Prescription

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CHAPTER 9

• Prescription

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It isnt that they cant see the solution.It is
that they cant see the problem

• G. K. Chesterton (18741936)
• Scandal of Father Brown (1935)

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The Prescription Step

• In the prescription stage of a sales
  presentation, the salesperson arouses a
  prospects interest by showing understanding of
  the prospects problem and prescribing
  (presenting) a solution to it.

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Solution Selling

• Solution selling is the stage at which the
  salesperson
• Assumes a knowledgeable role
• Begins to earn the right to be an advisor to the
  prospect
• Customizes her presentation of product features
  and benefits to the prospects specific needs and
  wants

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Business Partnering

• Business partnering occurs as a result of sellers
  and buyers pooling resources in a trusting
  atmosphere focused on continuous and mutual gain

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Importance of Communication

• Each communication must bring knowledge to the
  prospect
• Communications that focus on benefits and value
  are viewed as quality communications
• Salespeople are responsible for making
  information available to the members of the
  buying center

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Table 9.1Preferred Information Sourcesand
Buying Situations
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Preparation for Prescription

• Preparation is not completed once the salesperson
  has planned a presentation
• The salesperson can improve it, polish it,
  rehearse it, and use various types of equipment
  to give it
• When salespeople are prepared, they will appear
  professional

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Polishing the Salespersons Story

• Salespeople should
• Work on their attitudes
• Make it easy for the prospect to listen
• Effectively use the prospects time
• Practice their presentations
• Be familiar with their catalogs, demonstrators,
  and visual aids

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Making AConvincing Presentation

• Selling is a listen before you speak business
• Speak in a clear, concise, specific, relevant,
  and organized manner
• The prospect must completely understand your
  explanation of the product or service

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It's not what you say . . .

• it's what the prospect understands of what you say

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Choice of Words

• The salesperson should strive to communicate
  clearly
• Short, simple words convey meanings best
• The words salespeople use can
• Trigger positive or negative emotions
• Gain (or lose) the attention and interest of
  prospects
• Some words have very strong emotional appeal
• Other words should be avoided

Refer to Table 9.2 Choice of Words
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What Your ProspectWants to Know

• What are you offering me?
• Exactly how does it work?
• How will it help me?
• Is it as good as you say it is? Who else says so?
• What evidence can you offer that it is as good as
  you say?
• Is it worth the price?
• Will it help me accomplish what I really want to
  accomplish?

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Components of aSuccessful Presentation

• Create a drama
• Help prospects visualize product/service benefits
• Dont exaggerate
• Keep promises

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Prospect Involvement

• When seeking to partner with prospects,
  salespeople attempt to involve the prospects in
  the prescription for their problems
• Listen carefully to align your suggestions with
  the prospects needs and wants
• Salespeople must show a willingness to collaborate

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V Q/P
Where V Value, Q Quality, and P Price

• The value of a delivered product or service
  increases as the quality of that product/service
  increases or the price of that product/service
  declines

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VALUE

• PRICE
• PERFORMANCE
• DELIVERY
• SUPPORT

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Sell Benefits Not Features

• Deal only in facts
• Sell the prospect results
• What the product will do--not what it is!

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Features

• A feature is a desirable characteristic that is
  inherent in the performance of the product
• The technical aspects of the product
• Features are most likely to be tangible
• They can be observed, felt, or experienced

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Benefits

• A benefit is a definitive advantage, improvement,
  or satisfaction that a customer acquires or
  experiences from a feature of a product
• Benefits are often intangible

Refer to Table 9.3--Examples of Product Features
and Benefits
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Sales Presentation Structure

• A sales presentation should make the prospect
  want the product/service being prescribed
• Customize the presentation
• Four features
• Completeness
• Elimination of competition
• Clarity
• Prospect confidence

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Winning AProspects Confidence

• Key aspects of winning prospects confidence are
• Confident salespeople
• Salesperson knowledge
• Helping prospects visualize the benefits

Refer to Table 9.4--Seven Steps to Effective
Presentations
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Seven Steps

• Opening Statement
• Transition
• Linking Phrase
• Details
• Summarize
• Recommend
• Next Step

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A picture is worth a thousand words

• A demonstration is worth a thousand pictures

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Demonstrations

• A demonstration can project a prospect into an
  emotional setting
• Prospects like action and will remember results
  better than they will remember facts
• Demonstrations should
• Show a product feature
• How it works
• How the prospect benefits

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Dramatizing the Presentation

• A sales presentation should be interesting,
  visually striking, and forcefully effective
• Showmanship is the skill of presenting something
  in an entertaining and dramatic manner

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Catalogs

• Catalogs provide
• Pictures of the product
• Descriptions of how the product works
• Information about various features
• Costs

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Multimedia

• Use bullet points in PowerPoint slides
• A maximum of five to six per page
• A maximum of five to six words per line
• Separate with white space
• Use graphs, charts, and pictures to add more
  impact
• Use headlines that sell instead of those that
  just describe

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Visual Aids

• Visual aids can
• Enhance the salesperson's ability to communicate
  product features and benefits
• Clarify and enhance selling points
• Add realism to the selling situation

Table 9.6 presents a brief overview of some
visual aids
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Persuading ProspectsTo Buy Whats Prescribed

• Fear appeals
• Discontent
• Empathy
• Presumptions
• Graciousness
• Specificity

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Moving Toward Purchase

• In the purchase stage, the focus of a sales
  presentation shifts from presenting product
  benefits to encouraging the prospect to make a
  buying commitment
• Summarize the benefits and trial close

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Check theProspects Temperature

• Trial closing is like taking the temperature of
  the buyers interest
• The temperature question or trial close is not
  a closing question
• The salesperson is not asking for a decision to
  buy
• Avoid asking closed-ended questions

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Gauging Customer Reactions

• A reaction is a visible or outward indication of
  an inward mental attitude
• The prospects reactions will indicate how the
  prospect feels
• Two categories of reactions
• Positive
• Physical and/or verbal
• Negative
• Physical and/or verbal

Refer to Table 9.7--Gauging Customer Reactions
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The Climax of aSales Presentation

• Once a salesperson has
• Pointed out the problem
• Prescribed how a product/service will solve that
  problem
• Presented the terms of the sale
• It is time to ascertain if the relationship will
  proceed with or without a transaction