Acquiring product info for use in selling/Selling process/ Customer service
What must a salesperson have?
A "pitch" ready to give customers more information about the product, point out its benefits, and convince them to buy
Difference between business customer and retail customer
A business customer purchases products to fill specific, black-and-white company needs, and needs more time to make the sale, whereas a retail customer might purchase an item because s/he saw it
Trial close
A closing attempt made at multiple points during the sales presentation to assess customer readiness to buy, customer may decide to purchase the product right then and there, or the salesperson may need to continue the presentation
The nature of the product
A product's cost, size, and physical existence will also influence the selling process that a salesperson uses
Warranty issues
A successful salesperson takes responsibility to make sure his/her customers understand exactly what their warranties cover
Wiki
A website that allows its users to contribute and edit content
Benefits
Advantage the feature brings to you
Order processing
As a salesperson, it is your responsibility to ensure that your customer's order is processed correctly. The best way to do this is to get to know the people who are processing the order
Examples of ways to discover customer needs/ wants
Asking the customer questions Listening to the answers Observing customer reactions Analyzing customer reactions and comments
Practical use/personal experience
Best source of product info,
Benefits for salespeople being more knowledgeable
Boosts a salesperson's enthusiasm Increases a salesperson's confidence and credibility Ensures accuracy in sales presentations Helps a salesperson to overcome customer objections Increases sales
Feature
Characteristic of a product
Fellow sales representatives
Colleagues who have been selling the product for a longer period of time
What is customer service a key component of?
Competition
How should the selling process be performed
Consecutively
Internal sales records
Contain information about how customers use products, what problems or "glitches" they've experienced, what repairs have been required, etc
Aspects of preparing to sell
Could be a lengthy and involved process, identify your product's features and benefits, generate and qualify sales leads, sales presentation
What should a good product demonstration consist of?
Create interest and allow the customer to interact and become involved in the selling process, the customer should be able to ask questions and discuss important points to clarify (especially if large or intangible), get the product into customers' hands to show them how it works and to appeal to their senses
Solicit feedback
Customer satisfaction is dynamic, so it's important to solicit feedback on a regular basis. Sure, a customer may have been satisfied last year, but you need to know if things have changed
Examples of how the nature of the product affects selling process
Customers may raise more objections when buying expensive products than less expensive items Home sales require the salesperson to take the customer to the product, increasing the time required for the sales presentation and the close When selling intangible products salespeople often spend more time establishing relationships, determining needs, and prescribing solutions
Testimonials/Customer feedback
Difficult for a salesperson to generate without customer feedback, provides info about how customers are using the product, their opinions about it, etc
Techniques for asking customers for an order
Directly asking for the purchase to much subtler methods, trial close method, direct appeal close, summary-of-benefits close, etc
Step three of the selling process
Discovering customer needs
What does providing quality service mean?
Doesn't mean you'll never make mistakes. It does mean, however, that you take responsibility for them and work to correct them to your customers' satisfaction
General guidelines for acquiring product info
Don't rely on your selling skills alone Don't forget to acquire knowledge of your industry as a whole Know your target customers and what's important to them Avoid "expert-itis" Remember—features tell, benefits sell
What is the cornerstone of a positive sales experience
Establishing relationships built on trust
Step two of the selling process
Establishing relationships with customers
Have a good attitude
Even if you're busy, frustrated, or annoyed, help your customers willingly, as if there's nothing in the world you would rather do
Why do features tell, but benefits sell
Explaining features tells a customer the facts about a product, but explaining benefits provides a reason for her/him to buy it
Step three of acquiring product info
Get connected; Participate in product training sessions, attend trade shows, contact your product's manufacturer to receive online updates
What happens after a customer has given all objections?
Give signals that the time has come to close the sale
First few minutes of a sale
Give you the chance to size up the customer so that you can adjust your approach to fit that individual, look for clues in the customer's body language, in the questions and comments that they ask, and in their general demeanor
Most significant product info a salesperson should know
How the product can and should be used
Purpose of closing a sale
Identifying any remaining objections (resistance) the customer may have and getting the order
Why should a salesperson make sure they can follow up on promises?
If you can't keep these promises after the sales close, you will have unhappy customers and damaged client relationships
Step five of acquiring product info
If you don't know something, find out fast
Jargon
Industry specific language
Intranet
Internal computer network, used to store internal sales records
Direct appeal close
Involves simply asking for the order in a straightforward manner
Generate and qualify sales leads
Legwork to find potential customers and then determine if those customers are likely to need or want the product and have the ability to buy it
What do successful sales people make sure of?
Make sure that clients have all the information they need to make sound, well-informed decisions. When clients are happy with their purchases, they won't forget the salesperson who helped them sort through the options
Training sessions
Most useful for new products
What should you do when a customer is ready to buy?
Must complete all the necessary forms and paperwork
Post sale opportunities
Order processing Shipping and delivery Installation Warranty issues Maintenance and repair Credit/Financing Technical assistance and support Customer training
Customer service expectations are built on....
Past experiences
Preparation
Phase that differs most dramatically among sales situations. The amount and type of preparation varies considerably according to the sales situation
Sources for product info
Practical use/personal experience Product manufacturers Testimonials/Customer feedback Fellow sales representatives Marketing literature Training sessions Trade exhibitions Industry publications Internal sales records Wikis, blogs, and podcasts
What is essential for most careers
Preparation
Differences in selling process
Preparation Nature of product Nature of customer
Step one of the selling process
Preparing to sell
Step four of the selling process
Prescribing solutions to customer needs
Marketing literature
Product brochures or catalogs, made by manufacturer or the salesperson's own company
Product manufacturers
Product manuals, informational DVDs, bulletins for product updates, etc
What does the selling process increase for a company?
Profits
What can salespeople use their initial contact time for?
Put customers at ease Encourage customers to want to hear about the product(s) Gain customer confidence Create favorable impressions of themselves and the business
Step five of the selling process
Reaching closure
Step two of acquiring product info
Read up on all available product literature, brochures, catalogs, and product manuals
Step six of the selling process
Reaffirming buyer- seller relationships
Techniques to follow up on the sale
Reassurance Suggestion selling Answering questions Explaining sales contract fully Checking on or being present when the product is delivered Supervising installation or adjustment of the product Training the customer's personnel in the use or sale of the product Calling the customer Providing prompt and attentive customer service
Suggestion selling
Recommending complementary products, such as shirts and ties for a suit, helps to cement the buyer-seller relationship
Why are assessing customers needs important?
Reduces the amount of selling time required Reduces dissatisfaction and customer returns Allows salespeople to serve more customers, leading to greater potential profit for their firm and greater potential commission for themselves
Similarities in the selling process
Relationship building Discovering needs and wants Product recommendation Closure Reaffirming the relationship
What does a phone call achieve?
Requires little effort, yet builds a significant amount of goodwill
Reasons to adopt the selling process
Research has shown that an efficient, effective sales process can increase company profits Salespeople who follow a sales process appear organized, gaining customer confidence The selling process helps salespeople develop stronger selling skills through repetition The process ensures that customers' needs and wants are met
Product sales representatives
Sales representatives from a wholesaler or manufacturer
Two parts of sales presentation
Sales talk and the product demonstration
How do salespeople develop relationships?
Salespeople must make initial contact with a customer, establish a positive tone for the interaction, put the customer at ease, and maintain an environment of open communication
Nature of the product
Salespeople must understand that business customers have different buying motives than individual customers
Two main goals of any salesperson
Satisfying his/her customer's needs and making the sale
Guidelines for prescribing solutions
Sell the benefits of the product rather than its features. Show the customer a limited number of products to avoid overwhelming or confusing him/her Show only products that relate to customers' specific needs Concentrate on the main item of interest to close the sale
Why should you not rely on selling skills alone?
Selling skills alone can't answer all of a customer's potential questions or explain how a product works
Sales talk
Should convince the customer of the benefits to be derived from purchasing the product
Examples of appropriate product info
Show how the product fits the specific customer's needs Compare the product to competitors' products Overcome customer objections Explain cost, delivery, etc.
How should a salesperson discover customer needs/wants
Skillful questioning and careful listening
Keys to quality customer service
Solicit feedback Keep in touch Be prompt Have a good attitude
Opportunities to provide customer service before sale
Suggestion selling Provide ample product information Making only promises that they can keep
Summary-of-benefits close
Summarizing all of the product features and benefits to the customer before asking for the order
Step four of acquiring product info
Talk to your customers; Find out how they like it, how they're using it, and what its most useful benefits are
2 parts of sales presentation
Talk/ demo, prescription
What is the completion of a sale largely determine by?
The first few minutes
The close
The logical completion to an effective sales presentation, customers are moved to the point where they are convinced the product meets their needs, and they wish to purchase it
Reaffirming the buyer seller relationship
The salesperson is responsible for helping customers feel confident with their purchase decisions. To do this, salespeople can follow up the sale to reassure customers that they have not been sold something that they do not need
What is the purpose of a product demo?
To create interest and involve the customer
Industry publications
Trade journals, information about new products, product updates or improvements, and more
Trade exhibitions
Trade shows or fairs, acquire information about the products they sell as well as competing products
What should a salesperson do in a sales talk?
Translate product features into benefits that meet the buyer's specific needs
What must a salesperson do when generating and qualifying sales leads?
Try to learn as much as s/he can about the business or the personal characteristics of the customer. Learn the person's name, position, age, education, experience, hobbies, etc. It can be of great benefit to know how a company operates
Step one of acquiring product info
Use the product, get familiar with it
Why should you know your target customer?
Want data that are most relevant to your target customers
Tips for handling objections
Welcome them! Clearing up objections can serve as a chance for you to demonstrate your knowledge and further solidify the product's benefits Listen from the customer's point of view to identify the real objection Restate the objection to be sure that you understand it. Answer and overcome each objection completely, without arguing with the customer or losing your poise Review customer benefits
Kinds of product information useful in selling
Where and how the product was made What materials, ingredients, etc., the product contains How the product can and should be used What styles, colors, models, etc., are available Any unique or interesting features the product possesses Information about the product's durability/reliability Product history Complementary products Information about pricing, discounts, taxes, etc Distribution and delivery details Warranty, guarantee, and repair information
Risk when generating and qualifying sales leads
You must make sure that your contact within the company has the authority to make the purchase; otherwise, you risk wasting valuable time