Sssdirect.com - "...what Makes You Better?"
Sales people are frequently confronted by this question on sales calls, along with some others like "why should I buy from you/your company?" or "what makes you different?". In fact, as identified in my last post, they have probably spent a lot of time at "Product Knowledge U" learning exactly how to answer these questions. In reality, answering questions like these usually end up putting you on the defensive and will not give you the advantage you are hoping for.Think about it for a minute... if you answer that question you immediately sound like all of the sales people that have come before you, as well as those who will follow you. By answering the question you create "sameness" and a belief in the mind of the prospect that you are just like everyone else. You must also consider that everything you say will be considered as "sales fodder" and is often listened to with skepticism and from an "oh sure" perspective.
Obviously, there are many different situations in which this questions can be asked. Are they currently buying this product from someone else. Is this a product they have bought in the past, or is it a product they have never bought? Knowing which situation you are in will help you determine how best to proceed. Rather than answer the question, you might want to say "I'd be happy to tell you but I'm curious, is this a product that you have used in the past or are currently buying?". Their answer will be a valuable piece of information from which we can plan our next question.
If they are currently using or have had past experience, it would make a lot more sense to find out what they have used in the past. If they are looking to make a change "what would they like to see different?" This is a questions that would get us information that would begin to form our offer, or identify that we don't have what they want. Remember too, if they are not buying or have not used before, giving away your information can now become a shopping list that will allow them to compare you to the competition and "commoditize" your offer.
Not always, but often times the best answer to a question is another question. By not answering the question but rather asking:
"Was there something that you were hoping would be better?", or
"if we could offer something different or better what were you hoping for?"
With these questions you end up with the chance of finding out exactly what they are looking for and can craft your response based on the feedback you get.
It takes some courage and emotional control to respond this way but you'll find it will put you in an entirely different light with your prospect. Stop answering "what makes you better" and you'll get better information that will help you make more sales!
Tags: Sales, Training, Web-hosting
"stop Educating Your Prospect!"
Companies spend thousands of dollars every year building product knowledge "Universities". They send their sales people to these product schools to learn the features and benefits of their products. They have them go through the process of becom
Your Prospect's Particulars: Persuasion Continuums
I heard a joke recently that I thought was pretty funny. 'I have the idea that one person's dream is another person's nightmare. For example, it's my dream to sleep with Cindy Crawford. I'll bet you anything that would be her nightmare.' We're all differ
Your Handbag Can Say A Lot About You
People always say that the manner or style in which you dress can say a lot about you. The entire outfit of a person from the apparel, fashion accessories and even the handbag can help other people tell on what type of person you are. You will discover s
Yakyu - Baseball In Japan
The popularity of the game baseball has crossed continents as far as the East Asian island of Japan. The exact date cannot be traced on when it really started as a sport in Japan, the estimated era that it got into the mentality of the Japanese was during
Writing Up Sizzling Sales Copy That Converts Even The Fussiest Prospects Into Customers
In this article we outline the key points that you MUST incorporate into every sales letter you wield. These four factors really will make or break your sales page. Then we'll discuss some hard-hitting sales letter tactics that I've used myself with explo
Wright And Mcgill Fly Girl Rods
Who says fly fishing is fit only for men? Women too could enjoy this exhilarating sport especially if a product from Brass Pro Shops comes into the picture. The freshwater fly rods from Brass Pro's Wright and McGill Fly Girl are constructed with women fly
World-class Home Staging Training From The Comfort Of Your Screen!
Thank goodness for the invention of the Internet, because quality and comprehensive home staging training is now a cinch! You need no long hours or even days away from loved ones in order to acquire the skills to become a highly sought-after home redecora
Why Sales People Lose Business
In my time as a sales director in the IT industry I spent a lot of time and effort trying to understand why we won and lost business, with most of the effort on the latter. In sales reviews, reading lost business reports and raking over the ashes with ex
Why Buy? How To Write Sales Copy That Sells
Sending the Right Message Online sales are not all together that different from brick-and-mortar sales. The bottom line is that you are still trying to convert shoppers into buyers. So while it's great to have great products, if your sales copy is ineffe
White River Fly Shop™ Fly Rods
A 179.99 US dollar Brass Pro Shops product may just be the answer to your entire fly fishing concerns. Brass Pro Shops is the perfect place to find any tool for an outdoor experience. They have a wide selection of products that cater to almost any outdoor
When Friendlies Attack
I like the way Abraham Lincoln said it best, "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" I don't know how many of you, my readers, have actual enemies,arch nemeses, foes or adversaries as these descriptions seem somewhat extre
What Your S.E.O. Strategist Won't Tell You
Maybe you own your own business, or perhaps you're a critical cog in the corporate machinery responsible for marketing your company, brand, product or service. If that describes you, here's eighteen things you need to know about Web-marketing but were afr
What To Look For In An SEO Training Course - Seven Important Qualities
A track record of SEO success - Obviously one quality you should look for is a track record of success over a period of time in search engine optimisation and search engine marketing. One quick way to check is to do a Google search on SEO training city,
What To Do When Customers Complain
The ability to manage customers is one defining factor that separates your average worker from someone with management potential. Regardless of how careful you plan to operate your business, customers will always complain. So what can you do to help meet
What's Missing From Your Network Marketing Business?
How many times have you been told it was possible to earn a full-time income in network marketing by sponsoring friends, family, neighbors, coworkers... your "warm market", only to find out that it wasn't true? If you're like 90% of network mar