No Programmer Advanced Sales Evolution University – August 14-16 th, 2013.

No Programmer

AdvancedSales

Evolution University – August 14-16th, 2013

Purchase Program

They have an incumbent uniform supplier

They have to deal with excess stock

They have a uniform budget

They have someone who runs the program

They have to figure out how to upgrade, deal with size changes, repairs, cleanliness issues, etc…

What is the definition of a No Programmer?

It is a Purchase Program a Programmer…why?

what are the difficulties in selling to No-Programmers?

What are the benefits to selling to No-Programmers?

What areas do you have to have an increased focus with no-programmers than prospects in existing rental programs?

Brainstorm

Selling No Programmers

What are the benefits?

Not as price consciousNo contracts No current vendorsObjections are easier to overcomeMore of a positive interactionMore fun!


What are the difficulties?More difficult to get appointmentsSelling concepts; NOT selling problemsHarder to train repsMust get to the top decision maker in the accountPre-call planning is even more critical


What areas do you have to have an increased focus with no-programmers than

prospects in existing rental programs?

Pre call planningSeedingExposing buying motives and business objectivesPainting the conceptual pictureBe creativeMake as many in-person 1st contacts as possible

What are the Differences Between Existing Renters and No Programmers

1) No-Programmer prospects often need to buy into the concept of a uniform program.

2) No-Programmers do not have any uniforms for you to inspect.

(Except Purchasers)3) No-Programmer decision maker is almost always the person

at the top.

4) No-Programmers often do not have knowledge of a uniform rental program.

Discussion

Differences Between Existing Renters and No Programmers

• 3) A NO PROGRAMMER DECISION MAKER IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE PERSON AT THE TOP.

• No-Programmer Decision maker tends to have INCREASED:

(a) Business Awareness(b) Sophistication

• A no-programmer prospect can more easily buy into the idea that a uniform program can help the business.

• The typical no programmer prospect is likely to be concerned with broader, future oriented business objectives. It’s these broader objectives that will drive a commitment to a uniform program.

• When you sell to a no programmer, you are asking them to change the way they do business. So you must engage their interest by relating a uniform program to important business objectives.

Key Concept

Pre-Call Planning

Why is Pre-call planning for No-programmers even more critical

than pre-call planning for existing renters?

Pre-Call Planning

Sales reps who are most effective in no programmer selling spend more time before the call than existing renter sales.

WHY?

The prospects business objectives are the key to the no programmer sale. If you aren’t prepared to talk about the real business objectives within the prospects company and within their industry, you probably won’t secure the sale.

Pre-Call Planning

In pre-call planning you must make assumptions at to what you think might be the prospects business objectives.

To build a mental image of the decision maker and their company what should

you ask yourself ?

Pre-Call Planning

What type of business is the prospect?

What are the key needs that always (or normally) exist in businesses like this one?

Are there any special industry wide concerns that are effecting most companies like the one you are considering?

What is the position of the person you are targeting for contact?

How will the prospect’s position affect their concerns, interests and perceived needs?

What is seeding?

To “seed” a prospect is to plant the idea that a uniform program can improve their business.

Why should we Seed?

Most no programmers haven’t thought about uniforms before.

If you call them cold the likelihood of getting an appointment is low.

They are bombarded with plenty of people calling them about different things.

Why should we Seed?

The most effective way to improve your odds of getting an appointment, and of selling the business once you get there:

(a) Catch their attention and, (b) establish the potential benefit of a uniform program before you talk with them.

The process for doing that is called SEEDING!!

Seeding Examples

A custom designed box containing a uniform shirt with an embroidered emblem featuring the prospect’s logo.

Logo mat sketch.

Direct embroidered garment to top decision maker.

What can we send to a prospect to get their attention?

What can Seeding do for you?

Seeding helps you set appointments !! Why?

Seeding can do two primary things for you.

1. Clarify the benefits of a uniform program which are likely vague at best.

2. Increase the likeliness that a business owner would want to invest their time in meeting with you.

Seeding Examples

Who should we Seed?

1. At minimum, seed target accounts.

2. Focus on SIC’s where we already do a lot of business. You have a good grasp of the in’s and out’s of these businesses. You know their common business issues.

3. Select businesses where image and identification are likely buying motives. In these businesses it’s easier for you to demonstrate the benefits of uniform rental.

When should we Seed ?

Seeding is a positive, aggressive, yet conservative selling strategy.

It’s not a fall back strategy!!

When should we seed?

Sales Reps, who are the most successful at No-Programmer selling, seed their prospects as a first contact strategy.

What happens when We Seed Properly

You can Generate Good Will.

The prospect is much more likely to feel good about you and about AmeriPride.

Double the number of Appointments

When reps use seeding as a first contact strategy, they get about twice the number of appointments as their counterparts who use cold telephoning as the first contact strategy.

2

1STAGE INTRODUCTION Greeting Objective

STAGE Business Investigation IDENTIFYING BUYING MOTIVES / BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

Determine the company’s buying motives Protection/Safety Recognition/Morale Advertising Image Security/ Identification Employee Benefits Determine the company’s short-term and long-term business objectives (advertising, growth, etc…) Do not use the word “uniform” – revolve the conversation around business rapport / objectives. Before presenting features – transition by determining: (1) decision making process, (2) what they know about uniforms: (positive / negative bias)

No Programmer Sales Process

STAGE PRESENT(1) Explain how a uniform program works in detail(2) Explain the benefits to the employer

Show samples to help them relate to their business objectives.Show how they have helped similar businesses using referencesUse 3rd party literature to reinforce benefits

(3) Explain the benefits to the employees(4) Position AmeriPride as their only logical choice.

4STAGE CLOSE Briefly Summarize Benefits Remind Customer of their Interest Show the Service Agreement Ask for Business Overcome customer objections. Close – Thank Customer for Business

3

No Programmer Sales Process

Stage 1 - Introduction

• Greeting

• Objective

PRACTICE

Stage 2 – Business Investigation Buying Motives & Business Objectives

• Determine Buying Motives

• PRAISE

• Determine the company’s short-term and long-term Business Objectives

• Don’t use “Uniform” in conversation

• Determine decision making process

• Determine Uniform Bias

What is a Buying Motive?

A buying motive is the Immediate, obvious benefit a prospect gets by adopting a uniform program. (Better image, easier identification)

However, a buying motive alone can sometimes seem superficial or vague or unconvincing to a no programmer prospect.

The unsupported Buying Motive by itself may not be sufficient to motivate a buying decision.

What are some examples of Buying Motives?

What is a Business Objective?

A business objective, on the other hand, is more concrete and more directly tied to the overall welfare of the business.

Business objectives are convincing because they are at the heart of the no programmer prospect’s concerns.

What are some examples of Business Objectives?

Buying Motives vs. Business Objectives

They are both motivating factors in the sale, but they are different from each

other. They also have different weights for your prospect.

• For instance:

Improved Image (A buying motive)

is important, but only because it may help to achieve deeper business objectives like:

IMPROVED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

(By appearing more professional and competent)


GAINING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE in the marketplace

(by distinguishing employees from competitors)

Is important, but only because it may help to achieve deeper business objectives like:

SELLING MORE BUSINESS more profitably

(By taking advantage of free advertising)

• A no programmer prospect usually buys because he or she is convinced that a uniform program will have what kind of effect on their business objectives?

POSITIVE EFFECT


Who’s job is it to make an explicit connection between the buying motive and the business objective ?

Sales Rep!!

Although it may seem that these connections are obvious, it’s important to make them explicit to your prospect.


• The connections are obvious to you because you deal with them all the time.

• Your prospect, though, doesn’t deal with them all the time.

• You can’t rely on a prospect who has never thought about uniforms before to make the connections for him or herself.


1) IDENTIFY BUYING MOTIVES

2) IDENTIFY BUSINESS

OBJECTIVES 3) SHOW HOW A UNIFORM PROGRAM

CAN MEET THOSE BUSINESS

OBJECTIVES

• In your pre call planning you identify an assumed buying motive. Likewise you make some assumptions about the prospect’s likely business objectives.

• Often you’ll be more confident of one motivating factor than the other. In many no programmer sales, for example, the prospect’s business objectives are much more obvious than the buying motive.

ex) Most small service businesses are very competitive. So retaining current customers, repeat business and selling new business are likely to be at the forefront of your prospect’s concerns.

Using What You Already Know

BUYING MOTIVE - Remember acronym: P R A I S E

What kinds of Questions do you ask?1. What kind of products do you make here?2. Who are your customers?3. How long have you been in business?4. How big is your market?5. Would you say this is a highly competitive business?6. Do you do any advertising?7. Do you have employees that come in contact with the

public?(Does all this sound familiar?)

These questions get the prospect talking about their favorite subject, the business. Often the answers can lead to a confirmation of your assumed buying motive.

How Do You Accomplish This?


BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

Determining business objectives usually requires questions with a narrower focus.

Based on the prospect’s answer to your general business questions you ask more focused, follow up questions that aim directly at specific issues to see how the prospect reacts.


What type of follow-up questions do you ask?

Where do you see this company in five years? Do you have any programs in place to improve

the quality of your process? How do you set yourselves apart form your

competitors?

Questions like these will allow you to zero in on the business objectives that are the most significant to your prospect.

No-Programmer Workshop

Break into small groups – 30 Minutes

A manufacturer of metal moldings for the automobile industry. An independent plant. 350 employees. Main customer is Ford Motor Company.

• From your pre call planning, what are the possible assumed buying motives?

• What are the assumed business objectives?• List a few general business questions to validate

buying motives.• Follow up with more specific questions to uncover

business objectives.

Validate the Decision Process

Validating the decision making process us usually pretty simple in no-programmer selling. Why?

You are typically talking to the senior person.

You do need to ask a couple of questions about the decision making process.

Validate the Decision Process

What Sample Questions could you ask? Who, besides yourself, is involved in making

decisions concerning new programs here at ABC Company?

Is this a union operation?

If you don’t know yet whether you’re in a competitive sales situation, you may want to explore that issue

“Are there any other steps in your decision making process besides the evaluation of my recommendation?”

Identify Positive or Negative Bias

Why do you need to identify a Decision Maker’s positive or negative bias

towards a uniform program?

Your prospect may have had a program at a previous company.

The current company may have had a program, then discontinued it for some reason.

In preparation for talking with you, the prospect may have done research by talking with other people who have a program.


In most cases your question about prior experience will also serve as your transition into the presentation.

Can someone give me an example?

“I now feel that I have a clear understanding of your companies priorities and objectives. Before we proceed, tell me what you know about uniform programs.”


If the prospect answers “Not much, really,” this

answer will lead you to believe that the prospect has NO BIAS

If NO BIAS you may now proceed to the presentation stage and thoroughly explain how a rental uniform program works with AmeriPride.


However…

If the prospect has had some experience with uniforms, or has some bias, you will have to dig a little deeper to find out the nature of that bias and it’s source.


If you get an answer like:

“Well, yes, I do know something about uniform programs. We had a program at ABC Company when I was there.”

What should you ask next?

“What was your perception of the uniform program?”

Identify Positive Bias

If the prospect has had a positive experience with uniforms, you are in a good position.

If the prospect responds to your question by saying:

“Actually, I do know something about uniform programs. I was General Manager of ABC Company. We used AmeriPride there for our service. It was a good investment and helped us get a lot of business.”

That is Positive Bias.

Identify Positive Bias

When you get a buying signal this strong, often you can go directly to the close. The transition may go something like:

“It sounds like you know the value of a uniform program. You know our reliability. Should we go ahead and work out the details to get your program started?”

Identify Negative Bias

If the prospect has negative bias, you’ll have to neutralize it before proceeding.

You need to neutralize the bias, otherwise the prospect won’t hear anything else you say about the benefits of a program.


The prospect may say something like:

“I worked at a company that had a program. The uniforms kept coming back torn or they had missing buttons or missing patches. It got to be a pain for everybody.”

This negative bias must be addressed in order to effectively tie uniforms to the prospects important business objectives.


TO NEUTRALIZE THE BIAS:

Treat the problem the same way you would treat it with an existing renter. Use it as an opportunity to introduce and highlight an AmeriPride advantage.

Once you neutralize the bias, then you can proceed with your presentation.

Probing: Uncovering Bias towards Uniform Programs

Positive Bias

Neutral Bias

NegativeBias

State and Review Customer’s Needs Remind Customer of their Commitments Test Close

The AMERIPRIDE Solution: Intro to Presentation Feature Brief (All non-need areas) Review the need Present the Solution (Feature & Benefits) Always tie it back to the Customer’s Need Test Close

Briefly Summarize BenefitsRemind Customer of their interestShow the Service AgreementAsk for BusinessOvercome customer objections Close – Thank Customer for Business

Explain how a uniform program works in detailExplain the benefits to the employer and the employees.Show samples to help them relate to the business objectives.Show how they have helped similar businesses using references.Present Business advantages that support the power of the need area within the Business Operation.Ask for Plant tour/Obtain Relevant Evidence (need)Show Mannequin with Garment, Emblem and Name Plate SampleGet Agreement/Test Close

Programmer Stage 3

No Programmer Stage 3

No Programmer Stage 4

Stage 3 - Present

• Explain how a uniform program works in detail

• Explain the benefits to the employer

• Explain the benefits to the employees

• Position AmeriPride as their only logical choice

Summarize the Benefits

BENEFITS TO THE EMPLOYER

• Improves Image to public …How?• Free advertising …How?• Creates Team Concept …How?• Improves Identification …How?• Safety- Uniforms can protect employees …

How?• Improves Sanitation in certain SIC’s …

How?


BENEFITS TO THE EMPLOYEE

• Time Savings …How?• Save Money …How?• Employee Morale …How?• Employee Protection …How?• Employee Safety …How?



• To make the benefits of a uniform program real to the prospect, you must re-visit the uncovered buying motives and business objectives.

• You should use third party examples to support your concept

No-Programmers

No-Programmers• THE WEINTRAUB STUDY

• • • A public study conducted by E. Weintraub & Associates on the perception of people in uniform concluded:• • • “Ease of recognition (97.4%) is the most universal and predictable reason for a company to consider outfitting their

employees in distinctive work apparel.”• • • “Professionalism (73%) In almost 3 out of 4 cases, it is public perception that the uniform wearer is more professional in

appearance and job function than his/her non-uniform counterpart.”• • • “In over 2 out of 3 cases (68.8%) The public perceives the uniform wearer to be more personally neat and well-groomed.”• • • “In almost 2 out of 3 cases (65.5%) The public perceives the uniform wearer as having personal pride, not only in his/her own

appearance but in the company they work for. They are part of a team and proud of it.”• • • “In almost 3 out of 5 cases (58.2%) The public perceives the uniform wearer as being better trained than his/her non-uniform

counterpart.”• • • “More companies than ever before are realizing the impact a positive image can have on their bottom line and

employee moral”



For example: “ I know exactly what you mean about the

giving your customers confidence. A lot of your competitors show up in t-shirts and jeans.

Surveys like the Weintraub Study as well as J.D. Power and Associates have shown that people place a lot of importance on the appearance of the people they do business with.”


BENEFITS TO THE EMPLOYERAnother example: “I understand how important your advertising

dollar is to the long-term growth of your business.

The employees at Wiz’s Electric down the street have increased their repeat and referral business substantially since implementing an Ameripride uniform program for their employees.



By explaining the benefits to the employee, you’re meeting an expectation that you set up with the original seed piece.

You are explaining how the prospect can have all the benefits you’ve offered at little or no cost (or shared cost) to the prospect.

You’re making the decision to establish a uniform program a painless decision.



An example: Time Savings

“Most working people, and their spouses welcome the opportunity to off-load the chore of cleaning and maintaining their work clothes.”



An example: Cost Savings

“It is less expensive for us to provide and maintain uniforms than it is for people to buy and maintain their own. Our research shows that it costs $11 dollars per week for workers to buy and maintain their own work clothes.”



An example: Perceived Benefit

“The employee will perceive the program as a benefit of employment, even if the employee pays the cost. The ability to shop at work with our catalog is another perceived benefit.”

This point is an appropriate time to present samples you may have brought for the prospect.


CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

You should always ask a question or two to make sure that the prospect is not lost.

“Do you think this makes sense?” “Do you agree?’ “Do you have anymore questions?”


CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

The response to those questions will tell you whether you can go to the close or whether the prospect still has questions.

You must gain agreement before proceeding. Without agreement you risk losing the sale!


MAKE PROSPECT COMFORTABLE WITH AMERIPRIDE

No programmers have two kinds of

commitment. What are they ?

First they must commit to a uniform program.

Second, the must commit to AmeriPride as their vendor. If you do this well enough, you can avoid a lot of competitive situations.


MAKE PROSPECT COMFORTABLE WITH AMERIPRIDE

Your goal is to have the prospect understand

that “we have done this before and we are the best company for the job.”

“We are based in Minneapolis, MN… We have been in this business for 124 years… We manufacture our own products… We provide uniform programs to many of your neighbors.”

Stage 4 - Close

• Summarize Benefits

• Remind the Customer of their Interest

• Show the service agreement

• Ask for Business

• Overcome Objections

• Close

Trial Close

• The technique for closing is similar to that of the existing renter.

• The main difference is that in No- Programmer closing you summarize how an AmeriPride Uniform program will help achieve their business objectives. Remind the prospect of the benefits to themselves and their employees.

• Ask for the business!

Overcome Objections

Handling Objections

What would be the most common “No-Programmer” objections?

“My guys won’t go for it.” “That’s interesting. I’d like to think about it

for a while.” “Thanks for coming by. I only need to get 1

more bid.” “Sounds good ,but we don’t have the

budget for this expense.”

Overcome Objections

Handling Objections

Use the same 4 steps as the existing renter sales:

1. Identify Objection (Acknowledge)

2. Clarify

3. Isolate and restate

4. Resolve / Close

Overcome Objections

Handling Objections

The beauty of no programmer sales is that even if you can’t overcome objections in the traditional way, there are techniques to keep the sale alive.

Overcome Objections

For example:

No Money or Costs too Much: Offer Split paid program or employee paid program. Offer lease program.

Guys Won’t Go For it: Offer employee survey cards or conduct a meeting in front of employees to explain program. Put 1 man in uniform in a trial program.

Overcome Objections

Worried about liability if employee leaves: Offer Employee Enrollment Form for employee to sign. Company can charge insurance to employee over rental charges.

Want to get 1 more bid: Offer trial program for 1 employee in uniform to test our service.

Close the Business!!

Final step in overcoming objections….

ASK FOR THE BUSINESS!!

No Programmer Advanced Sales Evolution University – August 14-16 th, 2013.

Documents

Transcript of No Programmer Advanced Sales Evolution University – August 14-16 th, 2013.