Planning Your Approach: Decide on the objective of your call, the amount of information you need to cover, and when to end the call. Next, develop a list of questions so you’ll be able to target your product benefits to the customer’s needs during the call. When preparing your questions, list the information you will need and develop a list of customer benefits.
Adapting Your Attitude: Recognize that you have to
alter your attitude according to the prospect’s characteris- tics. Look for such personal cues as body posture and rate of speech. Speed up or slow down according to the pros- pect’s speaking habits. Remember that maximum flexibility leads to maximum results.
OPENING First Impressions: Always be neat in your appearance. Fit
the prospect’s image of a successful salesperson, whether you’re selling stocks on Wall Street or garden supplies at a nursery. Stand tall and sit straight. Open with a benefit statement: Explain how you can help with specific needs, cost savings, increased productiv- ity, or better staff morale. Refer to any previous conversa- tions – research you’ve done on a question or needs that the prospect has already mentioned.
Nonverbal Signs: Read beyond the smile. Hands clenched, legs crossed, arms held close to the body, or the prospect leaning away from you, all suggest that your prospect is not so open. Ask questions to uncover prob- lems before moving on with your plan. Also, pay attention to changes in posture. If the prospect
is relaxed and suddenly becomes tense and closed up, a) probe to find out what the “hot topic” is, b) evaluate your own nonverbal signals, and c) remain open and relaxed.
UNCOVERING NEEDS Questions: Questions that require more than a yes-or-no
answer give the prospect an opportunity to participate ac- tively in the selling process. Try these requests for informa- tion to uncover needs. • “I understand that you’re not completely satisfied with your present sources of supply. What problems are you having at the present time?”
• “You’ve mentioned that reliability is very important to you. Can you tell me exactly what you mean by ‘reliability’?”
Listening: Many salespeople take listening for granted.
That’s because they believe talking is more important in sales. Unfortunately, when they don’t hear what their pros- pects are saying, they may talk about the wrong products, features, or benefits.
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PRESENTATIONS Illuminating Body Language: Pay attention to what your
body language says. When standing, place your feet one foot apart, with your weight slightly forward. This position gives you a good sense of balance. When sitting, rest your arms on the chair or in your lap and keep your hands open with the palms facing up. And smile.
Special Effects Pauses: The best way to convey confidence is to begin and end your presentation with a few seconds of silence. It shows that you are in control and sure of yourself. And it gives your audience – whether it’s one person or 100 – a chance to prepare to listen. During the presentation, add pauses between key points and after complicated explanations. Record your next pre- sentation. You’ll be amazed at how many times you could have sold more by using the persuasive power of pauses.
Analogies: Analogies paint vivid visual pictures. The closer the analogy is to the client’s own work or personal experiences, the easier it will be for you to make a memo- rable impression. For example, a salesperson used this analogy to illustrate the need for new telecommunications equipment: “Think of your present equipment as a single weed in a garden. The longer the weed is there, the more ground it will take over, and the more money and time it will take to remove it.”
Spotlighting Customer Benefits: Your clients want to
hear the bottom line. “What’s in it for me?” not just, “What’s it going to cost?” Features and model numbers aren’t as important as more efficient operation, fewer down hours, or increased employee satisfaction. Instead of justifying the price with features, make the benefits outweigh the price. List your product’s main features; then, come up with at least seven different benefits you can offer the customers.
OBJECTIONS Most objections fall into three categories: misunder-
standings, stalling, and price objections. Regardless of the type, however, here’s how you can handle them calmly and confidently.
Before the call, prepare yourself to listen; then, after
the call, evaluate your performance. While you’re there, though, listen for content, expression, misunderstandings, and gaps in the prospect’s information. A two-step process of asking questions and listening to the answers will help you discover what prospects really need. To show prospects that you understand what they’ve said, summarize the main points and ask for confirmation.
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