Ideas for Sales and Persuasion

Contents
  1. Sequence of the sale: One approach to organizing a sales or persuasive message.
    1. Pre-approach
    2. Approach
      1. Always have an objective or reason for making the call.
      2. Learn as much as possible about the prospect's business PRIOR to the call.
      3. Determine the right:
        • Money
        • Authority
        • Need to see
    3. Attention
      1. Ten methods for gaining FAVORABLE ATTENTION for you and your proposal:
        • Compliment
        • Mystery
        • Question
        • Service
        • Ideas
        • Name
        • Gift
        • Exhibit
        • Referral
        • Starting statement
    4. Involvement
      1. Get your prospects involved by telling them hoe your product, ideas, or service will BENEFIT them and/or how it has BENEFITED others.
      2. Either tell them
        1. what PROBLEMS existed prior to using your product
        2. OR what ADVANTAGES can be gained by the USE of your product.
      3. The key is to follow a CHECKING QUESTION to find the CUSTOMER'S area of interest.
      4. The use of questions is also an effective technique to get your prospect involved.
        1. Product--understanding
        2. People-agreement
      5. If we can determine the customer's WANTS, the PROBLEMS they are having in satisfying those wants, we then can offer the appropriate products as a SOLUTION.
      6. Our products are explained by:
        1. Features--"What are the physical parts of the product?"
        2. Advantages--"What will these parts do or how do they perform?"
        3. Benefits--"What will that mean to the buyer or user of the product?"
      7. Substantiate your F.A.B. with EVIDENCE (Incident of Third Party/Demonstration/Exhibits)
    5. Action
      1. Direct--"May I have the order?"
      2. Minor Point--"Would the 144 quantity be best to begin with?"
      3. Double Question--"Do you want delivery by the 1st or would the 15th be soon enough?"
      4. Based on...I'd like to suggest--"Based on the success the Acme Company has had with this product, I'd like to suggest we enter an order for 20 rolls..would this meet with your approval?"
      5. Instruction--"I can be on hand Tuesday when the machine arrives to instruct your people. Would that be a convenient time for you?"
      6. Order blank--As you bring out an order form, use on of the ACTION techniques; e.g. "What is your address, Mr. Johnson?"
    6. Post-Call Analysis
  2. Questions: Handling Questions and Objections from a Potential Customer
    1. Resistance to your product or proposal, stated as an objection, is often an unanswered question in the prospect's mind.
    2. First--Listen to the objection. "Your price is too high!"
    3. Then--Acknowledge "I can appreciate how someone in your position must always be concerned with cost."
    4. Ask a Question. Four types:
      1. Open--A question that cannot be answered with a simple yes or now. Begins with:
        1. Who?
        2. What?
        3. Where?
        4. When?
        5. Why?
        6. How?
      2. Mirror--Lets the prospect know you UNDERSTAND them and at the same time allows them to consider THEIR POINT OF VIEW as it is expressed by you.
        1. e.g.
          1. Prospect: "I don't have the space."
          2. Salesman: "You feel that this unit would take an excessive amount of space?"
        2. Types
          1. "You feel...?"
          2. "You're concerned...?"
          3. Silence [?]
      3. Guided--Use when the prospect has stated BOTH positive and negative factors?
        1. e.g.
          1. Prospect: "I can see several values in your proposal, but I don't know if the timing is right."
          2. Salesman: "What are some of the values you feel would be most beneficial to you?"
      4. Choice--A question that can be used to check for agreement, obtain information, or direct conversation.
        1. Types
          1. "Can we ...?"
          2. "Do you...?"
          3. "Which one ...?"
    5. Indirect denial
      1. An excellent way to disagree without creating an argumentative situation is FEEL, FELT, FOUND
      2. "Mr. Watson, I can appreciate how you FEEL. That is the way Mr. Conway of Conway Enterprises FELT. However, after examining the total applied cost, he FOUND that they were able to realize a 12% savings."
      3. This is part of LISTEN, ACKNOWLEDGE, EVIDENCE.
    6. Weighted
      1. When the prospects have presented negative factors, COMPARE them with the advantages they will gain from your product. i.e.--Listen, Acknowledge, Compare.
      2. e.g.
        1. Objections
          1. Higher Initial Price
          2. Problems Anticipated in Changeover
        2. Responses
          1. Increased rate of production
          2. Increased durability
          3. Reduced waste
          4. Lower eventual cost
        3. Typical Comment--"Would the question to consider be: 'Would an increase in rate of production, a reduction in waste, increased durability, therefore, an overall lower eventual cost...more than offset the higher initial price of our product and possible problems in changeover?'

Search this site and more

This page was last modified on Thursday, January 16, 2003.
You may contact the instructor at SHKaminski@yahoo.com
This material is for the exclusive use of the students in classes taught by Steven H. Kaminski. Unauthorized use is prohibited.