SKILL
On the other hand, the manager says, a prompt reply to a customer’s request can differentiate a salesper- son from the competition and be used effectively as a closing tool – even if that salesperson doesn’t offer the lowest price. “The rep can say, ‘OK, I can sell you the drywall at $15 per sheet. Is there anything standing between us and doing business right now?’” the man- ager explains. “Then, if the customer says, ‘I’m waiting to get numbers back from your competitor,’ my sales rep can respond, ‘You said you wanted me to get back to you in an hour and I’ve done so. Have you heard from my competitor yet? No? Well, if I don’t hear back from you in the next 20 minutes, can I call you back?’ When you follow up and make good on your promises, that makes customers feel special because you’re working harder for them than the other guy.” For the sales rep, who sells custom automation machinery to factory cus- tomers like Corning and Seagrams, the selling process is longer and more involved. For his customers, added value often means involving the customer in the design process and offering a level of customization the competition can’t match. “We go through the design with them and ask them a lot of questions because they know their products and needs better than we do. Then we offer a full turnkey system that’s customized. We do the control panels or programming; we do the electri- cal to make it more operator friendly; and our parts are pinned together so they’re more easily accessible by maintenance. This all sets us apart from the competition, who gives cus- tomers an off-the-shelf solution and says, ‘You do the programming and the electrical.’” The sales rep notes there is another
arrow in his value-selling quiver – company founder Dean Mannlein. “Dean is a young guy, 32 years old, and considered a real whiz kid in terms of design,” the sales rep says.
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WHY SALESPEOPLE NEED MINDSET TRAINING TO REACH PEAK PERFORMANCE
“When a customer seems ready to move forward, I bring Dean in and he’ll come up with a solid, compelling concept. His input persuades both the financial people, who want to see a payback within three years, and the engineers, who immediately recog- nize the value of his designs.” The manager adds two key compo- nents of value selling: information and flexibility. The more quality informa- tion a salesperson can provide, the better, he says. “Customers like dealing with professionals, who make them feel confident that the person they’re dealing with knows what they’re talking about. About 40 per- cent of our sales come from materials we do not stock. A customer will call and say, ‘I need 100 widgets,’ and the response to that has to be, “No prob- lem. When do you need them?’ “This is something we’ve instilled in our salespeople: don’t say no. If they’re calling looking for that widget, it means they feel confident that you, the salesperson they know and trust, are going to give them a good deal. And it’s always better to capitalize on that trust and confidence by doing some extra work than to merely say, ‘No, we don’t carry that.’”
SELLING TIP
Selling Benefits Although “How will I benefit?” may be one of the most impor- tant questions in a sales pro- ducer’s mind, it is also one of the most important questions in a customer’s mind.
When dealing with customers, your job is to present the cus- tomer with “what’s in it” for him or her. Push aside the “What’s in it for me?” until the call is over and the sale is made. As you present your product,
remember: The power of the sale comes from the prod- uct’s personal benefits, not the product itself. Present its benefits. The more benefits the customer receives from your product, the more benefits you will reap from a sale.
– SELLING POWER EDITORS
THE SALES SCRIPT BOOK
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