The Selling Process

1. The Selling Process Remember! Selling evolves around the customer

2. Selling Basics • Listen and Learn the customer’s needs and wants • Show Up • Do what you say you are going to do • Look at the world through the customer’ eyes • WIIFM • If I give him what he wants, then I get what I want • Develop Win Win solutions • Don’t give up • Form your own style by watching other sales people. Take the good pieces of everything they do.

3. Ethics Video

4. Professional Image People with a high level of professionalism display: • Self-confidence • Trustworthiness • Adaptability • Initiative • Maintain high Ethical standards • Optimism • Empathy • Courtesy • Well Developed Social Skills

5. Why Sell Video

6. Selling Quotes • “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”Harvey B. Mackay • “If I give him what he wants then I will get what I want.”Harvey B. Mackay • “If you don’t ask, the answer is always going to be no.”Pat Croce • “If you do not have the right approach, no one is going to buy anything from you.”L Baselice • “If you don’t have confidence in yourself to believe you can help, then how are you going to convince your customers.”L Baselice • “There are two types of politicians. The one who will talk and promise and then the one who will listen and do.”Bill Bradley • “If I help you win, I win too.” • Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.Robert Collier

7. Seven Customer Expectations • The supplier is expected to tell the truth. Vagueness is equivalent to lying. • The supplier is expected to know the customer's business. • The supplier is expected to do what he says he is going to do. • The supplier is expected to solve the customer's problem--the customer is not interested in internal organizational issues. • The supplier is expected to want the customer's business. • The supplier is expected to keep the customer technology current. • The supplier is expected to know what his product's capabilities are and that those capabilities match published literature.

8. Generate Leads • Inherit a list • Find your own • Harris • D&B, salesgenie.com, Trade Magazines • Mailer/Web response/Advertising • E-mail opt in • Referrals/Networking • Census/BLS Web Sites • Trade Associations, Chamber of Commerce • Cold Calls • Record customer record in CRM

9. Qualify Leads Exercise • Look at your existing/new business and develop a customer listing • Use the A B C approach • Determine what products will apply to each customer

10. Customer Relationship Management • Contacts in MS Outlook • ACT software • Goldmine • Sharkware • Salesforce.com

11. CRM Data • Gather as much data as you can • Personal data needed to build a relationship • Common ground helps build a relationship • Keep notes of every sales call • Provides a basis of what to do next • Helps develop sales plans • Great way to gather report information

12. Door Busters and Brick Walls • Walls are there for a reason. • Look for partnering opportunities • Discuss Common industry issues • Ask the customer about his biggest problem or costly items • Ask if you can help on the next generation product • Constantly re visit customers that shut you out. Things are always changing. • Do not lead with Price • Price is the weapon of the disadvantaged. • Price is ranked at the bottom of purchasing managers surveys. • Low price has a cheap connotation.

13. Getting in the door • Make friends with gate keepers • These people like handouts/samples/giveaways • They like to feel extremely important • They like to know you care about them and the company/person they are protecting • They are impressed with professionalism • Front door/Back door/Side Door • Up the ladder/down the ladder

14. Perseverance and Positive Attitude • Jim Carey Dumb and Dumber • Theodore Geisel • Babe Ruth Struck out 3000 Times • Larry Bowa and Charles Barkley got cut from their HS Teams • Told that I would never make it in college • Father Leonard Carrieri a sculptor who is legally blind • Pat Croce had the door slammed in his face at the Eagles Locker Room • Pat Croce using his listening skills on the 100 times he called Harold Katz • Dinnerware salesman at Country Club • Never let anyone tell you that you can not do something.

15. Unique Selling Position • Engage the potential customer and create immediate interest. • Think of it as a 5 floor elevator ride. • Questions to ask yourself when developing the USP. • What do I sell • How do my existing customers benefit by what I sell and how can I carry them over to this prospect. • Communicate this benefit(s) early in the statement • Keep in mind how you will present this. Voicemail, gatekeeper, or brief encounter with the prospect. • Words to consider • 21 words and phrases for the 21st Century • Maximize profits or sales • Minimize expenses, save or conserve • Words to avoid • Can you tell me more about your business? • We work with several of your competitors • Did I catch you at a bad time? Sample USPHello, my name is Tom Baselice from Technical Sales and Consulting…we provide sales and marketing training in order to help companies maximize their sales revenue and increase their customer retention. I am calling to see if this might be valuable to you and your team

16. Unique Selling Position Exercise • Develop a Unique Selling Position Statement for your business

17. Qualify Leads • Develop Customer Lists (A, B and C) • Research • Internet • Industry Trade Journals • Become an Industry Expert • Learn how your product is used in that Industry • Make Initial Contact • Make Initial Sales Call • Start to build a relationship

18. Building a relationship • Find Common interests • Send interesting articles, books • Keep informing about new products • Keep e-mail contact • Also use snail mail or priority mail to get attention • Always look for a way to keep the door open for the next call • Entertainment • Business Lunch • Business Dinners • Always include significant others • Plays/Concerts • Sporting Events • Find ways to add your value to the customer • This will produce a competitive advantage. • Goal is for a long term relationship • Look for Win Win • Try to exceed the customer’s expectations • Be a problem solver • Imagine yourself as an employee of the company • Two comments from former District Managers: • If a person likes you he will find a thousand ways to give you the business. If he does not like you he only needs one reason not to give you the business. • If a customer is going to entrust you with hundreds of thousand dollars worth of business, don’t you think he would like to know a little bit more about the person he is dealing with?

19. Open Ended Questions Exercise • Develop a list of open ended questions that apply to your business

20. Probe Customer needs • Every contact should be working toward increasing your relationship. • Listen and Learn – Open Ended Questions • Ask to see the application • Ask how can you save your customer’s time • Continue to build a relationship • Contact other stakeholders at the customer.

21. Probe Customer Needs/Relationship Building Exercise aka Listen and Learn • Use your USP to start a dialogue with a partner • Try the USP out on a partner • Selling Role Play • Set up your partner with the details of who they will be mimicking • Use the open ended questions you developed or from the list handed to you and try them on your partner • At the same time develop information for your CRM database, trying to build a relationship

22. Develop Solutions • Analyze your notes from your discussions with the customer • Select the product • Become an expert on the product • Develop Feature Function Benefits • Match benefits to buying motives • Research competitor • Determine the value the benefits represent • Assemble the Value Proposition for the customer • Include Tables • Benefits • Where and how much value you add

23. Propose Solutions • Proposition should exceed the customer’s expectations • Include customer’s logo with yours to demonstrate partnership • Visualization that he could see himself buying your proposal • Benefits should point out how the customer is getting what he wants • Savings, profit, increased productivity and anything else you promised in your USP. • Include all the WIIFM issues for the decision maker • Make it professional looking and not canned • Communicate to all stakeholders customer and your organization • Give the feeling of ownership • Engage the customer in the process • Seek agreement on benefits you are providing. • Rehearse the presentation • Include photos and brochures • Include testimonials and case studies

24. Develop Solutions Exercise • Based on the information you obtained during your Listen and Learn Session Develop a solution and how you are going to present it.

25. Handle Objections • Recognize verbal & nonverbal clues • Validate problems • Find points of agreement • Control anger • Answer concerns • Be alert for closing clues • Do not oversell

26. Handling Price concerns Price is only the tip of the iceberg • Put the focus back on value rather than price. • Show where you add value • Do not apologize for the price • Do not jump to make concessions • Look for ways to include perceived value

27. Buyer Objections

28. Handling Buyer Objections • Feel Felt Found response • “I know how you feel. A lot of our customers have felt that way until they found that….” • We offer free delivery • We have a two year warranty • They do not need to spend extra time assembling our product • This helps empathize with the customer’s concerns

29. Closing Video

30. Close the sale basics • Recognize closing clues. • Focus on point of greatestinterest. • Handle tough points early. • Avoid surprises. • Keep prospect involved. • Display confidence. • Accommodate buyer’scommunication style. • Ask for the order more thanonce.

31. Closing the sale Verbal Clues • Do you have a credit plan to cover this purchase? • What type of warranty do you provide? • How soon can we get delivery? Time to try to close and ask for the order or contract.

32. Closing the sale Recognition • We like the quality control system you have recommended. • I have always liked to own a boat like this • Your delivery schedule fits our plans Time to try to close and ask for the order or contract.

33. Closing the sale Requirements • We will need shipment in 2 weeks • Our staff will need to be trained how to use this equipment • All our equipment must be certified by the plant safety officer. Time to try to close and ask for the order or contract.

34. Closing the sale non verbal clues These are sometimes difficult to detect. They are body movement, facial expressions and tone of voice. • Watch for nodding (approval not just dosing off) • Suddenly the eyes start to widen. • Prospect leans forward and appears to be intent on hearing your message. • Prospect studies the product or literature intently.

35. Trial Close • You should not wait until the end to close. Trying earlier gives you more opportunities. • It might be too late if you wait until the end. • Use the trial close when you are reasonably sure the prospect is about to make a decision. It is a good way to test the buyer’s attitude toward the actual purchase.

36. Trial Close Examples • ‘We can arrange an August first shipment. Would this be satisfactory?” • “Would you rather begin this plan on July first or fifteenth? • “Which do your prefer the green or the blue?” • “Do you want one of our staff members to supervise the installation?” • “Will a $250 down payment be possible at this time?”

37. Summary of benefits close Summary-of-Benefits Close: Reemphasizes benefits to help bring about favorable buyer decision. Confirmation Step: Assure customer after sale has been closed that he made the right decision and that you will not let him down. Buyer’s Remorse: Common emotional response in the form of regret, fear, or anxiety. Compliment the person for making a wise decision. Your words might be helpful to him while justifying it to another person.

38. Closing Worksheet Be sure to thank the customer for the order/business.

39. Handling Objections/Close Exercise • Take your solution and proposal and try it on your partner. • Partner should try 2 objections from what we learned. • Try to handle the 2 objections with what we discussed. • Try 2 trial closes • Customer role play should attempt to give some closing clues. But be convinced that the sales person has done the job • Close with a hand shake

40. What to do when buyer says no • Do not blame yourself or anyone else • Get feedback • For yourself was it your style • For the company you represent • Was it the product • Was it the price • Competitor advantage or benefit • Relationship not built • Start working right away on the next order • Ask if there is any chance to revive the sale • Ask how to improve • Learn from your experience • Never treat a lost sale as a defeat • Do not abandon your relationship • Analyze lost sales in order to obtain success the next time. • Create a database/toolbox for future use • Pass feedback on to everyone in your organization

41. Final Quotes • “Just because you say no doesn’t mean I can’t get you to change your mind.”Salesman’s Creed • “Take no for an answer but don’t stop asking”Pat Croce

42. Follow up • Thank the customer immediately after getting an order. Tell him thanks for placing his confidence in you and that you will not let him down. This will help eliminate buyer remorse. • Give customer updates and progress reports. Send photos • Make sure you contact/visit him after the equipment has arrived to obtain immediate feedback. • Be proactive. Did the shipment get there yet? Can I follow up with you after you install the product. • Respond to any issues after he receives the product. • Nobody gets it right all the time. • It is important not to avoid a problem meet it head on • This is where a relationship with other stakeholders can really help you head off a problem.

43. Customer Complaints View issue as opportunity to strengthen the business relationship. • Let customers disclose feelings • Listen • Do not challenge complaint as “invalid” • Do not alibi • Share point of view • Decide on course of action • Extend an apology • Ask customer what he would like to see happen to solve the problem.

44. Follow Up exercise • Do a follow up sales call on your partner/customer • Use techniques we learned • Customer to make up a problem they had with the material. • Practice your listening and calming skills

45. You are now all Expert Salespeople