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