Selling the Value - Part 3

In Selling the Value – Part 2 I focused on clearly communicating your value and offered specific suggestions such as:

• Shape your message around what the other person wants to achieve
• Continue to use clarification questions to make sure you are sending a clear message
• Don’t be afraid to close the deal

In this article I will expand the topic and provide more suggestions on working with your customers to see the value of the product or service you provide.

Several years ago, I sold custom bar code labels for NCR and found that it was easier to sell by helping my customer understand how to design labels to be used in harsh temperature conditions. (I know it is hard to believe, but it can be extremely difficult to design labels that work in sub zero freezers, or can be applied by automatic labelers in 120 degree heat). I made the best sales of my career by holding “clinics” on the products I could design and sell.

I encourage you to take inventory of the knowledge you can provide, and try these suggestions:

View your job as helping your customer craft a solution using what you provide

• The best sales come from talking about the customer’s business and what they want to achieve. Just the other day, I spent an entire sales call discussing ideas to help a potential customer get the sales and service departments “on board” to increase the sales opportunities in his business. By the end of the call, the need to discuss my years of experience, my references etc., was no longer important to the customer and we both agreed to take the next step in the sales cycle.

When faced with objections, overcome them by asking good questions

• Like all of you, I face objections and these objections must be seen as an opportunity to understand what is really on your customers mind. If the customer is willing to open up and tell you why they are not willing to purchase from you, it is your responsibility to find out more information that will possibly clear up any misunderstandings and allow the customer to see the value you can provide.

Continue to look for opportunities to “educate” your current and prospective customers

• Stay in front of your prospective customers with education you can provide. You are probably an expert on something that can help your customers improve their business. Use your knowledge to offer learning opportunities for them. I personally try to schedule events with the Chamber and other local organizations that can benefit from the ideas that I like to share. Even though you can not use these events to “sell”, the recognition will go a long way in helping your business succeed.

In summary, if you view sales as simply helping your customer understand how to improve their business (using your product or service), your sales will greatly improve. You will know you are on the right track the next time you are in a selling situation that focuses on sharing ideas (and knowledge that you can provide) for your customer’s business and the customer agrees to move forward to the next step in the selling cycle.

In my next article, I will discuss ways for EVERYONE in your organization to work together to increase the number of sales opportunities for your organization.

Bob Riess is the President of The Customer Connector and can be contacted through www.thecustomerconnector.com or at (859) 240-2550.