To
sell effectively, you must first establish and demonstrate
value. Only then should you begin delineating features and benefits
of your product and/or service. Traditionally, sales and marketing practices focused solely on their features and benefits. Organizations and their account executives
heavily promoted attributes without first questioning and
qualifying.
Features and
benefits are, and will continue to be an important part of the selling
process; they are the "bread and butter" of what
sells. However, to succeed in today's challenging marketplace,
organizations realize that their corporate sales philosophy
requires a significant culture-changing shift. Instead of
focusing on and being satisfied with the sales closed today,
they realize that planting the seeds for future sales is essential for
long-term success. These future sales are greatly dependent on
strong customer loyalty. To develop solid loyalty, sales professionals must be
sure to develop effective customer relationships. This is based
upon more than just the product or service; it ties into effective communication.
Your customers want to know that you understand their
needs and how to custom tailor the features and benefits
into a business solution that targets their particular
needs.
All
too often both sales professionals, as well as small business
owners wearing the hat of a sales professional, inundate the
prospect with the features and benefits of their product and/or service before asking qualifying questions. As a result, they come across as
foolish, aggressive, uninformed and unprofessional.
Customers
insist on, and deserve, professionalism and expertise. Not only
must your product work for them, they need to feel that you
understand how it will specifically translate into business value for
them. Understanding their needs and how your product or service fits will create
a strong differentiation between you and your competition. To
determine this and be able to provide convincing advice, you
need to take the time to understand your prospective customer.
Providing
solutions is key to selling a product or service. Business people
today are more demanding. They can easily access information and
educate themselves. Sometimes, so much information about
so many products and services is available; it takes a
concerted effort to differentiate your product and service. Selling
actually requires the added element of explaining how
benefits and features provide solutions and meet your customers'
needs. By asking carefully structured questions and
listening to the responses, you will are better able to explain exactly product or service will what value your service will provide.
To
sell effectively, show the real value first, and then delineate the features
and benefits. Talk about how your customers' needs will be met
and how what you are offering is unique. Use value driven words
to begin statements. Words such as increase, avoid, reduce, strengthen, and enhance. The words
you use must capture the attention of your prospects and inspire them
to take action. This should be underscored in all of your ongoing communications,
whether face-to-face, by phone, letter, e-mail or voicemail.
Debra Pearlman is the CEO of DP Sales Pro, Sales Consulting, Training and Coaching. Providing clients with customized training programs specifically targeting the sales goals and objectives for the organization. To Contact DP Sales Prowww.DPSalesPro.com or Info@DPSalesPro. com
Recently
qualifying as a Vistage International Speaker, Debra speaks frequently for both public and private organizations.
She has also been quoted on WCBS Newsradio 880 by
Joe Connolly of the Wall Street Journal.
Develop a
strong value proposition statement: Make every contact count
Part II:
Creating your value proposition
JustSell.com defines Value Proposition in their sales
glossary as follows: "The specific and definitive offer of value from
one organization to another. "
BY DEBRA PEARLMAN CEO OF DP SALES PRO
Your value
proposition is a powerful tool. It is the first impression a prospect has of your
product or service. It provides the attention-grabbing message that compels
your prospects to ask for more information.
The first step to
creating a strong call-to-action sales and marketing communication is to
overview all three categories: features, benefits, and value. To begin, create three separate columns with a heading for each category. List all the features of your product or service.
Features are
characteristics or attributes that highlight or give prominence to your product or service.
List the distinctive qualities that differentiate you from your competition. For
example: Google search engine offers search features such as Trip Planning, Weather,
Time, Sports Scores, etc.
Next, list the
benefits for each feature you wrote down. Tangible business results and
advantages that each feature offers the prospect. They contribute towards improving a
specific condition or helping in some other way. For example: The benefits gained by
utilizing the Google search engine Trip Planning feature is Airline Travel provides
reliable airport
information and Currency Conversion provides accurate calculations.
Last, and most importantly, break down each benefit to a specific value that is gained by the
prospect. Value is the relationship between the consumer's expectations of the product
to the actual amount paid for it, the return on investment, (ROI), which may be
expected. Use verbiage that specifically addresses the areas in which your
prospect has a need. Whenever possible, use percentage or monetary figures
that can be substantiated. If you have not already requested this information
from previous clients, now is the time. For example: Google search engine special
features allow users to increase the speed with which they are able to obtain
information by 25%; decrease administrative time by 10%; increase
productivity by 15%, and avoidmonies lost due to misinformation.
By developing a
strong, accurate and targeted value proposition, you are creating a
commitment to your prospects that you must be prepared to stand behind. Whether
you are a small business owner or an executive for a large conglomerate, the
only method for attracting and maintaining long-term customer relationships is by remaining
focused on and actually meeting their needs. It does not matter how many sales you
made this week. What truly matters is how many of those customers are going to buy from you again and refer
others to you. Create your value proposition today and watch your revenues grow.
"If you work just for the money, you 'II never make it, but if
you love what you 're doing and you always put the customer first, success will be
yours. " Ray Kroc (1902 -1984), founder of McDonald's Corporation
Debra Pearlman is the CEO of DP Sales Pro,
Sales Consulting - Training - Coaching. Providing clients with customized
training programs specifically targeting the sales goals and objectives
for the organization. To contact DP Sales Pro: www.DPSalesPro.com or
Info@DPSalesPro.com
