The New Conceptual Selling

1
The New Conceptual Selling

• Marketing 3360
• Phil Bartos, Executive in Residence

2
Chapter 1 Why Your Customers Really Buy

• People buy for their own reasons, not for
  yours.
• Myths of traditional selling
• Push the Slinky Sphinx.
• Use anything that works . . . Focus on techniques
• Keep things on track . . . Customers arent
  stupid!
• Do more legwork . . . Sell smart not hard.
• You gotta believe! . . . Its process not rah-rah
  that counts.

3
Key Focus on Customers Decision Making Process

• Main principles
• Buying is special case decision-making.
• Customers are predictable and logical.
• Decision-process is sequenced . . . Identifiable
  and trackable.
• Fit or no fit for your product.
• Dont work against the customers decision
  process.

4
Tactical Planning Three Phases of a Sales Call

• Getting Information
• Giving Information
• Getting Commitment
• Consider contrast the classic steps of the
  selling process Prospecting, Qualifying,
  Pre-approach, approach, presentation, answering
  objections, close and follow-up.

5
Chapter 2 How Customers Make Buying Decisions

• Types of thinking
• Cognition understand situation.
• Divergent explore options.
• Convergent select best solution.

6
Traditional vs Joint Venture Selling

• Traditional selling and two false assumptions
• All potential buyers can use product.
• Show and tell benefits lead to a buy.
• Joint venture selling
• Follows the natural order of decision-makingcogni
  tion, divergence and then convergence.

7
Chapter 3 . . . Win-Win

• Win-Win Profitable and comfortable, but
  not a matter of luck!
• Win-Lose Backlash
• . . . Two stages Buyers remorse,
  then Buyers revenge.
• Lose-Win Buying the business
• Lose-Lose Avoid by focusing each SSO on
  Win-Win

8
Challenges to Staying Win-Win

• Theres no fit.
• Ive got to meet quota.
• My competition is undercutting me.
• My customer wont let things stay Win-Win.
• Note Its time to get off the dead horse.

9
Summary of Basic Goals of Every Sales Call

• Dont oversell on expectationsunder promise and
  over deliver.
• Dont get suckered into a giveaway.
• Hear/Listen to the customer outlet the customer
  talk!
• BE WILLING TO WALK!

10
Chapter 4 Life Beyond the Product Pitch

• Conceptual Selling begins with the recognition
  that every decision involves individual
  perception.
• No one buys a product per se. What is bought is
  what the customer thinks the product or service
  will do for him or her.
• Customer Concept is a mindset or solution
  image.

11
Identifying the Concept

• Note Treat every sales call as if it were your
  first call on the customer.
• Focus on Results
• Discrepancy
• Importance
• Solving a problem
• Customerize
• Understand then connect

12
Common Mistake

• Making a product pitch, first.
• Lesson Cognition must always come first.

13
Advantages of Concept First

• Allows you to learn more about the customer.
• Focus on results.
• Differentiate yourself.
• Minimizes importance of price competition.
• Position yourself with the person who makes the
  final decision.
• Identifies where there is not a Win-Win.

14
Chapter 5 Why am I here?

• The Single Sales Objective Criteria
• Product/service
• Specific, clear and concise
• Definable and measurable
• Tied to a timeline
• Usually not connected by, and

15
Chapter 6 What do I want the customer to do?

• Traditional sales call goals
• Usually salesperson-driven vs customer-driven
• Too general
• Unrealistic

16
Commitment to Action

• Commitment to action
• Win-Win - Joint venture
• Best action commitment
• Is this Action Commitment specific?
• Does it focus on what the customer will do?
• Is the statement of Best Action measurable?
• Does this Best Action Commitment move the sale
  forward?
• Is this Best Action Commitment realistic?

17
What if you cant get the minimum?

• Choices
• Ask questions about resistance.
• Revise Minimum Acceptable Action downward.
• Walk away.

18
Chapter 7 Why should the customer see me?

• Valid business reason Key ideas
• Give informationwho and why.
• Foundation to discuss customers Concept.
• Critical prerequisites
• Purpose of appointment customers perspective.
• Preparation.
• Optimum use of time.
• Courteous and effective.
• Set mutual expectations.
• Statement of reasons for meeting.

19
Setting Appointment Expectations

• Guidelines
• Clarify your selling responsibilities.
• Clarify customers responsibilities.
• State purpose of meeting-customer perspective.
• Identify people to be present.
• Itemize materials needed.
• Note Confirm appointment.

20
Other Appointment Considerations

• Verify meeting focus
• What youre doing.
• Is it what the customer wants?
• Dealing with surprise guests
• Identify the guestsBuying Influence.
• Recap discussion.

21
Three Common Reservations - Responses

• Valid Business Reason
• 1. It cant be necessary on every call.
• Sales calls and social calls dont equal.
• I dont want to come across as hard-nosed.
• Focus on mutual business needs.
• I feel uncomfortable stating the reason out loud.
• then, is it a valid reason?

22
The Long-term Payback

• Differentiation!!
• being remembered and listened to can be an
  important differentiation from the customers
  point-of-view.

23
Chapter 8 Do I have credibility?

• Basic reasons customers are reluctant to buy
• No need .
• No money.
• No desire.
• No urgency.
• No trustNumber one reason!
• Note There are exceptions.

24
Check credibility on every sales call!

• The sales call where you assume you have
  credibility is the sales call where you will lose
  it.

25
Do you have credibility? Weighing the evidence.

• Evidence you have do have credibility-reactions
  and behaviors
• Customer ready to talk about product.
• Customer asks how not why questions.
• Customer says you are trusted.
• Customer tells you personal information.
• Customer gives you clear and unambiguous
  attention.

26
Do you have credibility? Weighing the evidence.

• Evidence you do not have credibility-reactions
  and behaviors
• Customer make you jump through hoops and
  questions credentials.
• Customer controls the meeting.
• Customer is silent and guarded.
• Customer questions your logic.
• Customer is antagonistic or defensive.

27
Earning Credibility Guidelines

• Ask precise questions.
• Listen intentlyeye contact.
• Be yourself.
• Dont be a know-it-all.
• Stay Win-WinCounter antagonism with specifics,
  understanding and dont interrupt.
• Remember-Dont over promise and under deliver.

28
Chapter 9 Learning to Listen

• Its all about dialogue!
• Why ask good questions?
• Is their a Win-Result opportunity?
• Establish rapport.
• Position yourself in the selling process.
• Identify differences with competition.
• Reinforce credibility.
• Motivate and sustain customers interest in a
  Win-Win.

29
Why do salespersons talk so much?

• Sales professionals say
• I feel more comfortable being in control.
• Its my job to tell the customer about the
  product.
• Talking is what the customer usually wants
  you/me to do.
• Talking takes less planning.
• Sometimes your afraid to hear the answers.

30
The Questioning Process

• Traditional selling advice
• Never ask questions to which you dont already
  know the answer.
• Conceptual Selling advice
• Never ask a question to which you already know
  the answer.

31
Chapter 10 The Five Questions Types

• Types and definitions
• Confirmationvalidate data/information.
• New informationclarify customers Concept and
  desired business result.
• Attitudecustomers personal needs, values and
  attitudes.
• Commitmentunderstand position.
• Basic issueidentify customer concerns.

32
Chapter 11 Establish Superb Communication

• Selling is a form of teaching. Important
  characteristics
• Emphasis on dialogue.
• Use of pauses.
• Avoid question shock
• Sales persons ask five or more questions per
  minute.
• and, waits one second for an answer.
• then, waits one second to comment and move
  on.

33
Golden Silence

• . . . Think-speak
• Benefits of Golden Silence
• Number of customer reactions increase.
• Length of responses increases.
• Reliability of information improves.
• Number of unsolicited responses increase.
• Number of customer questions increase.
• Open-ended thinking increases.
• Focus of discussion moves to Conceptual Selling.
• Increases time to think.

34
Techniques to AvoidDangerous Verbal Signals

• Think about it.
• Mimicry.
• Yesbut.
• Rhetorical questions/tags
• ...be careful of its obvious.
• Why?

35
Chapter 12 The Importance of Differentiation

• Information that makes a salesperson effective
• Identifies fit of product with customers
  Concept.
• Demonstrates a salespersons is offering the best
  solution.

36
Differentiation Why its important.

• Buyers decision-making or selection process
• Random selection
• Selection by differentiation
• . . . acting on a perceived distinction

37
Linking Customer Concept to Product

• Basic ways
• Let the buyer do the sorting, or buyer
  differentiation. . . . Deadly approach!
• Me too. . . . Works in favor of low
  bidder.
• Emphasizing Unique Strengths . . . The
  fundamental task of Giving Information.

38
Chapter 13 Using the Joint Venture Approach

• Benefit to the salesperson not the customer
• Its natural.
• Its fluid.
• Less stressful.
• More predictable.
• Its logical.

39
Input, Ownership, and Commitment

• Other advantages of Joint Venture Selling
• Facilitates customer input into the process.
• Encourages customer ownership in the solution.
• Promotes long-term commitment.
• Note Input of customers leads to
  ownership-leading to long-term commitments.

40
The Fourth-Quadrant Trap

• Lessons learned
• Stick to the process!
• Never give a dog-and-pony presentation to a
  group whose members you dont know.
• Never start with the a product pitch.know the
  customers Conceptmindset or solution image.
• Test the readiness of the customer by asking
  questions.
• When in the fourth quadrant, pause and ask for
  feedback.

41
Chapter 14 Beyond the Chumming Exercise

• Every sales call must result in a measurable
  degree of Action CommitmentBest Action
  Commitment or Minimum Acceptable Action
• The investment is too great not to.
• Vague promises not a sign of commitment.
• Focus on specific actions and dates.

42
Incremental Commitment

• Key characteristics of commitment
• Mutual
• Incremental
• Not a chumming exercise
• Fundamental issue is time

43
Chapter 15 Dont Call Them Objections

• Basic Issues are hidden causes of customer
  reluctance and Objections are manifestations of
  Basic Issuesa Lose perception.
• Objections are normally tangible.
• Basic Issues relate to the customer Concept.
• Never judge a Basic Issueits a feeling.
• Dont assume you know the Basic Issue.

44
Commitment Signals

• Commitment Signal is a message from the customer
  that they are ready to move the buy/sell process
  forward.
• How long will it take?
• When can my?
• How much lead time to get started?
• Id like to check out references.

45
Chapter 16 Pre-call Planning and Rehearsal

• Always start with the Concept!
• A sales call should never be a song and dance
  put on for the customer.
• The point of Conceptual Selling is to interact
  with customers and establish a dialogue.
• Planning and Rehearsing a conversation

46
No-risk Rehearsal

• Rehearse with a friend.
• Brief your partner
• Role of Buying Influence.
• Win-Win history.
• Describe the SSO
• Describe Response ModeWin-Result.
• Other unique or relevant information.

47
Pre-call Feedback

• Checklist
• Stated Valid Business Reason.
• Lead with good Confirmation Question.
• Ask one good Attitude Question.
• Ask Commitment Question and invite Incremental
  Commitment.
• Use logic, key words, cognition, divergent and
  convergence.
• Leverage from Strengths.
• Use Golden Silence I and II.
• Use Joint Venture Selling.
• Check Credibility and move to Win-Win

48
How Much Rehearsal?

• Basic guidelines
• The more revenue the more attention.
• The more time invested the more important the
  planningapproaching the close.
• The closer to Win-Win and Win-Result the more
  important the manage each call.
• Look to the future and long-term relationships.

49
Chapter 17 Assessing the Call

• Basic reasons to assess each call
• Understand information exchanged and what
  information needs to be exchanged.
• Judge the interpersonal data and evaluate
  interaction.

50
First Process Review

• Three related phases of the sales call
• Whats the current information level?
• Whats the current level of differentiation?
• Whats the current level of Action Commitment?

51
Second Process Sorting

• Sorting prospective customers and SSOs
• What Basic Issues were raised?
• What Basic Issues were resolved?
• What Basic Issues could be remaining?

52
Third Process Feedforward

• Put current information into next stage of the
  processfeedforward versus feedback.
• Know where your are in each call/SSO and know
  what need to be done to move to a Win-Win.

53
Chapter 18 Selling Beyond the Close

• Key related ideas
• Your long-term success is intimately dependent on
  you individual customers success.
• All good selling, like all good buying, begins
  with a solution image in the customers mind.
• Focus on each individuals Concept.