Validating value doesn’t always happen after the customer buys. In fact, value validation is a great selling discipline to employ late in the decision process, especially when the customer is in the angst of resolving those final concerns. I went on the road for a week coaching sales calls with some of our sales people. On one call, we had a service deal on the table with an important customer who was growing dissatisfied with their current provider. Earlier in the year, our salesman had uncovered that pain and developed it into an strong need for change. They invited us to bid against the incumbent!
On this sales call, we were closing and we knew the customer was really agonizing over the decision. The board was meeting the next day to decide and “our man” had to make the recommendation. We were more expensive but we had a better offering and the client knew it. Change is hard but justifying a higher price to your boss is harder!
Planning the Sales Call
In the pre-call session, we developed questions designed to get “our man” talking about why our offer was superior and why now was the time to change.
Here are the questions:
-What are the main reasons that you have decided change the business model?
-Why is that important to you?
-What savings does that produce? Any other savings?
-How else will it help you?
-I know our program costs a little more, but how is it different from your current provider’s program?
-Are there other differences?
-Are those differences important enough to justify the higher price?
-What do you see as the three main benefits of our service vs. your current provider?
-Does that make a big difference? Why?
-Anything else we may be missing?
You get the idea…
Professional salespeople get the client talking and describing the benefits in the client’s own words. Pros rehearse clients by asking them well planned questions. Average salespeople don’t. Average salespeople show and tell and talk, talk, talk. Average salespeople try to fill the client’s head up with what’s in the brochure, on the PowerPoint, and in the proposal. It just flat does not work and that is why they will always be average salespeople. As Jeffery Fox says, be a seller, not a teller. Ask great questions. Stop talking and take notes. Let the customer tell you what they value about your offer.
On this sales call, we were closing and we knew the customer was really agonizing over the decision. The board was meeting the next day to decide and “our man” had to make the recommendation. We were more expensive but we had a better offering and the client knew it. Change is hard but justifying a higher price to your boss is harder!
Planning the Sales Call
In the pre-call session, we developed questions designed to get “our man” talking about why our offer was superior and why now was the time to change.
Here are the questions:
-What are the main reasons that you have decided change the business model?
-Why is that important to you?
-What savings does that produce? Any other savings?
-How else will it help you?
-I know our program costs a little more, but how is it different from your current provider’s program?
-Are there other differences?
-Are those differences important enough to justify the higher price?
-What do you see as the three main benefits of our service vs. your current provider?
-Does that make a big difference? Why?
-Anything else we may be missing?
You get the idea…
Professional salespeople get the client talking and describing the benefits in the client’s own words. Pros rehearse clients by asking them well planned questions. Average salespeople don’t. Average salespeople show and tell and talk, talk, talk. Average salespeople try to fill the client’s head up with what’s in the brochure, on the PowerPoint, and in the proposal. It just flat does not work and that is why they will always be average salespeople. As Jeffery Fox says, be a seller, not a teller. Ask great questions. Stop talking and take notes. Let the customer tell you what they value about your offer.
