Presenting Solutions [Sales Process Part 6 of 9]

The part of the sales process that people think of as ‘selling’ is the step where you present solutions to meet your prospect’s needs. This is what we’ll look at in this video.
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Sales and Selling Skills
This video is part of course module 8.4.1
Program 8: Managing Customers and Clients
Course 4: Sales / Selling Skills
Section 1: The Sales Process
Other videos that describe the Sales Process:
The Sales Process https://youtu.be/iPZNem-Xguw
Sales Prospecting https://youtu.be/m7bQ4wNeZmo
Pre-Sales Activities https://youtu.be/lEBsFG_jqnU
Rapport Building https://youtu.be/aJqduxW2MA4
Opening the Sales Meeting https://youtu.be/gjI7e-DBPH4
Diagnosing the Need https://youtu.be/pAsYVf4E3to
Handling Objections https://youtu.be/S6JFm46Gfso
Seeking Commitment https://youtu.be/1D1-VC9Ccjk
After Sales Activities https://youtu.be/3qrrlXwDjJI
LESSON NOTES
The three steps to presenting a solution are:
• Matching to need
• Offering choice
• Demonstrating capability and benefits
Matching to need
Show that you understand their needs.
What approach do you propose, and what are the work to be done, timing, equipment, materials, staffing implications, and costs?
When you present your solutions, you must do so clearly and plainly.
Offering choice
If possible, offer your prospect a choice. Even if you have one, strongly preferred, recommendation. Better yet, two alternatives to your main option.
Pricing is always a concern. You will be tempted to try to defend the price. Instead, demonstrate the value the solution delivers
Use the plus, minus, times, divide formula to help you:
• Plus: You get this… plus you also get…
• Minus: You save this and reduce that
• Times: you can multiply advantage, sales, efficiency…
• Divide: spread payments, share costs, apportion to
Demonstrating capability and benefits
Features and Benefits
Features are important. They are the characteristics of your product or service. But prospects make buying decisions on their perception of the benefits those features will deliver to them.
Answer your prospect’s silent question: ‘what’s in it for me?’
Differentiation
Another silent question is ‘why should I buy from you?’
For each solution you offer, have at least one Unique Selling Point or USP.
So what?
The third silent question your prospect will need an answer to is ‘so what?’ Be sure to get your answer in, before they have to ask this question out loud.
Credibility
The final silent question you need to answer is ‘can I feel confident if I make this choice?’ Two things will make a difference here. For the more analytical buyers, it's facts, data, and specifications. For others, it's testimonials, case studies, and other third-party validation.
RECOMMENDED EXERCISE
1. Understand the features and benefits of your products or services (2 MC CPD Points)
2. What are the USPs of your products or services (2 MC CPD Points)
3. What is the answer to 'so what?' for your products or services (2 MC CPD Points)
4. How will you demonstrate the credibility of your products or services (2 MC CPD Points)
DOWNLOADS
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Management Courses Onboarding Kit - https://gum.co/MC-ObK ($3)
RECOMMENDED READING
There are many books that introduce sales and selling. These are the ones I have, and can recommend:
To Sell Is Human https://geni.us/L2EQmt
The Only Sales Guide You'll Ever Need https://geni.us/AEAVD5
The New Strategic Selling https://geni.us/Zt2Z9n3
SPIN Selling https://geni.us/Ir5xu
The Psychology of Selling https://geni.us/AjR8AA
Links to our book recommendations are affiliated through Amazon and help support our free videos
Managers Need a Basic set of kit to do your job well. Here are my top recommendations: https://kit.co/MikeClayton/manager-s-work-kit (the links are affiliated)
MANAGEMENT COURSES CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) POINTS
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Each video has two levels of MC CPD points. For this video:
- If you simply watched the video, record 3 MC CPD points
- If you also carried out all of the recommended exercises, score a total of 11 MC CPD points
CHAPTER MARKERS
00:00 - The ‘proper’ selling step of the 9-step sales process
00:20 - Three steps to presenting a solution
00:43 - Matching to Needs
01:51 - Overcome the ‘curse of knowledge’
02:59 - Minimize cognitive effort
03:43 - Offering Choice
04:59 - Pricing
05:25 - Plus - Minus - Times - Divide
06:19 - Demonstrating Capabilities and Benefits
06:33 - Features vs Benefits
07:37 - Differentiation and USP
08:30 - So what?
08:56 - Credibility
#PresentingSolutions #Sales #SalesProcess