Ensure you are communicating value that will outweigh objections and close more sales.
Sales close due to the perceived value of the benefits we offer. Objections are overcome when our benefits outweigh our weaknesses. The lure of benefits makes it worthwhile for people to meet with us.
Benefits are the key to generating opportunities and closing deals. QUESTIONS FOR YOU. Do you have a firm enough grasp on all the potential benefits you offer your prospects? Do you have a first meeting strategy that enables prospects to communicate every benefit that is important to them? Are you probing deeper as to why those benefits are important so that you can close more by relating to those specifics?
All of us get into a routine or MO at times where we anticipate the prospects answer before they finish speaking. We know their situation so well we skim the inquiry phase so we can get right to the solution pitch. Here is how that costs us.
Recently I spoke at the annual sales meeting of a couple hundred million-dollar company posting double-digit sales growth and significantly increasing profits. The sales team is top notch.
I interviewed six salespeople in depth before the presentation. One of the questions I asked was “What are the specific benefits you offer?”
All six salespeople mentioned the same 4 benefits.
2 salespeople mentioned 2 benefits not mentioned by the others.
1 salesperson mentioned a benefit not mentioned by the others.
At this point we have 9 benefits in total.
During the presentation I asked the same question. The group came up with 8 additional benefits not mentioned by any of the six salespeople I interviewed.
Now we have 17 benefits.
A question for you. If you don’t have a firm grasp on all the benefits you offer before you make a set the appointment phone call, how could you best communicate the value of a meeting? If YOU don’t have a firm grasp on all the potential benefits you offer BEFORE you sit down for a first meeting, how can you be so sure that you are eliciting EVERYTHING that is important to know to make a close? If your prospect does mention a benefit that is important to them, are you probing deeper into WHY that benefit is important to them, or do you just assume you know?
In the discussion that followed 3 points became clear.
When asked the right questions and allowed to talk, prospects babble endlessly about themselves and what is important to them. These specifics help us close.
When asked follow-up questions such as “Why is that important to you?” Prospects would often provide reasons unique to them. Those specifics help us close.
That time is extremely precious during the first prospect interactions and without a well thought out game plan…. Important questions go unasked… we don’t discover all benefits important to our prospect…. We don’t uncover the specifics that are critical to helping us to make the close.
THE SOLUTION
Fist, take the time to WRITE DOWN all the potential benefits you offer.
Second, craft a questioning strategy you can use at an initial meeting to uncover all benefits that are important to your prospect.
Third, prepare good follow-up questions so that when you uncover something that is important to the prospect, you can drill down, probe deeper, uncover specifics and truly understand why that is important to your prospect.
Fourth, throughout the sales cycle and particularly in the closing stages, always sell to the benefits that are important to your prospect and the specifics as to why those benefits are important.
Best wishes for good selling,
Scott Channell
