1. Chapter 8 Making the Sales Call

2. Learning Objectives
How should the salesperson make the initial approach to make a good impression and gain the prospect’s attention?
How can the salesperson develop rapport and increase source credibility?
Why is discovering the prospect’s needs important, and how can a salesperson get this information?

3. Learning Objectives
How can the salesperson relate the product or service features to the prospect’s needs?
Why is it important for the salesperson to make adjustments during the call?
How does the salesperson recognize that adjustments are needed?
How can a salesperson effectively sell to groups?

4. Exhibit 8.1 - Essential Elements of the Sales Call

5. Four A’s of Selling Process
Acknowledge
Acquire
Advise
Assure

6. Making a Good Impression
Impression management: Process where salespeople can manage the buyer’s impression of them
Waiting for the prospect
Be on time or call if you’re going to be late
Make good use of your waiting time
15 minute rule
Be polite and tactful when asking to reschedule

7. Making a Good Impression
Managing first impression
Identifying the prospects social style and status
Getting the customer’s attention
Developing rapport
Maintaining proper perspective and a sense of humor, when things go wrong

8. Getting the Customer’s Attention
Social media tools can be used to generate interest
Make effective use of time
Halo effect: Manner in which you do something changes a person’s perceptions of other things you do
Opening: Method of getting the prospect’s attention and interest quickly and making a smooth transition into the next part of the presentation

9. Openings That Salespeople Can Use to Gain Attention
Opening method
Things to consider
Introduction opening - Simply introduce
yourself
Simple but may not generate interest
Referral opening - Tell about someone
who referred you to the buyer
Always get permission. Don’t stretch
the truth
Benefit opening - Start by telling some
benefit of the product
Get down to business right away
Product opening - Demonstrate
a product feature and benefit as soon as
you walk up to the prospect)
Use visual and not just verbal opening;
to create excitement
Compliment opening - Start by
complimenting the buyer or the buyer’s
firm)
Be sincere and do not indulge in flattery
Question opening - Start the
conversation with a question
Start two-way communication

10. Rapport Close, harmonious relationship founded on mutual trust
Should be a salesperson’s primary goal
Small talk: Breaks the ice for the actual presentation
Current news, hobbies, mutual friends
Consider cultural and personality differences
Share goals or agenda

11. Developing Rapport Do not engage in the following:
Controversial topics like politics and religion
Trying to gain sympathy
Complaining about others
Gossiping about competitors
Avoid using trite phrases

12. Exhibit 8.3 - Discovering the Root Cause of the Need

13. Asking Open and Closed Questions
Open questions: Require the prospect to go beyond a simple yes or no response
Encourage the prospect to open up and share a useful information
Closed questions: Require yes, no, or short fill-in-the- blank type response
Help in identifying problems and attitudes
Summarize the prospect’s needs

14. SPIN® TECHNIQUE Method of discovering needs with help of:
Situation questions
Problem questions
Implication questions
Need payoff questions
Works for salespeople involved in:
Major sale: Involves a long selling cycle, a large customer commitment, an ongoing relationship, and large risks for the prospect

15. SPIN® Technique Situation questions Problem questions
Answered through recall information gathering and planning
Problem questions
About specific difficulties, problems, or dissatisfaction
Implications questions
Help the prospect recognize the true ramifications of the problem
Motivate the prospect to search for a solution to the problem
Need payoff questions
Focused on solution

16. Conclusions about SPIN®
Encourages the prospect to define the need
Prospect views the salesperson more as a consultant trying to help than as someone pushing a product
For best outcomes, practice each component and plan implication and need payoff questions before each sales call

17. Developing a Strategy Prioritize buyer needs
Discuss features that address buyer needs
Feature dumping: Discussing features that is of no use to the customer

18. Relating Features to Benefits
Quality or characteristic of the product or service
Every product has many features designed to help potential customers
Benefit
The way in which a specific feature will help a particular buyer
Customer benefit proposition: Manner in which a salesperson shows how a product addresses the buyer’s specific needs

19. Offering More Value FAB (Features, advantages, benefits)
Instead of mentioning features and benefits, requiring salespeople to discuss features, advantages, and benefits
Advantage: Points out why a feature would be important
FEBA (Features, evidence, benefits, agreement)
mention the feature
provide evidence that the feature actually exists,
explain the benefit
Ask if buyer agrees with the value and benefit of the feature

20. Exhibit 8.7 - The Problem/Solution Model
Source: Carl Sooder, used with permission

21. Assessing Reactions Using nonverbal cues Verbal probing
Trial close: Taking the pulse of the situation during the presentation
Allows the salesperson to stop talking and encourages two-way conversation
Lets the salesperson see whether the buyer is listening and understanding what is being said
Indicates whether the prospect is interested or not

22. Assessing Reactions
Selective perception: Hearing what one wants to hear
Making adjustments
Changing direction
Collecting additional information
Developing a new sales strategy
Altering the style of presentation

23. Building Credibility During the Call
Credibility: Being believable and reliable
Clearly delineate the time she or he thinks the call will take and then stop when the time is up
Back up verbal statements
Credibility statements: Includes features of the salesperson, organization and other related and useful information

24. Building Credibility During the Call
Avoid making statements that do not have the ring of truth
Make a balanced presentation that shows all sides of the situation
Balanced presentation: Is honest and shows all sides of the situation
Recognize cultural differences
Demonstrate product expertise

25. Building Credibility During the Call
Keep it simple
Be honest and straightforward
Never use a word unless you know the exact definition

26. Selling to Groups
Discover the following for each prospect group member
Member status within the group
Authority
Perceptions about the urgency of the problem
Receptivity to ideas
Knowledge of the subject matter
Likely resistance and ways to handle it

27. Selling to Groups Develop objectives and plan
Learn the names of group members and use them when appropriate
Listen carefully and observe all nonverbal cues