One of the challenges facing all businesses is that of being seen as ‘different’. A business-owner must take deliberate and positive steps to set their business apart from other businesses (especially their competitors) in the eyes of their prospective customers.
If you are in business you must remember that one of the questions your prospective customers will have in mind when considering a purchase is “Why should I deal with this person/ business and not one of the others I can choose from?” While your customers may not ask you this question directly they will ask themselves. Therefore, you must have an absolutely clear understanding of the answer and make it easy for your prospective customers to find it.
This is because, if Business A looks too much like its competitor, Business B, the products and services offered may be reduced to the level of commodities in the eyes of the prospective customer. If the prospective customer sees a product or service as a commodity they will almost certainly base any buying decision on price alone.
How can you set your business apart?
Firstly, identify your Positive Points of Difference (PPDs). These should reflect a number of positive points about your business; for example
> the superior quality of the products or services you offer
> the wider range of products or services you offer
> the wider range of options (or locations) you have
> the ‘look’ of your premises and/or your staff
> the quality, attitude and experience level of your staff
> the more comprehensive nature of the guarantee you offer
> the promise you make through the slogan or jingle you use in your advertising.
If you operate in a field that has a bad reputation for tardiness it could be simply that you are always on time. Your staff may simply be more polite and obliging than the staff of your competitors (remember that most people will pay a premium price to deal with people they like).
As you do this consider these points. You may wish to present a combination of PPDs that makes you appear unique; and, if you can’t identify PPDs (or think that the PPDs you do identify lack potency) you will have to create some.
Secondly, you must, where appropriate, introduce your PPDs in your sales presentation/ demonstration.
This is easily done. During the initial minutes of your presentation/ demonstration when you are trying to relax your prospective customer include a minute or two to talk about your PPDs. You can introduce them by saying, “We think we are a little bit different at Our Business Inc – do you mind if I tell you why?” You can then give simple summary of your PPDs.
Thirdly, another way of being seen as ‘different’ is to always do that little bit extra, and do it for nothing
This means always trying to give your customers a little bit more than they paid for. This is like the free coffee or mints at the end of a restaurant meal. It’s a free vacuum or wash when your car is serviced. It’s the follow-up phone call to say “Thanks”. It’s the birthday phone call. It’s the occasional freebie. Most of your competitors will be too stingy or too busy to do these things. This makes it easier for you to make a good and lasting impression of being ‘different’.
Final words of warning – when talking about your PPDs never ‘put down’ or criticise your competitors; and certainly don’t refer to them by name. Simply identify and present your own PPDs in a sincere attempt to have your prospective customer see you and your business as ‘different’ and ‘good to deal with’.
(The up-coming post for Wednesday 22/4 is The Common Denominator for Success. It's ageless wisdom that is still relevant in today's world.)
Monday, April 20, 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
Practice makes perfect
Professional actors and musicians rehearse. The best sportspeople practise. The armed forces make their members drill and practise things like tactics and weapons handling.
Why do they do that? So they can perform in pressure situations almost without thinking. For an actor or musician it could lead to a near-perfect performance and a rave review. For a sportsperson it could mean the difference between being a team regular or a fringe player. For a soldier, it could save their life or the lives of their mates.
Similarly, the ability to perform in challenging situations is tremendously valuable to salespeople. If they are able to do so they find it easier to deal with them; if they are not able to do so they will lose sales that they otherwise would make.
Why then is there a reluctance in many businesses to provide adequate sales skills practice – away from real life customers?
Is it because the boss simply doesn’t ‘get’ the importance of such practice? Is it because the boss is uncomfortable with the idea? Is it because the boss doesn’t want the sales staff to feel uncomfortable? Doesn’t the boss know how to set it up?
Here are some pointers for bosses who want to help their salespeople practise effectively.
Make sure that your expectations are clear
This means that any skills to be practised must first be scripted (or at least a comprehensive outline prepared). The best salespeople are performers in the same way that actors are. The best actors have the ability to put life into the script they are following. Similarly, practising sales skills is about having salespeople follow the script (or outline) to the best of their ability and to bring that script to life. This is what you expect.
Give practice a name that your salespeople can be comfortable with
In some businesses practice is called role-play; other businesses call it drill; others call it rehearsal. Give it a name that fits the style of your business but, whatever you call it, don’t let it be seen as an opportunity to embarrass people or put them down.
Set aside adequate practice time on a regular basis
Practice is best done on a regular basis as part of a general training routine. It can’t be seen as punishment. Regular practice gives salespeople the opportunity to get over any initial discomfort and to get used to the practice environment. This then gives them the opportunity to focus on improving their performance without being overly-concerned about the presence of others.
Lighten up – treat mistakes as learning opportunities
Practice must be a positive learning experience; it’s about building people up not about putting them down. This is best done if it is carried out in a good-humoured way without it becoming flippant.
The place to make mistakes is in the training room; in the training room mistakes are cheap; in the show room they can be very expensive. With this in mind the boss must forgive mistakes while making sure that the salespeople learn from them
Take your turn
The most effective practice occurs when the boss, whether the business-owner or a manager, takes a turn. This means demonstrating what is expected of the salespeople; not only ‘telling’ but also ‘showing’.
This means that the boss has to keep his or her sales skills up. This also is a positive thing; it sets the standard and demonstrates leadership by example (and makes salespeople more likely to follow).
Always create the opportunity for self-critique
The first question any salesperson should be asked after a practice session is ‘What, if anything, would you do differently if you had the chance to do that again?’
This is a positive opportunity. It means that the salesperson can critique themselves first; pointing out things that they recognise could have been done better. Self-criticism is easier to accept than the criticism of others.
Sometimes the salesperson will be unnecessarily harsh in their self-critique. If this happens it’s appropriate for the boss to correct them and let them know that they did a better job than they thought they did.
Ensure that feedback from others is always constructive
Once the self-critique has been made, others in the group can offer their feedback. The boss can’t allow the criticism to become destructive – it must always be constructive. Remember also that the feedback is about how well the salesperson followed the script (or outline) and brought it to life; it is not about unrelated personal opinions.
What to focus on when practising
There are key steps in any sales process; clumsiness during any of them could result in the needless loss of a sale. While the steps differ slightly from business to business they generally include Engaging the customer, Conversational questioning (to establish needs and wants), the ‘show’ (or demonstration), handling Objections and Closing.
It is important that all of these key steps be practised on an on-going basis; the idea is to sharpen the knife before it gets blunt.
Final point
Many salespeople assert that they perform better in a real life sales situation than they do in a practice situation; this is probably true. It follows therefore that if they can improve their performance at practice they will perform even better in real life, with even better results.
(The up-coming post for Monday 20/4 is What sets your business apart. It's about Positive Points of Difference.)
Why do they do that? So they can perform in pressure situations almost without thinking. For an actor or musician it could lead to a near-perfect performance and a rave review. For a sportsperson it could mean the difference between being a team regular or a fringe player. For a soldier, it could save their life or the lives of their mates.
Similarly, the ability to perform in challenging situations is tremendously valuable to salespeople. If they are able to do so they find it easier to deal with them; if they are not able to do so they will lose sales that they otherwise would make.
Why then is there a reluctance in many businesses to provide adequate sales skills practice – away from real life customers?
Is it because the boss simply doesn’t ‘get’ the importance of such practice? Is it because the boss is uncomfortable with the idea? Is it because the boss doesn’t want the sales staff to feel uncomfortable? Doesn’t the boss know how to set it up?
Here are some pointers for bosses who want to help their salespeople practise effectively.
Make sure that your expectations are clear
This means that any skills to be practised must first be scripted (or at least a comprehensive outline prepared). The best salespeople are performers in the same way that actors are. The best actors have the ability to put life into the script they are following. Similarly, practising sales skills is about having salespeople follow the script (or outline) to the best of their ability and to bring that script to life. This is what you expect.
Give practice a name that your salespeople can be comfortable with
In some businesses practice is called role-play; other businesses call it drill; others call it rehearsal. Give it a name that fits the style of your business but, whatever you call it, don’t let it be seen as an opportunity to embarrass people or put them down.
Set aside adequate practice time on a regular basis
Practice is best done on a regular basis as part of a general training routine. It can’t be seen as punishment. Regular practice gives salespeople the opportunity to get over any initial discomfort and to get used to the practice environment. This then gives them the opportunity to focus on improving their performance without being overly-concerned about the presence of others.
Lighten up – treat mistakes as learning opportunities
Practice must be a positive learning experience; it’s about building people up not about putting them down. This is best done if it is carried out in a good-humoured way without it becoming flippant.
The place to make mistakes is in the training room; in the training room mistakes are cheap; in the show room they can be very expensive. With this in mind the boss must forgive mistakes while making sure that the salespeople learn from them
Take your turn
The most effective practice occurs when the boss, whether the business-owner or a manager, takes a turn. This means demonstrating what is expected of the salespeople; not only ‘telling’ but also ‘showing’.
This means that the boss has to keep his or her sales skills up. This also is a positive thing; it sets the standard and demonstrates leadership by example (and makes salespeople more likely to follow).
Always create the opportunity for self-critique
The first question any salesperson should be asked after a practice session is ‘What, if anything, would you do differently if you had the chance to do that again?’
This is a positive opportunity. It means that the salesperson can critique themselves first; pointing out things that they recognise could have been done better. Self-criticism is easier to accept than the criticism of others.
Sometimes the salesperson will be unnecessarily harsh in their self-critique. If this happens it’s appropriate for the boss to correct them and let them know that they did a better job than they thought they did.
Ensure that feedback from others is always constructive
Once the self-critique has been made, others in the group can offer their feedback. The boss can’t allow the criticism to become destructive – it must always be constructive. Remember also that the feedback is about how well the salesperson followed the script (or outline) and brought it to life; it is not about unrelated personal opinions.
What to focus on when practising
There are key steps in any sales process; clumsiness during any of them could result in the needless loss of a sale. While the steps differ slightly from business to business they generally include Engaging the customer, Conversational questioning (to establish needs and wants), the ‘show’ (or demonstration), handling Objections and Closing.
It is important that all of these key steps be practised on an on-going basis; the idea is to sharpen the knife before it gets blunt.
Final point
Many salespeople assert that they perform better in a real life sales situation than they do in a practice situation; this is probably true. It follows therefore that if they can improve their performance at practice they will perform even better in real life, with even better results.
(The up-coming post for Monday 20/4 is What sets your business apart. It's about Positive Points of Difference.)
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
It's not just about price
Sometimes we can fall for the trap of believing that sales success is all about price - if we do this we overlook the other two Ps - product and person.
Sure, price is important but it's also important to get the product right. By this I mean that the product or service that we are offering must satisfy our customer's needs and wants - if it doesn't there will be no sale regardless of the price.
The person (in this case the salesperson) is also important. We all know salespeople who have that 'winning way' - they're not con-artists or crooks - they're simply genuine, honest, open, likeable people who demonstrate that they have their customer's needs in mind.
These salespeople don't have to haggle or discount to the bone - because people want to do business with them. Maybe we should follow their example.
(The up-coming post for Friday 17/4 is Practice makes perfect. It's about the importance of rehearsal for sales training to be effective.)
Sure, price is important but it's also important to get the product right. By this I mean that the product or service that we are offering must satisfy our customer's needs and wants - if it doesn't there will be no sale regardless of the price.
The person (in this case the salesperson) is also important. We all know salespeople who have that 'winning way' - they're not con-artists or crooks - they're simply genuine, honest, open, likeable people who demonstrate that they have their customer's needs in mind.
These salespeople don't have to haggle or discount to the bone - because people want to do business with them. Maybe we should follow their example.
(The up-coming post for Friday 17/4 is Practice makes perfect. It's about the importance of rehearsal for sales training to be effective.)
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