A Roadmap to Sales Success

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"Only after you've correctly assessed the needs of your prospect do you mention anything about what you're offering." - - Len Foley, The Ten Laws of Sales Success- #7
Vol. 1 No. 5 January, 2004		Feel free to pass this along if it can help others.
SPECIAL OFFERING!!! For help with sales issues: see "Ask your Sales Partner". Submit your questions to info@salestraininginc.com . All Questions will be answered via e-mail. However, if your question is selected to be answered in next month's newsletter, you will receive a FREE 1-hour consulting session!!!		Ask your Sales Partner: Nick asks: "What are the best ways to keep a prospect's attention when I present my offerings?" SP: Nick, the best ways are by first considering where the prospect is in the "buying behavioral" process, then presenting your offerings as timely solutions to the prospect's confirmed needs. See: Resources/Sales Tools at http://www.salespartnersinc.com

About the “Roadmap …”

Each issue of the “Roadmap to Sales Success” will contain items of interest to the business (especially the sales) community.

In addition, each issue will also feature one in a series of “progressive” articles to help you through the “Sales Cycle.” Following is the schedule:

No. 1	-	“The Importance of Sales/Salespeople”
No. 2	-	“Understanding Your Offering/Your Market”
No. 3	-	“Reaching Your Decision - Makers”
No. 4	-	“Things to Say When You Do Make Contact”
No. 5	-	“Offering Your Offering - in the Best Light”
No. 6	-	“Handling Obstacles/Objections/Concerns”
No. 7	-	“Closing a Sale”
No. 8	-	“Cultivating Lasting Relationships”
No. 9	-	“Networking for Results”
No. 10	-	“Importance/Use of a Customer Data Base”

This Month’s Sales Tips …

"Focus on Building a Unique
Presentation to Meet Your
Customer's Stated Needs." - - The Fusion Group

"Ideally you want to present when your solution
will be perceived as:
   1. the most unique
     2. having the highest business value, and
     3. meeting more of the prospect's requirements
          than your competitors."
- - Dave Stein, The Stein Advantage

"Chance favors the prepared mind." - - Louis Pasteur

Upcoming Events involving Sales Partners:

01/08/2004	-	Raleigh Chamber Central AM Network Panel
01/09/2004	-	Cary Chamber Advisory Committee
01/26/2004	-	Wake Tech Sales Class Starts
01/29/2004	-	Wake Tech Cust Svce Class Starts

Please see:
http://www.salespartnersinc.com for details

Offering Your Offering - in the Best Light - - Vol. 1 No. 5 - - January 1, 2004

"Remember that the impact of your sales presentation is 55% visual, 38% vocal, and only 7% content." - - Robin Bartlett, 12 Tips for More Powerful One-on-One Sales Presentations- #7

In order to successfully proffer appropriate/beneficial offerings, the salesperson should first have determined the customer's real needs (as they relate to the offerings.)

He/she should then be familiar with "buying behavior." Some buying decisions are based upon previous, similar decisions - so the buyer is simply repeating a familiar process - thus reducing risk (in the buyer's mind.)

Other decisions can involve ventures into previously-uncharted territory. These may or may not involve risk, but DO require careful consideration on the buyer's part.

IF (big IF) the salesperson has done a thorough job in finding out and confirming the buyer's need(s), and IF (big IF) the salesperson has done a comprehensive job in determining that the buyer is in a position to change his/her current situation and WANTS to change, and has the FUNDING to support change, then the process of proffering beneficial offerings can be exciting to BOTH buyer and salesperson.

It is important for the salesperson to remember that NOBODY inherently wants his/her offerings, rather they want the BENEFITS of those offerings!!!

Our Approach:

If you were the prospective buyer, what comments (describing what events or activities) are likely to get your attention and prompt you to consider a reason to buy? Keys are: Time, Money, Improve Situation, Alleviate Problem, etc.

Think about some of your offerings examples now.

Now consider your proposed solutions. We said earlier that, in today's economy, there are MANY choices of solutions for the same problems. Why is yours "best?"

When putting forth your offering, try to use factual but descriptive words that paint your offering in its best possible light - see: Resources/Sales Tools at http://www.salespartnersinc.com

"If you feel enthusiastic, you will BE enthusiastic!" - - Dale Carnegie

This is where your knowledge of the offering becomes supremely important.

Oftentimes, the sophisticated prospect has a considerable base of knowledge about his/her situation. He/she may also have a good idea of the available solutions.

However, in today's rapidly-changing environment, prospects may not be aware of the latest developments. In Volume 1, we talked about "The Importance of Sales/Salespeople." One item of importance is to educate the customers, prospects and influencers.

We have often commented on the fact that the salesperson needs to be a genuine "resource" for the customer. If we are seen to be a resource, it will make our offering much more credible when we proffer it.

".(engage) the listeners' imaginations, (involve) them in your illustrative stories by frequent use of the word "you" and from answering their unspoken question, "What's in this for me?" - - Patricia Fripp, 12 Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make in Their Presentations - #6 NO EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

One general rule of presenting is to "tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them." In other words, an outline of what the presentation is going to be about, the body of your presentation, then a summary of what was presented.

This approach allows the prospect to confirm that your presentation is "spot on."

At some points during the discussion, it will be useful to confirm the prospect's agreement on the benefits of what is being presented. If you get strong enough confirmation, then it might be a good time for a "trial close."

Closing will be covered in detail in Newsletter #7, "Closing a Sale", March 2004

"People usually buy for emotional - not logical - reasons. If we forget this, we will not be very successful in sales." - - Joyce's Law #27

Next issue:

Be on the lookout for next issue of “Roadmap …” where the topic will be: "Handling Obstacles/Objections/Concerns"

Until then, Good Selling!!


Helpful Hints this month: Need help buying or selling a business? Please see: http://www.ga-assoc.com/ Looking for assistance with business, leadership, and/or communications skills? Look to: http://www.ropergroup.com/ Need secure, timely, and cost-effective accounting services? Then you need: http://www.virtualofficeamerica.com/ And, of course, to improve your sales situation, please see: SALES TRAINING, INC. ^SM http://www.salespartnersinc.com/		SALES TRAINING, INC. ^SM Helping companies and individuals: * Grow Revenue * Improve Sales Productivity * Enhance Customer Relationships Submit your question/comments to: info@salestraininginc.com Subscribe to the “Roadmap …”