Hi people! I'm a salesperson in a multimedia company selling solutions both traditional and elearning soltuions. Most of the time of course we need to work on our introduction in every call we make, I'd like to seek for your help on some effective opening questions you usually use to encourage your customer to give you a few minutes of their time to introduce the product you are selling.

Your inputs are very much appreciated.

excon

Hello r:

I dunno. I was in business for lots of years. I never needed a "solution". I needed cleaning supplies. I needed employees. I needed fixtures. I needed product.

Now, I MIGHT have needed a solution, if I understood what a solution IS. So, my suggestion is that you define "solution" a little better, and put it into simpler words.

It's also possible that the people you're selling to, inherently understand what you're talking about.... But, I'll bet not.

I ran a company that provided "solutions" to the convenience store industry. It was actually a security system. I never called it a solution, although it absolutely was.

excon

tickle

Cardinal rule of sales is, never ask a question that can be answered with a direct NO. Once you get around that in your opening comments while introducing your service or product, then you can set the tone for a positive sales pitch.

tick

reddraco77

sorry excon for an incomplete information...

thanks tickle for the tip..

Stringer

Absolutely.

Mortalsfool

For many years I designed presentations. Many of them were for what we called ‘blind leads’; meaning the prospect had no idea what our product was. If the prospect knows what your product is before your approach, it’s much easier.

My success was due to the way I designed them. All presentations are designed from the back end, and worked forwards to the opening greeting. Since we already know every objection or stall that can enter the prospects mind, we design the words and actions to eliminate the obstacles before the prospect is even aware of their existence. We have the advantage of know the end from the beginning, and there is literally nothing that can’t be overcome when the right words are used.

The trick is knowing what you want to eliminate from the prospects mind — before he is aware. Since we already know what he can think, we address these issue at a time when it’s not noticed.

The precise use of words will accomplish anything you design them to do. It’s sort of like making your real address to the person inside them, the one that’s grasping to find a way to stop your presentation. Since they’re unaware of where you’re going with your pitch they’re rendered unable to find the words to stop you.

If you’d like, I’ll email a couple of engineered pitches, where the prospect has all options, other then listening, removed from his decision making processes. I call it ‘engineered’, because every word is designed to cause very specific results. I hate to use the word ‘pitches’ and ‘manipulation’ because they can have negative connotations, but it is what it is, manipulative.

Email address:

Stringer

HI Mortalsfool,

I would appreciate it if you would post your 'engineered' presentations here for all of us to see. If they are not exceptionally long, however some desert would be filling.

Thank you,

Stringer

Mortalsfool

Here is part of an article where I address a hard problem for a salesman to get over. My point is the designed words. My articles are over a thousand words. I don't know if that's too long for this site.


The following is an example that involves the selling of a water treatment devise:

Let's envision that we are visiting a prospect that has purchased a simple treatment device, say, a sink filter, or some piece of equipment that we want to show won’t provide the same benefits as our product. In other words, at this point they are still regarded as a potential customer. Any salesman knows how to tell them their choice was not what ‘we’ would have recommended. Herein lies the risk, each of us would devise a statement that may or may not convince the prospect we are right and he was wrong. Unfortunately it is not to our benefit if the prospect thinks he heard us imply that he was ‘dumb’ in his choice. Especially if the spouse is listening.

Each time we ‘wing it’, we are placing ourselves in a position of chance. By chance, I mean, the next words of the customer, the attitude of the customer, and his response, are not under our control. You will in a sense be casting your die, and waiting to see where the prospects head will take you. You will in effect be basing your income on the chance that the prospect will deduce on his own what is best for him.

Here is a ‘planned’ statement designed for the above situation.

“Mr._________, it’s good to see that you’ve taken some precaution against these problems all of us face. At least you folks are aware of the health concerns! ---most people have no idea these problems even exist. Here! [going to kit or book]--- I’ll show you something that the public is not even aware of-----I’m sure you will find it interesting!”

Using these 56 easily spoken words we will have accomplished the following:

1. ‘it’s good---’ Gives a compliment! People draw a compliment to themselves when one is given.

2. ‘you have taken ‘some’ precaution---’ the word ‘some’ allows me, without saying it, to tell him he has not done the whole job---it being said without putting him down and he will not notice it

3. ‘problems all of us face---’ phrase reinforces an awareness of the problem that first concerned him and prompted his original purchase — and it is common to -- all of us

4. ‘ At least you folks are aware-----’ a compliment setting them above the ‘un-aware.’
a. ‘health concerns’ gives them credit for an awareness they may not have had. Possibly they purchased what they had for aesthetic purposes. Credit for doing good is hard for them to refuse.

5. ‘most people--------’ sets them up for the next sentence— he won’t want to be in that group [unaware people]

6. 'Here! ' ---this is an interruption stopper— designed to stop the prospect from responding— allowing the smooth transition to opening the demo kit

7. ‘I’ll show you something---’ Setting up for a demo—mystery— no elaboration— people love mysteries. If they don’t give you a hard stop, you are free to proceed.

8. ‘public is not ‘even’ aware of--’ I am going to make them privy to information that is not common. I have also gently placed him below me in product knowledge. He knows, he is ‘the public.’ He also knows that he can only claim the public’s knowledge. He will not question my position as an authority on his problems.

9. ‘you’ll find it interesting!’ Is a motivating statement used while opening the test kit.
It is now hard for the prospect to say I’m not interested’. After all, it was for being interested and concernedin the first place that the complement was given to, and absorbed by him. [1 &5]

CLASS EXERCISE
1. List all the possible mind-sets that the prospect can be expected to hold prior to you initiating the sales presentation [Satisfied, disappointed, skeptical, concerned, hurried, ECT.]
2 Discuss the specific planned order of phrases, the steps, and the reasons for their particular place in the order.
3. Show the predictable results that occur in a deviation from the engineered formula, and why.
4. Explain what the natural tendencies of the undisciplined salesman are, that lead to an undisciplined presentation.
5. Discuss the justifications that a salesperson can argue against the use of ‘planned’ presentations.
6. Show the inadequacy of ‘winging it’. Try some off the cuff’ responses and see if they cover all the points.
7. Discuss the control points that stop the prospect from acting in a way counter to the desired response.

READ A THOUSAND BOOKS ON SELLING AND FAIL, OR READ ONE
AND DO EVERYTHING IT SAYS AND SUCCEED

Stringer

Thank you, it has good 'flow' and purpose.