| Sales Aid |
| A tool that is considered to support or help the sales professional gain an advantage. These cover a wide gamut: from sophisticated demonstration tools and assessment technologies, to paper checklists, templates, and step-by-step how to's. |
 |
| Sales Assistant |
| A person whose primary objective is to actively assist in the sales and servicing process, with the objective of increasing the time a sales professional has to find and support new business opportunities. |
|
| Sales Cycle |
| The set of steps an organization believes are needed to make a sale. Sales cycles can vary considerably across business organizations and the markets they serve. |
|
| Sales Effectiveness |
| Term used to cover the broad range of activities a sales organization uses in order to improve the productivity and results of its sales teams. Sometimes the words "Sales Excellence" are used as synonyms to sales effectiveness. |
|
| Sales Funnel |
| Slang term used in sales to describe, at the top of the funnel, all the opportunities that are before you, and then, as the sales cycle unfolds, how opportunities progress downward through the funnel to the ultimate sale. |
|
| Sales Philosophy |
| An organization's point of view on how selling should occur. |
|
| Sales Process |
| The documented "way we sell." When done effectively, the sales process is the clearly defined and documented steps an organization takes to satisfy customer requirements. Typically, the sales process is defined by Phases, Key Activities, Tools, and Observable Outcomes. |
|
| Sales Process Engineering |
| The steps an organization takes to examine its selling practices and transform them to new behaviors, approaches, and strategies. |
|
| Sales Productivity |
| The science and study of being efficient and effective in producing results. The use of tools and methods to produce more - faster, cheaper, better. |
|
| Sales Yield |
| A measure used by selling organizations to track the results of selling efforts. |
|
| SAM - Strategic Account Manager |
| Acronym - Strategic Account Manager. The person and relationship manager who oversees and is responsible for strategizing, managing, and fulfilling expectations of the selling and customer organizations. |
|
| Save Face |
| Slang used to denote a conscious strategy a sales professional uses to make the best of a situation such as a poor decision or action taken by the customer. This is typically done to retain self-esteem and build the relationship with the customer. |
|
| SBU |
| Acronym - Strategic Business Unit |
|
| Scorecards |
| Term used to refer to the sales metrics a selling organization or a sales manager uses to measure progress. |
|
| Script |
| A term used by sales organizations and call centers to describe the documents that guide sales professionals on key points to say to gain the interest of the party being called. |
|
| Segmentation |
| The division of a market into discrete units with similar characteristics. This allows a selling organization to focus on the unique needs of each segment, and develop strategies to capitalize on the different opportunities and needs of each segment. |
|
| Selling System |
| The elements of a selling organization that when, looked at as a group, comprise complementary components to define how the organization sells. When the selling system is functioning well, the sales organization is said to be highly productive and effective in achieving results and exceeding expectations. |
|
| Serious Discussion |
| Conversation with a prospect or customer that examines business issues in-depth. This in-depth analysis gives the sales professional significant insight and awareness of what drives the customer's thinking. Serious discussion meetings typically do not happen during most initial sales meetings, as it takes time to build credibility and openness. |
|
| Share-of-Wallet / Share-of-Spend |
| Sales slang to denote the level of a customer's budget available for a given product or service. |
|
| Skepticism |
| An attitude of doubt on the part of a customer to a claim a sales professional or the selling organization is making. |
|
| Skill Model |
| In sales training, the set of step-by-step actions someone would follow to accomplish something. Skill models form the foundation of the training methods used to develop proficiency in a subject area. |
|
| SMART Goal |
| Used to describe the components of a well-defined goal statement, e.g. a goal needs to be Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, and Time bound. |
|
| Smoke-Screen |
| Sales slang to represent a statement a customer makes that in actuality conceals the customer's actual plans or intentions. |
|
| Solution |
| A summary of how a salesperson will address the customer's problem or opportunity. It includes the product or service the salesperson intends to sell, including the units, dollars involved, method, approach, etc. that is being recommended. |
|
| Split-the-Difference |
| In sales negotiation, a point where the selling organization and the customer make a concession midpoint between both positions. |
|
| Spray and Pray |
| Sales slang used to describe salespeople who "spray" the customer with all the facts, features, and benefits about a product or service, and "pray" that one of those features influences the customer to buy. This is typically done by salespeople who do not engage the customer in dialog to express his/her needs directly. |
|
| Stall |
| A condition when a customer avoids making a decision and, in essence, puts on hold the sales process. Stalls often happen due to hidden issues the customer faces and the customer is unwilling to share them with the selling organization. |
|
| Stars |
| Sales slang used to describe top performers. |
|
| Storyboard |
| A technique used by salespeople in preparing the flow of a presentation. A storyboard is a series of panels, wall charts, pages, outlining the sequence and transitions needed in a presentation. It is a visual technique that allows change and adjustments to be clearly seen before completing the final look of the presentation. |
|
| Strategic Questioning |
| The process of asking thought-provoking questions targeted to a specific issue that a salesperson or sales manager wishes to explore. With customers, strategic questions challenge the customer to think in BIG PICTURE terms, and to analyze the implications of a decision. Strategic questions are also effectively used by sales coaches to gain insight and to fully understand a situation before taking action. |
|
| Strategic Selling |
| A selling methodology considered by some to represent the most complex type of sale, due to the number of people who are typically involved in the sales process, or to the nature and scope of the relationship. For some, strategic selling is differentiated from consultative selling by the fact that the selling organization, and sometimes the customer's organization, must adapt how they do business in order to secure the deal. |
|
| Strategy |
| The planning of all the resources available to a company or a salesperson to achieve a stated goal or purpose. |
|
| Stretch and Performance Challenge |
| A term used by sales coaches to define two types of challenges they encounter in working with their employees. Stretch Challenge refers to a situation where an employee is meeting expectations, yet there are opportunities to achieve beyond current performance levels. A Performance Challenge is a situation where an employee may not be meeting expectations, and there is the need for the employee to change that performance. |
|
| Survey |
| The process of closely examining an issue by taking an opinion poll with a variety of people who might be influenced by the issue being examined. Surveys are often done by superior salespeople to gain a competitive advantage, and enable recommendations based on fact. |
|
| Suspect |
| A prospect that has not been qualified yet. |
|
| SWAG |
| Acronym - Scientific, Wild-Ass, Guess |
|
| SWOT |
| Acronym - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Popularized by marketing and business planning, a SWOT analysis is a common exercise completed when examining your own or your competitor's organization. |
|
| Symptom |
| A sign or an indication that something else is occurring. In sales, symptoms often represent cues that there is a problem, and if explored diligently. These may form the basis for uncovering the real problem that will lead to a valid recommendation. |
|
| Synergy |
| When synergy occurs in a sales organization, all parties involved feel that there is greater value in the collaboration with each other, than there is as individual contributors. Creating synergy is a key tactic of sales managers with their sales teams. |
|
