Greetings!
“That prospect is so dumb. We have a great product and he just doesn’t get it.” Ever heard or said that before? That itself is dumb. It’s not his job to “get it.” It’s our job to only recommend what they perceive to be great.
Tweet this one out: A benefit is only a benefit if the listener sees it as one, at that very moment. Which means that even though your marketing department wrote out a list of benefits, your prospect might not necessarily get excited about them.
Value is a dynamic moving target that varies by individual. You are both interested and not interested in certain things today, and both of those feelings are different than they were six months ago.
The variables that affect everything are the “What?” and “Why?”
What is going on in your prospect’s/customer’s world that now makes them either interested, or at least more susceptible to be interested in what you have?
You look for these trigger events or circumstances in your research and/or Social Engineering. For example, you might find out your prospect is gearing up for a huge holiday rush and need lots of temporary staff to fill positions.
The “Why?” is why someone might be interested in your possible benefits. For example, the fact that a line of luggage has indestructible wheels might not be a benefit for a market segment that just goes camping, doesn’t roll through airports, and doesn’t want to pay a premium price.
On the other hand, someone like me who maneuvers bags through crowds at airports, through parking lots and rental car facilities, typically with a box of workbooks, and has had numerous wheels broken off by brutal baggage handlers WOULD love the benefit.
So, to ensure that, we reverse-engineer the benefit to create the questions. “For what types of travel do you use your luggage?” “How often do you find it convenient to roll your bags?” “How often do you need to replace bags because of wheels breaking?” Getting these answers, and the process of having them answer does a couple of things:
1. You learn what indeed is of value to your prospect, since they told you, in their own words; words that you can then use back to them when you make your recommendation. And they won’t argue with their own words.
2. When they are answering, they are visualizing a picture of what they are talking about… either the pain they want to avoid, or future pleasure that they would get from your result.
Again, benefits are not universal. When we present what WE think is a benefit, we could be off-target and create objections. Many salespeople do.
Instead, practice these principles and you will be more persuasive, and get more people engaged, and buying
Make it your best week ever!
Art Sobczak helps sales pros prospect, sell and service accounts more effectively by using conversationally, non-sales messaging, and without “rejection.” Get a free ebook of 501 telephone sales tips at businessbyphone.com/501-tips-ebook. Email editorial @mhwmag.com to contact Art.
