Finding, Preparing for, Contacting, and Convincing the Customer

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Finding, Preparing for, Contacting, and
Convincing the Customer

• The Power of Planning

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Match Features to Benefits

• Feature
• Tells what the product/service is
• May be tangible
• May be visible
• May be measured

• Benefit
• What the customer will gain
• Goes directly to satisfy the need(s)

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Activity-Features-Benefits Grid
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Prospecting???

• Needs to be systematic
• Must be focused on target market
• Can be done by telephone through call centre
• Is the base for building your business

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Levels Understand the Difference

• Lead
• Suspect
• Prospect
• Qualified Prospect

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Sources

• In small groups, list as many sources as you can
  that could be used to identify leads and
  suspects.
• Please be sure to note why!!
• Then identify how you would move them to the
  Qualified Prospect level.

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Planning For the Call

• Preparation is a two-part process
• Pre-approach activities that precede the actual
  sales call and set the stage for a personalized
  sales approach, tailored to the specific needs of
  the client
• Approach the first contact, either face-to-face
  or by telephone build rapport, capture their
  full attention and generate interest

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Pre-approach Objectives

• Verify most up-to-date profile information
• Make a favorable first impression
• Identify company needs

• Establish a plan that relates features to
  benefits
• Assess the buyers reaction

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Creating Your Pre-call Planner

• In small groups, identify the points that should
  be contained in the pre-call planner and then
  design how you want it to look.

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Approach

• Decide on best means of first contact
• telephone, fax, e-mail, letter
• Identify objectives from pre-approach
• set multiple objectives so you can meet some
• not usual to close on first contact
• Social contact
• build rapport by avoiding business talk
• Getting down to business
• getting clients attention

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Presentations that work

• Connecting with the customer

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Presentation Objectives Influencers

• 1-on-1 or group
• need to know the individual players
• involve the entire group
• the quite one is the power
• client familiarity with product
• level of detail required

• time allotted by client
• know in advance the time limits and plan for less
• Multicall situation
• first call is fact gathering
• 2nd call is proposal time
• Purpose of the presentation

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Informative

• Used for new or unique products
• Focus on features leading to benefits
• For the introduction of the new product or
  changes to others
• Used with new product introductions to
  familiarize the customer

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Persuasive

• Want a buying decision
• Starts with first impression contact
• Enthusiastic tone
• Elicit positive response to product
• Focus on features-benefits
• Avoid being pushy

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Reminder

• To remind the client of product and services
  offered
• Keeps the customer current
• Inhibits infiltration by competitors
• Used to reconnect with customer to mine new
  business

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Social Contact

• First 10 seconds - 1st and lasting
• Next 4 minutes - established or denied
• Developing conversation
• hold the clients attention
• establish relaxed and friendly atmosphere
• here and now observations lead to comments
• compliments, especially personal
• mutual connections, i.e. friends, interests
• find the common language

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Getting Down to Business

• Convert clients attention to business from
  social
• Plan the transition statement
• Make the client want to hear more
• customer benefit approach direct to benefit
• referral approach mention someone else
• question approach involves and engages the client

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Homework! WHAT?????

• Create a sheet with possible transition
  statements for each method of approach. Think in
  terms of real world application.
• Method of Approach You will say...

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Consultative Sales Presentation

• Need discovery - you have some of that done
  already, just confirm it with the client
• ask questions
• listen and acknowledge
• look for buying motive (hook)
• confirm your thoughts
• Select product - you have done that as well
• match benefit to buying motive
• Communicate it in the correct form
• customize it for the client

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Power of the Demonstration

• Be creative
• Rehearse it
• Have features linked to value for the customer
• Maximize client involvement
• Use colour
• Make sure the client understands what, why
• Deal with concerns immediately!!!

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What to do

• Discover the need by asking questions
• Remember that each sales situation is different
  so no canned approach
• Verify the information you have gathered in the
  pre-call preparation

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Questions, questions, questions!

• Information gathering general open-ended
  questions to get the client talking
• Probing need more information
• Confirming what you think to be true and that
  the client knows what has been said and agreed to
• Summary review and focus the clients
  understanding and agreement/disagreement

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Rules for Using Questions

• There are 4
• Use only questions you can anticipate and avoid
  ones that will paint you into a corner.
• Be patient and wait for the customers response.
• Make sure that by LISTENING to the answer you
  know if he customer is LISTENING to you!
• The question MUST show a sincere interest in the
  customer and their situation.

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Objections What to Do and When!

• Objections are the heart of the sales call.
• When the customer does not fully understand the
  BENEFIT, they will object!
• They can happen at ANY time.
• There are ways to help the customer buy the
  benefit.

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Objections What to Do and When!

• Anticipate them and have a response ready.
• Handle them as they come up.
• LISTEN and BE POSITIVE!
• Clarify your understanding of the objection.
• Answer it directly.

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The Presentation Strategy

• Comes from the information you have gathered
• Link features with benefits
• Appeal to the buyers criteria to buy
• Involve the client as much as possible
• Use demos only if you are good at them!
• Probe for objections and deal with them when they
  arise
• Use trial closes to keep the call on track

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Trial Closes

• Ask for the customers opinion about what you
  just said.
• Do not ask the customer to buy, but for an
  opinion.
• Allow you to judge the readiness of the
  customer to buy.
• Tell you if you have answered the objection
  successfully or not.

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Demonstrations Prove The Point(s)

• Appeals to the eyes of the customer- the most
  important sense for gathering information (87)
• Appeals to human senses by telling, showing, and
  creating buyer-seller interaction.
• Adds drama and fun to your presentation.

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Demo Checklist

• Needed and appropriate
• Specific objective(s)
• Rehearsed so it flows smoothly and is natural

• Planned and organized
• Alternate action if it does not go as planned
• Chance that it could backfire
• Ethical and professional

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Demo Tips

• Involve the customer by allowing them to do
  something (directs attention)
• Have them visualize the benefit(s) that best
  match their expectation

• Use questions or pause to check
• Customers attitude towards the product
• Identify any objections
• Create the YES mood to buy
• Set the stage for the Close!

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Visual Aids Useful Tips

• Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse!
• Customize to the sales objective and the Customer
  Profile
• Keep them simple, clear, and straightforward

• ALWAYS maintain control
• Have them reflect real and true issues
  important to the customer.
• Designed to engage the customer

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Deal With Buyer Concerns Win-Win-Win

• Need
• you have the material they may not have or
  understand
• Product
• determine if doubts exist about the product
• Source
• client does not believe you because of your
  company

• Price
• Is this a non-issue?
• Time
• stall go back to benefit review and highlight
  the positive

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Preparing to Close

• This is the easiest part if the presentation has
  been successful. It is not a separate step but a
  logical transition to being a satisfied customer.

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Power of the Telephone

• Smile across the WIRE
• Verbal handshake
• Getting the message
• Call back promise
• Three ring rule

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Appropriate use of the telephone...

• Useful when dealing with accounts that are
  marginal in terms of profitability

• Some customers prefer telephone contact
• to confirm appointments
• stay informed
• follow-up post-sale thank you

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Telephone Sales Continuum

• Product information (simple)
• Promotion management
• Customer service
• Sales lead qualification
• Marginal account management
• Consultative selling
• Full account management (complex)

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The Telephone Sales Process

• Same as face-to-face with some differences
• cannot use visuals
• short presentation

• Prospecting
• Preapproach planning critical
• Approach is scripted to improve productivity and
  closing rate
• Presentation is simple and benefit oriented
• Handle objections
• Close (assumptive)
• Follow-up

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Keys to Telephone-Sales Presentations

• Script no longer than 500 simple words, in short
  sentences (20-30 words)
• Identify yourself by name, company, and why you
  are calling
• Make offer clearly
• Focus on real benefits
• Prepare for usual objections
• Plan assumptive close
• Revise continually

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When the Customer Calls

• When we take a call from a customer we have to be
  prepared. Lets look at the steps that we need to
  follow to make the interaction work for everyone!

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The Telephone Customer Profile

• Often hurried and impatient
• Wants a one-call solution
• Thinks he/she is the only caller

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Steps for a Successful Telephone Call

• Welcome
• Inquire
• Reply
• Close
• Follow Through

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Step 1 The Welcome

• Three ring rule
• SMILE across the line
• Verbal handshake
• Calm, welcoming, professional voice

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Standard Greeting

• Thank the customer for the call
• State the company/department
• Identify yourself
• Offer assistance

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Verbal Communication

• What you say, and how you say it!
• Positive Tone
• Appropriate Language
• Confident Voice
• Not monotone
• Pleasant
• Correct pronunciation
• Easy Pace

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Words to Use

• The callers name.
• How may I help you?
• Just one moment please.
• I can do that for you.
• I will pass on this request to
• Please, Thank You, Youre Welcome

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Step 2 The Inquiry

• Determining the real purpose of the call
• Demonstrate active listening techniques
• On average, we take in ONLY 25 of what we
  hear!!!!

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Step 2 The Inquiry (cont)

• Ask open-ended and closed questions as required
• Closed to get agreement and closure
• Did Can Do Is Will Would
• Open-ended to get more information
• How When Who What Where

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Step 3 The Reply - Responding to the customers
need

• The goal is to satisfy the customers needs in a
  consistent and timely manner!
• Practice POSITIVE responses
• EMPATHIZE with the customer
• LIMIT irrelevant conversations
• PLAN a solution

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Step 4 The Close - creating a positive last
impression

• Summarize the key points
• Offer additional assistance
• Thank the customer
• Use a positive close

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Calling Back the Customer

• Explain the need for the call back.
• Ask permission to call them back.
• Agree on a time to call back.
• Thank the customer.
• Use the customers name.
• Call back as promised!

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Step 5 The Follow Through - fulfilling your
commitments

• Do WHAT you said you would do.
• Do it WHEN you said you would.
• Create closure tell the customer
• These are your commitments and YOUR reputation
  depends on it!

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The Challenging Customers - those who are...

• Openly hostile and angry
• Visibly upset about something
• Quiet and non-communicative
• Impatient
• Unable to understand the situation
• Extremely nice and talkative
• Unable to make decisions

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The Hostile, Angry Customer

• Acknowledge emotions, but stick to facts
• Stay calm and professional
• Do not take it personally
• Ask for information
• Listen
• Seek successful resolution
• Follow through as promised

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The Friendly, Talkative Customer - staying on
track

• Stay polite and interested
• Ask specific, relevant questions
• Stay in control of the call
• Ask if the caller has questions
• Close with a thank you which acknowledges a
  callers time

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Inappropriate Service - recovering from errors

• Review the situation
• Assess the customers reaction
• Admit the mistake
• Apologize do not make excuses
• Find a solution and implement it

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Customer-Employer ConnectionsThe E-mail Game

• We live in an age of quick information delivery
• e-mail is considered effective, immediate, and
  inexpensive
• global reach wireless access
• 24/7 contact

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When e-mail is appropriate

• If the customer, not YOU, prefers to use it ..so
  ASK!
• When the customer is annoyed by telephone
  interruptions
• If you check it at a set time that is known to
  the customer

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The Rules and Cautions

• Rules
• good business writing principles apply
• observe e-mail etiquette (minimal humour)
• reread and proofread before sending
• clear and concise (long e-mails should be
  attachments)

• Cautions
• it is not informal
• it is not private
• it is for the permanent record and has legal
  implications
• It can be printed, altered and forwarded without
  consent
• employer can track it

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The Subject Line

• Be specific
• Be concise
• Be catchy
• Be appropriate to your message/reply
• check it and change it to make it appropriate
• If positive news
• put it in the subject line

• If the message is persuasive
• make clear what you are specifically asking
• If the message is negative
• avoid neutral subject line
• focus on seriousness of situation

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Writing Style of E-mail Messages

• Negative and persuasive are more direct, but
  require that the reader be given a full
  understanding of the content and the action
  required
• Carefully select your words to avoid
  misinterpretation
• Indicate timeframes if appropriate
• Edit, re-edit and proofread

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Rules of Netiquettehttp//web.new.ufl.edu/writi
ng/help/email/etiquette.html

• Never send angry e-mail messages
• use full caps to create emphasis on a single or a
  few words, not the entire message
• copy on an as needed basis ask permission if
  you are not sure
• When responding, include only the essential part
  of the original message