Chapter 9: Making the Sales Call

Baylon, JeanHernandez, BabylynNiu, Reimond

Objectives

To be able to know how to make a sales call

To be able to know how to identify the prospect’s needs by asking questions

To be able to make the what is to be offered or what is being offered as the solution to the problem by offering its value.

To be able to know how to build credibility during the call

To be able to know how to sell to groups.

Making the Sales Call

We will discuss how to make the actual sales call.

Making a good impression

Identifying or reiterating needs

Offering the solution to the buyer’s needs

Credibility and trust

Assessing the buyer’s reactions

and making adjustments

Adjusting

Essential Elements of the Sales Call

Making a Good Impression

This section discusses how salespeople can manage the buyer’s impression of the, a process often termed impression management.

Waiting for the Prospect

Being on time for a schedule sales call is critical to avoid giving the buyer a negative impression.

Very First Impression

Making a favorable first impression usually results in a prospect who is willing to listen. A negative first impression, on the other hand, sets up a barrier that may never be hurdled.

Selecting a Seat

When selecting a seat, it is a good idea to look around and start to identify the prospect’s social style and status.

Getting the Customer’s Attention

Getting the customer’s attention is not a new concept. It is also the goal of many other activity you are familiar with, such as advertising, making new friends, writing an English composition, giving a speech, or writing a letter to a friend.

Developing Rapport

Rapport in selling is a close, harmonious relationship founded on mutual trust.

When Things Go Wrong

The best line of defense when something goes wrong is to maintain proper perspective and a sense of humor.

Identifying the Prospect’s Needs: The Power of Asking Questions

If the buyer gives permission, the salesperson then begins to ask questions about the buyer’s needs.

The experienced salesperson, however, attempts to uncover the prospect’s needs and problems at the start of the relationship.

There is an underlying reason for every customer need, and the salesperson must continue probing until he or she uncovers the root problem or need.

This process could be called “discovering the root cause of the need.”

Asking Open and Closed Questions

In the first method off needs discovery, salespeople are taught to distinguish between open and closed questions and ten encouraged utilizing more open questions.

Open Questions

Require the prospect to go beyond a simple yes-or-no response. They encourage the prospect to open up and share a great deal of useful information.

Closed questions

Require the prospect to simply answer yes or no to offer a short, fill-in-the-blank type of response.

SPIN® Technique

SPIN®: situation questions, problem questions, implication questions and need payoff questions.

SPIN actually helps the prospect identify unrecognized problem areas.

Situation Questions

Early in the sales call, salespeople ask situation questions, general data-gathering questions about background and current facts.

Problem Questions

When salespeople ask about specific difficulties, problems, or dissatisfactions the prospect has, they are asking problem questions.

Implication Questions

Questions that logically follow one or more problem questions and are designed to help the prospect recognize the true ramifications of the problem are implication questions.

Need payoff Questions

When salespeople ask questions about the usefulness of solving a problem, they are asking need payoff questions.

Reiterating Needs You Identified Before the

Meeting

Additional Considerations

• Time• Confidentiality • Buyers do not know the

answers

Developing a Strategy for the Presentation

Offering Value: The Solution to The Buyer’s Needs

Is the way which specific features will help a particular buyer and is tried directly to the buying motives of the prospect.

Is a quality or characteristic of the product or service.

FEATURESBENEFITS

RELATING FEATURES TO BENEFITS

EXAMPLE OF FEATURES AND BENEFITS

FEATURES BENEFITS

FEATURES

BENEFITS

ADVANTAGE

Salespeople discuss features, advantage (why that feature would be important to anyone), and benefits.

FAB

Tested

FEATURES

BENEFITS

EVIDENCE

AGREEMENT

(Features, evidence, benefits and agreement), Salespeople mention the feature, provide evidence that the feature actually does exist, explain the benefits (why that feature is important to the buyer) and then ask whether the buyer agrees with the value of the feature and benefit.

FEBA

ASSESSING REACTION

VERBAL PROBING –

How does this sound to you?Can you see how those features

help solve the problem you have?Have I clearly explained our program to you?

Do you have question?

ASSESSING REACTION

Probing may show that the prospect is uninterested in what the salesperson is talking about.

probing question helps to achieve several things.

Probing lets the salesperson see whether the buyer is listening and understand what is being said.

It allows the salesperson to stop talking and encourage two way communication

SELECTIVE PERCEPTION

Often we hear only what we want to hear, and everyone is guilty of it at times.

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

Salespeople need to continually adapt the situation at hand. Other adjustment might require collecting additional information about the prospect, developing a new sales strategy, or altering the style of presentation.

BUILDING CREDIBILITY DURING THE CALL

CREDIBILITY – That is he or she must be believable and reliable.

HOW TO BUILD CREDIBILITY

Salesperson should clearly delineate the time she or he thinks the call will take and then stop when the time is up.

HOW TO BUILD CREDIBILITY

• Avoid making statement that does not have the ring of truth to them.

• Offer concrete evidence to back up verbal statement.

HOW TO BUILD CREDIBILITY

Balance Presentation – Shows all sides of the situation – that is to be honest.Recognizing sub cultural differences.

A seller should never use a word if he or she doesn’t know the exact definition.

SELLING TO GROUPS• It is important to

develop not only objectives for the meeting but also objectives for what the seller hopes to accomplish with each prospect present at the meeting.

• Must gather information about the needs and concerns of each individual who will attend.

SELLING TO GROUPS• Ego – involved

audience member perceives the subject matter to be important to his or her own well being.

• Issue – involved – Person considers the subject important even though it may not affect him or her personally.

Expect many more objections and interruptions.If the group members decide that the meeting is over, the salesperson should not try to hold them.Most things you have learned about selling to individual apply equally to groups.You should learn the names of group members and use them appropriate.You should listen carefully and observe all non verbal cues.