What Are You Actually Selling?

Determining what sales techniques will work for your business is not always very obvious. Have you ever been driving down the highway and crossed over the yellow line just enough to hit those bumpy reflectors?  Well, I have, and I can tell you they sure know how to get my attention. A friend of mine met the man who invented the glue that keeps those reflectors on the asphalt.  And in that one meeting, my friend learned about a lot more than glue… He learned something profound about sales. As it turned out, this wealthy gentleman owned the patent on that glue — the only glue that will hold reflectors on asphalt — day or night; rain, ice, or heat.  His mansion outside of Indianapolis was bought and paid for with that glue. My friend asked the inventor-turned-billionaire how he sold his glue to the highway departments around the country and the world.  My friend wanted to know what his “hook” was. The man smiled, and then replied, “Son, I don’t sell glue.  Anyone in the world can sell glue… What I sell is Safety!” This article begins and ends with the same premise — most of us simply get so engaged by all kinds of selling distractions we forget the tried-and-true adage — “Features Tell, Benefits Sell.” This adage has been proven over the centuries, and you would think by now it is so obvious that everyone practices it.  Yet this is NOT the case.  Sales techniques require careful thought and analysis. Why do so many of us still try to sell based on the features of our products and services and not on their benefits? Why do we try to sell the glue and not the Safety??? It seems trivial and self-evident to state that selling is a process that involves a buyer, a seller and a transaction.  So, why do many of us frequently forget that simple formula?  There are books, articles, tapes and training efforts on sales techniques, but it boils down to the following:

• Know the product , the competition, and the advantages and the disadvantages
• Understand the buyer and their needs and constraints
• Understand your strengths and weaknesses, be prepared, listen, set goals, and have an action plan for success.

A key point I want to make here is that you can know all of the above and still not make a sale if you focus on the technical features of your product and don’t communicate its benefits to your prospective customer.  Safety is an example of just one such benefit.  Others include:

• Health (from quality food, exercise, supplements, stress reduction, etc.)
• Beauty (from personal care products, clothing, etc.)
• Status (from homes and automobiles to restaurants and jewelry)
• Peace of Mind (from insurance, security systems, financial management, etc.)

The ever-changing face of sales techniques

Clearly, the process of buying and selling are dramatically and rapidly changing.  This is mainly as a result of more sophisticated consumers, better and more frequent information, and new technologies such as the media, the internet, sales planning tools, reporting and tracking technologies, and increased market segmentation.  These changes in sales techniques have brought about an evolution in sales transactions and tracking, resulting in more professionalism, better information, and a tailored involvement and experience with customers. To demonstrate to yourself how much sales techniques have evolved in recent years, I suggest you try the following exercise.  Visit two local stores — a Radio Shack and Apple Store, and assume the role of a customer interested in new “tech” products.  Compare your experience in each store, noting whether or not you were being sold on a product’s features or its benefits.  As an aside, Radio Shack started as a store where clients went to learn how to assemble electronic kits, and was an original model of experiential selling.

The Principles and Process of Successful Sales Techniques

Fortunately, the basics of buying and selling at the level of human nature haven’t changed.  Here are some key principles to successful sales techniques that involve a process that begins with the general and evolves to the specific. The process needs to start with defining your target market, segments, and consumers. This requires a combination of research and planning and includes:

• Defining your market, segments, and offerings
• Researching your competition
• Understanding your customer and what benefits they are seeking
• Understanding the process of the purchase in terms of media, decision making, etc.
• Understanding the role of the sales person, sales materials, and role of the internet

The next phase involves understanding your customer, their needs, process and attention.  In marketing talk, these are referred to as “drivers” — those factors that drive the customer to a sale. To look at the drivers Zig Ziglar speaks about, they include:

• Need (Does the product meet a real need for the customer?)
• Time (How much time will it take to learn about the product, use it and benefit from it?)
• Money (How much will it cost?  Is it affordable?  Will it return multiples of value?)
• Desire (How emotionally attached is the customer to the product?)
• Trust (Is the product of high quality and integrity?)

Know your target customers — no sale occurs without them

Who are they?  How loyal are they?  What do they want and how do they make decisions? When in the midst of discussions with salespeople, my father used to frequently say, “Well, I’ll have to ask my wife about this.”  The salesperson typically would respond, “Why not bring her in?”  The truth was, my father was considering if he could buy the product without getting his wife involved.  That experience today is frequently repeated today with friends, bosses, subordinates, etc.  Obviously, the salesperson was not picking up on my father’s subtle clues about the situation, and often this resulted in a lost sale. You also need to consider the following about your customers:

• Who are your best customers and why?
• How important are repeat customers and word of mouth?
• What are the critical factors in purchase decisions such as price, service, confidence, quality etc.?
• How you can you attract new customers

An additional requirement:  Be prepared and Think “Free”

Abraham Lincoln spoke well when he said, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time.  But you can’t fool ALL of the people ALL of the time.”  Never were these words more true than in today’s selling environment.  Today’s customer is better informed than ever before, and a dizzying array of competitive products and communications channels are available. While free tests and samples have been used for centuries in many sales techniques, their use has recently taken on new dimensions.  Google is the master of this process by giving free search engine access and web analysis in order to get your “eyeballs” on the same screen as their paying advertisers.  In this new form, free offerings are not made to the customer per-se, but to the customer’s prospective customer.  Google’s success has changed the entire equation, and now the whole social media craze is providing people free information, free access, free videos, free websites.  Given the global nature of technology today, a company’s “fan base” is one of its greatest assets, and the easiest way to build that base is to offer something for free. Another example of free offerings is Zappos.  Who would ever believe you could sell and fit shoes on line?  However Zappos gimmick is free returns if the shoes don’t fit, so customers can buy unlimited pairs, try them on and return what they don’t want without any hustle or inconvenience.  It is actually much simpler than driving to several shoe stores and only to find that your size is out of stock.  Makeup, clothing, and other consumer items are now being marketing and sold using this approach.

The Actual Sales Process

Notice that so far we have discussed a number of principles and aspects of sales techniques without talking about the actual process itself.  Since no sales occur without the transaction, it is now time to review the steps in executing a sale.  This process involves the following:

• Identify legitimate potential customers and don’t waste your time with others
• Listen to the customer and their needs, time availability, and key concerns
• Be prepared for the process to involve more than one encounter and a single approach
• Strive to develop a relationship with the prospective customer which can range from simple eye contact to being involved in community and other activities to increase your credibility
• Watch what you say.  Making small talk can be boring and perceived as disrespectful.  Talking about politics, religion and other potentially controversial subjects can run the risk of killing a sale.  Make sure if you use humor to use it appropriately
• First impressions are most important.  Proper grooming, posture, neat and clean clothing are discerned by your prospect the moment you enter the room.  Be appropriately dressed for the environment, and conduct yourself in a way that puts your customer at ease.  Most judgments of you are formed visually before you speak your first word.
• Make sure your support materials are professional, prepared and clear.  Being over prepared with tons of useless information can be as devastating as being unprepared, since it can give the impression you are desperate or attempting to “snowball” the customer.
• Be prepared for questions and even initial rejection.  Don’t bash the competition or be defensive.
• Above all else, show your customer respect, even if they don’t buy from you that day.  To me the most annoying selling behavior is when you are considering a purchase, the salesperson is frustrated and just walks way with a discussed look and just starts talking to a buddy.
• Similarly give information on follow up which can include business cards, email addresses and phone numbers.
• Focus on the sales and or action plan. CLOSE THE DEAL.

After the Sale

The sale is not over when the customer leaves.  Say or write thank you or follow up notes. Most importantly measure and analyze your sales results.  It is as important to understand your successes as well as lost sales.  You also need to segment and evaluate the elements of the sale (the product, the information, the process, the customer and the environment).  Such ongoing review will be invaluable to you as you improve your overall program, spending less time and fewer resources to make more sales.

Final Words

Sales is a process involving both art and science.  It is much more about understanding the product, the market, and the customer than the individual personality of the sales person.  Creating a sales environment that appeals to your prospective customer, and emphasizing your product’s benefits for them individually is part of a winning combination to generate and build sales. Remember the adage… Features Tell, Benefits Sell.