do not offer critical opinions after the fact. Opinions should be given before resolution; after resolution, they are just comments.
  8. Absolutely do not let the same complaint or dispute recur. There is a saying "third time's a charm," but sales activities do not allow a second mistake.
  9. Organize past customer complaints and disputes as guidelines for future actions. Regularly self-check.
  10. Do not become careless even after time has passed. If you forget the actions and words that caused the problem, sales activities may become perfunctory.

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