50 Habits of Top Performing Sales People Habit #14 – Tell Them What They Like/Love So Far

August 31, 2015 Selling Comments Off on 50 Habits of Top Performing Sales People Habit #14 – Tell Them What They Like/Love So Far

Continuing with the twelve Sales Skills let’s look at Habit 14 – Tell Them What They Like/Love So Far.

 Use an Initial Benefit Statement, at the very beginning of the sales call, to summarize agreed benefits thus far in the sales cycle.

Last month’s newsletter talked about telling the customer/prospect why you are there and summarizing the benefits they have accepted so far in the sales cycle. One important skill taught in professional selling skills seminars is the summarization skill, and this skill is used in the Initial Benefits Statement.

Initial Benefit Statements are structured in many ways, however, simple is always better. If there is an opportunity plan written, you know what the problems have been to date, the problems that caused the customer/prospect enough PAIN to have developed into a need. You know what benefits you introduced to date that the prospect has accepted to ease his/her PAIN. You also know to what level each benefit has been accepted so you can prioritize the accepted benefits.

Armed with this information, you can construct an Initial Benefit Statement. Each time you use an Initial Benefit Statement you should conclude the statement with a question. It goes something like this:

“The last time we were together we discussed that you were having a lot of trouble getting throughput on operation number 15. Is that right, do I have that right? Thanks, it seems to me that operation number 15 is a real thorn in your side and as I think about it, I recall that you and I agreed that if you would modify your approach and rearrange the flow of that cell by adding a few conveyors and one small piece of automation you would increase the flow considerably and increase throughput. Is that right, am I on the right track here?”

See, simple is better. Assuming the prospect agrees with everything and sees it as you see it, the sales cycle can progress. If however, the prospect does not agree, you can simply ask something like: “Okay, what did I miss? What don’t you agree with?” And you move the sales cycle along from that point.

The Initial Benefit Statement is a powerful tool because it establishes milestones to the sales cycle. Not using an Initial Benefit Statement that is tied to a statement of why you are there provides a lot of room for wandering and floundering, wasting time and money. Why do that? Tell them why you are there and what they like/love so far.

“A Habit” is not work, but just a thing that is done every day and telling the customer/prospect what they like/love so far can easily become a Habit. Develop the process, complete the reports and submit them.

TIME MANAGEMENT. For Top Performers every task is planned and focused on the goals that earn the results. Top Performers plan and then engage. They act on their plans, they work hard and they get results.

Coaching these skills is a critical part of what we do. We are here to help you develop and implement your Strategic Plan and coach and develop the skills to implement the plan successfully.

We are having great success coaching and implementing these methods and skills and our clients love it!