esituation. It’s a newbeginning… so besure to make it amemorable one.
MAKING THE FIRST VISIT
!FAST TRACK
OFF TRACK
Being humble—you haven’t beenthere before
Showing unfounded familiarity—it’s only the ﬁrst meeting
Showing appreciation for thecustomer taking the meeting
Acting like you are entitledto be there
Doing your homework anddemonstrating what you havelearned in preparation for the visit
Treating this meeting as if it werejust another meeting
Conﬁrming the meeting in writingto show interest
Just showing up without puttingin the preparation time
Asking lots of questions of thecustomer and letting them talk
Presenting speciﬁcrecommendations
26 Understanding the needs of customers
Presenting your credentialsDespite your best intentions to focus on the custwill often ﬁnd thatyou are and whatpresentation—befany information ab
Aiming forA credentials presecompany, what it dcustomers. You neepresentation, but ifthis early stage of yyou should: as soohow to help them bconﬁrming their neabout you than abocustomer says to yocompany,” it can sorespond with: “I’ll bwho we are and hobut I can do that mlearn a bit about yoagrees, you can starprocess; if not, you wa credentials presen
TIPKEEP IT GENERALUse the presentation to givoverview of needs you canyour product line, but donassumptions about the speof your customer.
Presenting your credentials 27
Getting the message rightA good way to build a credentials presentation is tor team—not just the sales team, but anyone ininess who would like to contribute. Ask differentrs of the team to put themselves in the positiontomer of your company, and talk to you aboutey would like to hear. As you build youration, practice it with the team: discuss hows and tweak it until you get it right.ey to a successful credentials presentation isit short and to the point. Don’t overload theer with information—you will (hopefully) haveortunity to provide detail later. Give somebout the company and yourself. If you haveesting anecdote about how the companydon’t be afraid to share it. In a general sense,ell them the kinds of things you do and thecompanies you work with, and brieﬂy outlinecess stories. Discuss needs in general, andplain why what you have to offer can be ofa company like theirs. Words such as “can,”or “might” are the most appropriate becausee not yet learned enough abouttomer to get speciﬁc.
CHECKLIST PREPARING ACREDENTIALS PRESENTATIONYES
• Have you discussed with your team how you want to positionyour company to people who aren’t familiar with what you do?• Have you used your company’s mission and vision statements toprovide key facts and ﬁgures?• Have you trimmed your presentation so that it can be deliveredwithin a few minutes?• Have you practiced in front of a friend or colleague until you arefully conﬁdent in your delivery?
NO
28 Understanding the needs of customers
Opening a sales meetingWhen you make an appointment to see a client—whether it is your ﬁrstor your ﬁftieth—you are effectively calling a meeting for that customer.For the meeting to run well, you need to take the initiative, while at thesame time acknowledging that the meeting belongs to the customer—itmust be focused on providing solutions to their problems.
Building rapportWhat happens in the ﬁrst few minutes of a salesvisit sets the tone for the entire meeting. It helpsto break the opening down into three critical steps:building rapport, conﬁrming the agenda, andmoving into the meeting itself.At the start of the meeting, makesure everyone is comfortable, knowswho is who, and has a chance toIN FOCUS...connectinformally. Encourage smallTALKING TO THEtalk or a discussion of generalRIGHT PERSONbusiness conditions. Use yourSurprisingly, two-thirds of all salesintuition to decide when to movecalls are made to people who doon—you need to work at yournot make or implement decisions.customer’s comfort level, not yourSalespeople are often reluctant toown. Here are a few ideas to helpask a prospect whether they areyou get off to a good start:speaking to the person who is• Look around the client’s ofﬁce forresponsible for calling the shots, forfear of sounding disrespectful. Thesomething to trigger conversation,following preamble can help yousuch as a picture or trophy.check if you’re talking to the right• Compliment the customer onperson: “I visit many organizationstheirofﬁce or facility—but youlike yours and everyone has theirmust be sincere.own way of making decisions. To• Thank the customer for their time.ensure that I don’t waste anyone’stime or leave someone out of the• Discuss something you knowloop, would you please share withabout their business—a relevantme how the process works here?”news event, for example—to showthat you’ve done your homework.
Opening a sales meeting 29
Setting the agenda
Guiding the meeting
Next, ensure that everyone is clearabout the objectives of themeeting. Even though this is asales call, it requires a clearagenda, distributed in advance,that takes into account your needsand your client’s (remember, it istheir meeting). Give each personthe opportunity to express theirinterest in the meeting and whatthey would like to get out of it.This is crucial: you may not realizethe status or position of aparticipant in your meeting, andrun the risk of missing out on ahuge opportunity.Finally, conﬁrm the time availablefor the meeting, and stick to it.Customers resent people whooverstay their welcome.
Old-style salespeople were loathto lose control of a meeting andso did all the talking and tried toforce the customer on to theiragenda. You can see now that thisisn’t consistent with a problemsolving approach to selling.Instead, you should acknowledgethat the meeting belongs to thecustomer—you are there to solvetheir problems, after all. Your roleis more as facilitator, to ensure thatthe meeting runs smoothly. Onceyou begin addressing issues on theagenda, ensure that the meetingstays focused on the statedpurposes. Try to draw out ideasfrom all participants, then movethe meeting toward an action planand schedule the follow-up.
s in the
30 Understanding the needs of customers
Questioning for needsOf all the skills demanded of a successful salesperson, questioningremains the most important. This is simply because you can’t hope tounderstand a customer’s needs without asking questions in a thoughtful,credible, and sensitive way.
Running the sessionWhen you question a customer at a sales meeting,you need to keep the session light—think of it as anopen discussion rather than an interrogation.Comfortable customers invariably reveal more—and more useful—information.The questions you ask to determine needs fall intothree broad categories—fact-ﬁnding questions,needs-oriented questions, and big-picture questions—each of which are considered below. There are nohard-and-fast rules about the types of question to ask
CASE STUDYAsking the right questionsOne of the classic stories in the salesbusiness recalls how Pepsi Cola won theairline business from Coca Cola in the1990s. At the time, Coca Cola owned thein-ﬂight business and there was no wayPepsi could win the business in a pricewar. The new national sales managerwas about to make his ﬁrst visit to oneof the airlines and had prepared a lavishand thoughtful presentation. At the lastminute, one of his internal resourcessuggested that they show up with only apad and pen—no presentation at all.Against his better judgment, heagreed. For two hours, all they did wasask questions and learn about the
airline. They hardly mentioned Pepsi.They learned that beyond ensuringsafety, the biggest need the airline hadwas to sell more tickets. They haduncovered a critical need that had to bemet if they were to be successful in theirbid for the business.They developed a plan to giveretailers coupons that allowed them tobuy airline tickets at a discount: at thetime, this was a unique approach thatdeparted from the pattern of typicalpromotions. The airlines loved the idea,awarded Pepsi the business, and in theﬁrst year alone were able to sell morethan $2 million in additional tickets.A legendary result.
Questioning for needs 31
your customer, but experience suggests that a ratioof around ﬁve fact-ﬁnding questions, to three needsoriented questions, and one big-picture question iscomfortable for the client and achievable for you.
Finding the factsTo scope out an account or manage a relationship,you need some fundamental pieces of informationabout the client—their customers, partners, suppliers;their company structure; number of employees; andso on. These questions may seem obvious, but it’ssurprising how often they are overlooked. These areusually closed questions that can be answered “yes”or “no” or with a fact. Their job is to elicit information,so they tend not to be all that imaginative (virtuallyeverybody asks them), but can be surprisinglyprovocative (for example, “Who makes the decisionshere?”). They are essential, but they won’t do a wholelot to differentiate you from your competition.
Probing the needsNeeds-oriented questions get the customer talkingand are far more open ended. They can be quiteimaginative—“If you could change one thing aboutthe way you do business today, what would thatbe?”—or even provocative. Typically, these questionsdo not have “right” or “wrong” answers; they openup new areas of discussion, and will absolutely helpdifferentiate you from your competition.Responses from the customer will encompasseverything from their objectives, goals, hopes,expectations, and aspirations to their problems,concerns, worries, and fears. As your relationshipwith the client evolves, you can ask progressivelydeeper questions that will help reinforce trust.
TIPLEARN FROMTHE PROSWatch the greatinterviewers ontelevision. They askshort questions anddon’t give the personbeing interviewedpossible answers.They ask a questionand stop talking; trythe same technique.
32 Understanding the needs of customers
Learning about the big p
TIPBEWARE OFTHE “WHY?”Be careful ofquestions thatbegin with a “why”—they can appearjudgmental and putpeople on thedefensive: it helpsto introduce themwith a preamble.
Big-picture questions position you to uthat the customer does not necessarilhas. They are strategic in nature, in ethe customer to think about things tlike to consider—the future of the bto be overcome, the need to plancontingencies, and long-term gopicture questions require planninyour part because they can leaduncomfortable—albeit valuabldiscussions. They are necessathought-provoking, and willstay in the customer’s mindfor a long time. They elevathe conversation and willeventually result in yourbeing perceived as anadviser or consultant—much more than asalesperson.
Planning theMost people aresuspicious of qudetermining nesensitive as poquestioning you• Give a preamble: let thquestions are coming, why you ais in their interests to answer.• Cluster questions into categories, focusing onstrategy, ﬁnance, inventory, and so on, each with itsown preamble.• Be straightforward in your questions.• Don’t shy away from the tough questions.
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34 Understanding the needs of customers
Listening to your clientYou can ask your client brilliantly incisive questions to determine theirneeds. But these are worth little if you don’t listen to their responses.Listening isn’t easy—studies reveal that we retain a tiny percentageof what we hear—but it is a critical skill for any salesperson.
TIPASKK FIRSTAlways ask if it’sOK to take notesand show respectfor conﬁdentiality.Clients will rarelydecline and willprobably be ﬂatteredthat you want torecord what they say.
Keeping tuned inAs a salesperson, you are the eyes and ears of yourorganization; what you learn about your client in asales meeting will make your company stand or fall.You should be listening at a high level all the time—collecting facts, information, and business-relatedconcepts—but most of all, listening for needs. Ofcourse, this is the ideal scenario, and in reality yourability to listen is jeopardized by many factors.Instead of listening, you may start anticipating thenext question, planning your response, or trying tounderstand what the customer meant. You may getdistracted thinking about your route home ortomorrow’s meetings; and there are biological reasonswhy attentive listening is harder than it seems—wethink much faster than we can talk. But whatever yourreason for tuning out, you can be sure that when youdo, you’re missing vital information.
CASE STUDYShowing interestFour out of ﬁve clients think that whenyou don’t make notes, you aren’t fullyengaged. This research is borne out bya story related by a sales manager, who,along with a colleague, began a salesmeeting with a prospective client.Neither was taking notes. After a few
awkward minutes, the client called hisassistant on the phone and said: “Pleasebring two pads and two pens for ourguests since I would like to have theimpression that they are at leastsomewhat interested in what I have tosay.” This is a true story—don’t let thishappen to you!
Listening to your client 35
Making notesThere are many ways to enhance your listening skills,of which one of the best known is Active Listening*—a concept that has been around more than half acentury and is explored in dozens of courses andbooks. A simple and, arguably, more effectivetechnique can be set out in just two words—TakeNotes, or more accurately, Make Notes. From theminute the customer starts talking, you should putpen to paper. The distinction between “taking” and“making” notes is important because you are doingmore than just recording the client’s words—you arejotting down any connections you make, andctbbette
*
e Listening—ctured formof listening thatfocuses attentionon the speaker. Alistener consciouslyattends fully to thespeaker and thenrepeats in their ownwords what he orshe thinks thespeaker has said,often interpretingthe speaker’s words
36 Understanding the needs of customers
Approaching a problemBringing a problem-solving approach into your dealings with customershas clear beneﬁts. But how do you put it into practice? Problem solvingseems intangible and difﬁcult, but following a structured process, such asthe technique of brainstorming, will bring focus to your interactions withcustomers and increase your chances of sales success.
Setting the scene
TIPMAKE SPACE FORINNOVATIONDon’t overdeﬁne aproblem. Usually, ifpeople learn toomuch about aproblem, they willbecome less willingto speculate and willﬁnd themselvesputting on the sameblinkers that theproblem owneralready has.
Problem solving requires creativity—but that doesn’tmean chaos. When you bring together a group todevelop creative solutions, you need to give themeeting structure. Be sure to deﬁne the task, decidewhat approach you use and how much time isavailable, and establish who is chairing, facilitating,and keeping minutes of the meeting.Next, the group should identify the problem and setit into a proper context of background information.Why is the problem a problem? Could it be turnedinto an opportunity? Has the problem been addressedbefore, and how? Who is responsible for results?Once the meeting has been staged and the problemdeﬁned, the group is ideally positioned to generateideas through brainstorming.
IN FOCUS... BRAINSTORMINGWhen it is done right, the techniqueof brainstorming taps people’scapacity for lateral thinking and freeassociation and boosts creativeoutput. The concept was conceivedin the 1920s by Alex Osborn, partnerin international advertising agencyBBDO (he was the “O” in the
company). Osborn summarized thetechnique in the statement: “It iseasier to tone down a wild idea thanto think up a new one.” Many precedetheir brainstorming sessions withcreativity or relaxation exercises tohelp participants move into a morecreative state.
Approaching a problem 37
Encouraging creative solutionsWhen you begin a brainstorming session, invite ideas,perspectives, recommendations, and insights.Encourage participants to be speculative andopen—the meeting should be enexciting, and fun. Resist any temevaluate ideas as soon as they arforward—anything goes. Theopportunity to be innovativeinvariably yields richer resultsthan if individuals feelconstrained by rules andlimitations.
Evaluating resultsBrainstorming is a great way tospend the ﬁrst half of a problemsolving session. The second partmust be devoted to selecting thexciting ideas and evaluating theto develop solutions.The evaluation process doesn’t have to becomplex, but it does have to be managed with care.Once an idea has been selected, the challengebecomes how to turn it into a solution.One of the most common approaches suggestsﬁrst identifying the appealing aspects of an idea andthen listing concerns. Identifying the positivesensures that you have captured and preserved theparts of the idea that you want to save. Then addresseach concern, beginning with the most troubling,until the idea becomes acceptable. At this point,when the idea has been transformed into a solution,carefully summarize your conclusions and puttogether a speciﬁc action plan that includes thenext steps to implement the results.
38 Understanding the needs of customers
Reviewing needsThe perfect way to complete the Needs Assessment and move into thepresentation phase is to demonstrate to the customer that you havebeen listening, that you understand what they have been saying, andthat you’re in tune with what they hope to accomplish.
TIPSEEKCONFIRMATIONIf there are severalpeople in the room,check with each ofthem that yourunderstanding of theneeds matchestheirs. Just becauseone person agreeswith you it doesn’tmean they all do.
Selling before presentingEverything you have done up to this point has beenfocused on learning the needs of your customer.But before you start to present your solutions, youshould demonstrate a clear understanding of his orher situation. If you review the needs well, you’lldemonstate credibility, empathy, sensitivity, andtrustworthiness—and many buyers will make theirdecision to buy at this point, even before you havepresented your goods and services. Conversely,without thoroughly reviewing the needs, you riskmisunderstanding your client and missing the markwith your recommendations.
CHOOSING YOUR WORDS
!FAST TRACK
OFF TRACK
“Here’s my understanding of whatyou said…”
“What you need is...”
“I may be reading too much intothis, but it appears that…”
“You said that...”
“How I interpreted X’s statementwas that you had a desire to...”
“X told us that you wanted...”
Reviewing needs 39
IN FOCUS... THE PSYCHOLOGYOF LISTENINGCarl Rogers (1902–1987) was one ofthe world’s greatest psychologists andstudents of human communication.He famously said that the “greatestcompliment one human being canpay another is to demonstrate that hewas listening.” When a sales
professional takes the time toreview with a customer his or herunderstanding of their needs, they areindeed paying a great complimentand differentiating themselves—yetagain—from the competition, in anemphatic manner.
Ensuring a close matchWhen you begin the review, choose your wordscarefully: tell the client what you heard as opposedto what they said. The distinction is subtle, but avoidsputting words in the client’s mouth (see box,opposite). Start by summarizing the client’s overtneeds and move to those you need to infer. Ask theclient to conﬁrm that your review is correct, andrequest that they prioritize their needs. Ask if youmissed anything, if there’s anything they’d like to add,or if your understanding is ﬂawed. You just might pickup another need along the way.
Timing the reviewThe best time to review needs is either at the end ofa needs-determination meeting or at the beginningof a meeting in which you are presenting (especiallyif new people are present, or a lot of time has passedsince the last meeting). Concluding a meeting byreviewing needs ends it on a positive note and setsthe stage for the next meeting when you will present.If you have done everything right, the client willalready have a strong inclination to buy from you.
40 Understanding the needs of customers
Selling with othersBringing a colleague with you—whether it’s your manager, a subjectexpert, another member of the team, or the new salesperson who justjoined the company—can potentially make your sales meeting muchmore effective. However, joint sales meetings need to be managedcarefully if they are to live up to their potential.
TIPTALK UP YOURCOLLEAGUESWhen you introduceyour colleagues on ajoint call, emphasizewhy it is importantthat they have beenable to come along.For example: “I’mdelighted Susancould join us—shehas been workingon these kindsof problems for15 years.”
Being preparedPreparation is the key to effective joint sales meetings.First, anyone you bring with you to the meeting needsto have a full understanding of its objective. At thevery least, they need to know who the customer is,what they do, where you are in the relationship, andwhat you hope to accomplish. Equally importantly,your colleagues need to be clear about what their rolein the meeting will be, or you run the risk that they willbe unprepared. Are they there to ask questions, makerecommendations, help deal with objections, or justto show support and interest?
Managing a joint meetingIn a joint sales meeting, it is even more important thatyou act as the facilitator, managing the process andtrying to ensure that both your objectives and yourcustomer’s are fulﬁlled. Get the meeting off to apositive start by inviting introductions: make sure thateveryone knows who everyone else is and that all areclear about what each party hopes to accomplish.During the meeting, it is important that every memberof your team makes a contribution, so call on yourcolleagues when their expertise is needed, andexplain why: “I would like John to answer thatquestion since it falls within his area of expertise.”
Beneﬁtsof joint salesmeetings
SPECIALIZEDKNOWLEDGEInviting colleagues fromdifferent functional areasof your organization tojoin you at the meetingallows you to offer agreater range ofexpertise to thecustomer.
LOOKING GOODBringing a team—especially if it includessenior members of yourorganization—may impressthe customer, and makethem feel that they areimportant to you.
TWO PAIRS OF EARSSales meetings can befast paced, especially ifyou are acting as thefacilitator. If you have acolleague with you, theycan pick up on smalldetails thatyou may miss.
DIFFERENTPERSPECTIVESWith more than one ofyou interpreting what thecustomer is saying, youmay get a fullerunderstanding of thecustomer’s needs.
IMPROVINGPERFORMANCEYour colleagues can giveyou feedback on yourperformance, enablingyou to be even moreeffective at your nextsales meeting.
Chapter 3
Making yourrecommendationsProviding solutions and making recommendations is the partof the selling process that most salespeople like best. It’s timeto demonstrate how you can help the customer, to tell yourstory, and to present your products and services.
Using features and beneﬁtsClient presentations take many forms; they range from informal one-toone meetings to formal expositions to a conference room full of potentialclients. Surprisingly, regardless of the situation, your approach will notvary that much: your presentation will focus on features and beneﬁts.
Deﬁning the termsSalespeople have used features and beneﬁts todescribe their products and services for manydecades. This approach has stood the test of timefor one reason—it works!Features tell customers how products or serviceswork. They are characteristics, descriptions, attributes,speciﬁcations, and explanations. Beneﬁts explain howthe product helps—why it is important to the clientand how it addresses their needs. Beneﬁts set out tothe customer the value of the item being discussedand why it is in their interests to purchase it.
Using features and beneﬁts 43
Selling the beneﬁtsPeople make the decision tobuy things because of theirbeneﬁts rather than their features.However, most salespeople aremore comfortable talking aboutfeatures than beneﬁts. It’s nothard to see why. Features arefacts and hard to debate. You willrarely be challenged when youexplain the features of a productor service—they are tangible andobjectively notable.Beneﬁts, on the other hand,are educated guesses. They aresubjective—what might be a
beneﬁt for one person may notbe a beneﬁt for another. Talkingbeneﬁts makes some peopleuncomfortable, because it feels likea “hard sell”. It shouldn’t. Beneﬁtsdo no more than explain why arecommendation makes sense.When you make yourpresentation, think in terms ofbeneﬁt statements and alwaystry to link your features to thebeneﬁts. If you don’t, you’re onlytelling half the story. The examplebelow—where a salespersonpresents a new design of astacking chair—shows thetypes of connections to make.
Linking features and beneﬁtsFEATURE OF CHAIRNeat, stackable design
BENEFIT OF CHAIRSaves space, making it ideal for evenalleste—hae comced coon—ideo carryﬂexibil
44 Making your recommendations
Targeting the pitchFeatures and beneﬁts are the trusted selling tools that address theclient’s questions “What?” and “So what?” But if you can answer onefurther question—“What’s in it for me?”—you’ll set yourself apart fromthe competition. This question addresses the speciﬁc beneﬁt—theparticular needs of an individual customer.
TIPHOLD BACK THEBROCHURESTry using your salesbrochure after youhave presented, notb fHi hli h h
Focusing on speciﬁcsYour ability to express the features and benﬁts of yourproducts is vital, but there’s one more conceptual stepto take—understanding and presenting speciﬁcbeneﬁts. Every customer buys for slightly differentbh dl
Targeting the pitch 45
Prioritizing your messagesInformation about your products and services andtheir corresponding features and beneﬁts is ﬁxedinformation—it’s what you might include in yourbrochure, spec sheet, or catalog. By contrast, theneeds of each customer and the speciﬁc beneﬁts youpresent are variable. This variable information is at theheart of the needs-driven selling process—it’s whatelevates your presentation far above the canned pitch.So, when the time comes to present, deliver thevariable information ﬁrst. Start by succinctly reviewingthe customer’s needs; next, make recommendationsand demonstrate how they address the customer’sneeds—the speciﬁc beneﬁts. Only when this is doneshould you move on to presenting the genericfeatures and beneﬁts. At ﬁrst glance, this ordering ofthe information appears backward—going from thespeciﬁc to the general. However, it addresses thereality of your audience’s attention span. High-levellistening efﬁciency lasts a frighteningly short time—upto 90 seconds—before dipping precipitously. Speciﬁcbeneﬁts are what close deals, so be sure to get themin early, before your client’s attention wanders.
HOW TO...ORDERYOURPITCHReview needs
Recommendsolutions
Present speciﬁcbeneﬁts
Present genericfeatures andbeneﬁts
IN FOCUS... THE HUMAN TOUCHBack in the 1960s, social forecasterswere predicting that salespeoplewould be made obsolete by the turnof the century through advances incomputing and revolutionarymarketing vehicles, such as direct mailand telemarketing. They could nothave been more wrong. More peopleare selling today than ever before,and even professions that neverconsidered using the “s” word in the
past, such as banking, accounting,law, and medicine, ﬁnd themselvessoliciting business on a day-to-daybasis. That’s because the consumerdoes not want to buy from a catalog,a piece of mail, or a voice on thetelephone. They want to buy froma person who listens to them,understands their needs, andresponds with appropriate productsand services.
46 Making your recommendations
Offering your ideasMany sales professionals think that all they have to offer is their productsand services. But it’s not just what’s in your bag that’s important—it’swhat’s in your head. When you present your customer with an idea thathelps them do their job a bit better, teaches them something new, oraddresses a personal issue, you are building value in your relationshipthat lets you leapfrog way ahead of your competitors.
Giving to receiveWhen a sales professional presents a customer with anidea that has no revenue attached to it, it’s calledan uncompensated idea. This is a great misnomer,because surprising your customers with novel andunexpected thinking accumulates great value andbrings long-term ﬁnancial reward. If you’re preparedto give, you will receive.
? ASK YOURSELF... ABOUTOFFERING NEW IDEASBefore each client meeting, think of areas in which youcould help the client by offering uncompensated ideas.• Are they doing something that we know they could dobetter with better technology or software?• What problems do they consistently raise—how hard isit for me to research them?• Is there something in the client’s nonworking life whereI could offer an idea—for example, suggesting a venuefor their child’s party?• Is there something about the client’s facility that couldbe improved—a lack of signage, for example?• Can I enhance the client’s industry knowledge—byrecommending a good seminar or training program?
Offering your ideas 47
Salespeople are often reluctant to presentuncompensated ideas for fear that they will comeacross as inappropriate. So is it really worth taking therisk of crossing established boundaries? The answer isan emphatic “yes.” When the customer sees that youhave put in effort to offer a new perspective, they willknow that you value the relationship—even if they’renot thrilled with the idea itself.
Adding value
TIP
The idea you offer up doesn’t have to be related tobusiness and it doesn’t need to be Earth-shattering;however, it must add value—don’t present an ideajust for the sake of doing so. Your customer doesn’tknow that you’re about to offer an uncompensatedidea, so before starting, get their permission. Letthem know you have been thinking about theirsituation and that you have an idea for them. Ask ifthey think it’s appropriate for you to present it. Mostcustomers will be intrigued. Next, express what youthink their need is, presen t the idea, and explain itsspeciﬁc beneﬁts. Be humble when you offer the ideaand give credit to others whenever you can; there’snothing to be gained by trying to make the customerthink that you’re smarter than they are.
TIME YOUR TIPSUncompensatedideas are bestunveiled at the endof the meeting, notthe beginning. Theyoffer a great way toend any meeting ona high note.
CASE STUDYGoing the extra mileA training company was seeking bids fora new video system. They spoke tothree potential suppliers, each of whommade good recommendations. Therewas little to choose among the three onprice, quality, capabilities, and serviceagreements. While they were in thedecision-making process, the
salesperson from one of the threesuppliers emailed an article thatappeared in The Wall Street Journall thatday about one of the training company’sclients. The email was accompanied by ashort note: “I’m sure you saw this, butjust in case…”. Without otherdifferentiators, the salesperson whotook the extra step won the contract.
48 Making your recommendations
Asking for feedbackYou have delivered your presentation. Your customers noddedenthusiastically throughout, so your recommendations must have beenright on track. Or so you think. The only way to be sure and to move tothe next stage of the selling process is to ask your client for feedback.It’s time to hear from them.
TIPGET YOURTIMING RIGHT