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Solutions
Sell Best, expert says
Appeared in the Dallas Morning News, March 9, 2003
by
Patricia V. Rivera
Sales professionals, now more than ever
before, don't have a second chance to make that first impression, said
consultant Maura Schreier-Fleming, president of Best@Selling.
"Not only do they not have a second chance,
but the pressure from above is on. They're hearing, 'We need to get
revenue on the books now, and the goals are set so that there is not a lot
of margin for error,'" said the Dallas businesswoman.
That's why it's vital that salespeople,
particularly in the business-to-business sector, learn to crystallize
their message. They must shorten their sales pitch so that customers
understand why they should buy now, she said.
"An option for the customer is always to do
nothing. They need to grasp the consequences right away," she
said.
Ms. Schreier-Fleming, a textile engineer and
former Chevron territory manager, said salespeople could improve their
techniques by thoroughly studying the needs of their clients. She
calls the approach consultative selling.
Once they understand the magnitude of their
problem, it's easier to present a solution.
But rather than learn about a customer during
the sales call, she urges salespeople to prepare before the meeting by
reading the client's annual report or checking out the company Web site.
The next step is to find out what challenges the client is
facing.
If lack of performance skills is the problem,
for example, the consequences could be down-time, higher employee costs
from turnover, lost sales or customer dissatisfaction. Then go in with a
proposed solution so the customer feels a sense of urgency.
"When things are going well, customers see no
need to change, so a sale is less likely to occur," she said.
Business-to-business sales nowadays require a
value-driven message, which will be better received at higher levels in an
organization.
She says sales professionals should always
try to sell at the highest management level. "Remember, the higher you
sell, the better prepared you must be with knowledge about your customer
and the value of your solution," she added.
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