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June 12 - June 12, 2019
1. Client issues addressed 2. Offerings 3. Differentiators
Customer pains we remove Client problems we solve Opportunities we help customers capture Results we achieve for clients Offerings, our second building block, simply state what we sell (emphasis on simply). Our offerings are what we do—the services, solutions, or products for which we bill customers. Differentiators, the third building block, explain why we are better and different from other alternatives. This final building block provides solid reasons why we are the best choice to address the client’s issues, as listed in the first section of the story.
When we lead with client issues, we get a prospect’s attention fast. We’re talking about what’s likely on the other person’s mind. We also set ourselves up as problem solvers.
ask probing questions
Instead, we’re seen as experts with solutions positioned to open a dialogue about the issues on the prospect’s mind.
If nothing is wrong or in need of improvement, why bother? Businesses and people don’t change direction for no reason. If we take our best shot describing the reasons our customers turned to us and can’t get a reaction or interest from the buyer, then the sales conversation is pretty much over. No Issues = No Sale.
“The Power Statement”
THE NEW ELEVATOR PITCH
Once complete, the power statement serves as a one-page, two- to three-minute encapsulation of our sales story.
Why do advisors turn to us... do activity
(Your Company Name) continues to grow (or dominate our space) because we are very different from what you will find in the marketplace . . .
What else struck you about the client issues section of the power statement? Isn’t it interesting that there’s not one single thing about Allsafe? Not one word about what Allsafe does or how the great the company is. Every single syllable is focused on issues that matter deeply to the prospective customer.
My power statement does exactly what I need it to. It gives me confidence to talk with anyone about what I do.
Ask yourself these questions to figure out the top client issues you solve
transitional phrase: “X type of companies or Y type of contacts turn to Your Company Name when looking to . . .” or “They look to us when facing. . . .” Make an effort to incorporate compelling, emotional, or provocative words or phrases to describe your client’s experience.
Need to write an introductory letter to a prospect? Grab the power statement and trim off just a touch of the fat. Put a salutation at the top, follow the same progression (a headline followed by client issues addressed, then the offerings, wrapped up by differentiators), and close the letter by letting the prospect know you would love to visit with the company, to see if you might be a fit to help with some of these very issues.
We serve logistics managers (or another appropriate contact position) who are telling us they’re facing Issue No. 1, which requires immediate attention, or they are working to solve Issue No. 2, which if not addressed is causing Issue No. 3. I might choose to include an offering or two and possibly one differentiator, but I would stop there in an e-mail. You
EMAIL CAMPAIGN
open-ended, issue-seeking questions:
USE THESE OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS
improved sales story to communicate value and differentiation to customers. The power statement provides a way to articulate the meaningful reasons (other than price and availability)
“We are ridiculously easy to work with, from instant account setup to low minimums. We’re looking for long-term relationships, not just orders.
Once you have your power statement nailed, how do envision yourself using it?
Not just prospects, share with others and clients for feedback
Our calls should be logically structured, and we absolutely should have several key talking points scripted verbatim. Consistency matters. How can we judge what’s working and what’s not if we change the flow or make up new lines with every call?
Remember the framework: Select targets. Create and deploy weapons. Plan and execute the attack. Selecting targets is first for a reason: If we’re proactively calling target accounts, the decision has already been made that we want to see them face-to-face. We put that account on our list for good strategic reasons. Let’s not rethink that decision on the fly during a first phone call to that prospect. Therefore, the only logical objective for an outside salesperson’s call is to score the appointment.
“Hi, Fred. It’s Mike Weinberg with The New Sales Coach. Let me steal a minute.”
Can I steal a minute or two of your time ?
I recommend letting the prospect go, telling (not asking) the person that you’ll call back another time, and scoring the points for being human.
“I head up . . .” is the next phrase out of my mouth.
I am on a team that heads up our advisor relationships in nc sc and ga
This is the place to surgically insert a finely tuned, miniature version of that fantastic power statement we created in the previous chapter.
grabbing your two favorite “client
issues” bullets (from the pains removed, problems solved, opportunities captured, results achieved section). I like to pick one that’s unique and provocative, and another that’s broad and likely applicable to almost any prospect on your list. You may also want to select one differentiator from that section of the power statement. But that’s the limit: two client issues and one differentiator. Any more would take too long to say and we’d sound as if we were reading a script.
For the Inside Rep: Build a Bridge
“I’d like to visit with you . . .” or “Would you have thirty minutes to visit with me next Tuesday or Wednesday?”
“Let’s get together to see if we might be a fit to help you . . .”
“We’ll review your current situation and see if we can bring some value to what you’re doing . . .”
“Judy, I understand that you’re [insert her objection here]. Visit with me anyway. I promise you’ll get value and ideas from our time together, even if we end up not being a fit to help you.”
Add a touch of variety using a different snippet of your sales story with each message.
Issue and differentor diffeRent for dif vmails
Prospects don’t respond to robots going through the motions. They’re much more likely to respond to a fellow member of humanity who has a great story and is making a supreme effort to pique their interest.
“I hope by now I’ve earned a callback based on perseverance alone.”
“Tell me about the people we are meeting. Why do they think we are here today and what are they expecting? What is a win for us?”
One of my sales laws is that discovery always precedes presentation.
Consultative sales professionals gather information, connect with the prospect, and begin building a relationship before presenting solutions.
God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason, and that’s the percent you should use them.
But what if your prospects sensed that you were on their side of the table?
Why do most people choose to sit on opposite sides of the table during a sales call? That doesn’t make sense.
The Phases of a Winning Sales Call There are seven phases for the call with a prospect and eight for an existing customer. 1. Build rapport and identify the buyer’s style. 2. Share the agenda (get buy-in, seek input). 3. Clean up their issues (only with existing customers). 4. Deliver the power statement (three minutes maximum). 5. Ask probing questions (also known as discovery). 6. Sell. 7. Determine the fit and seek out objections.
8. Define and schedule the next steps.
I mean that you can potentially talk about the day’s news headline, or last night’s sports team victory, or you can mention something intriguing from the prospect’s LinkedIn profile.
The other objective of spending time to build rapport is to figure out who you have in front of you.
Smile to make the happy buyer feel good. Speed up and push hard with the hard-charger. Slow down and be ready to provide details for the analytical type. Some trainers use the term “mirroring” to describe the methodology of copying the buyer’s style.
Share the Agenda and Set up the Call This is the most important phase of the sales call. Sharing
you respect the time the prospect has allotted to you.
After laying out your plan for the meeting,
