Before we talk about what does work, let’s discuss a few things that don’t work as well.  Logic suggests that if we simply tell a prospect about our product or service they may want to buy it.  At some level we must believe this because we often behave that way.  Oddly enough, however, unless you just happen to be sharing that information with someone who is acutely aware of the magnitude of the problem they are trying to solve, it usually doesn’t have the impact we would like it to.  As a matter of fact, it may give rise to concerns and objections because the buyer doesn’t understand why they would need everything your product offers.

In Sales Mastery we teach a methodical approach to asking questions and probing on needs to fully identify and understand the full impact of each need.  We emphasize the importance of staying on the problem, Implication, and Value questions to fully understand the problem and its implications and costs.  These are where “horror stories” come to light and provide you with great material for your presentation.  Furthermore, this process of verbalizing these issues makes it real to the prospect and gets them to say what they most need to hear.

When it is time to finally present your solution, the “horror story” provides the punch and impact that separates you from your competition.

Example

One sales person might learn that they need a system that is “faster” than what they have had.  That rep can cite the specs that indicate the superiority in speed their system offers.  On the other hand, the other rep may find out the same thing-that they want a faster unit.  With additional questions, will find out the reason behind why that matters.  In this case, the lack of speed is costing the business $X per day in overtime to produce the required number of units.  These overruns in the budget are threatening the division’s performance against their goal which could cost them bonus money.

Whose presentation will have more impact, the generic, superficial first case, or the detailed, specific and high-impact second example?  Business in general, and selling specifically become easier and more meaningful when BOTH parties fully understand the problems that are being addressed and why.

A tool that we teach in The Principles of Sales Mastery that is absolutely “killer” for learning listening and asking better and more relevant “problem” questions is that of Piggy-Back Questions.  Additionally, these type of questions draw out the real motivating factors for why a buyer is looking for a solution.  The answers to these questions are revealing to both parties and motivating to the buyer.  These questions are amazingly effective when it comes to getting prospects real needs on the table. They also force you to listen more effectively for anything that sounds like a need or dissatisfaction.

The way a Piggy-Back Question works is the following:        

Example:

Sales:             What are you looking for in your next system?

Prospect:       We need something that is fast and easier to use.

Sales:               Help me understand your interest in a “faster” system.  What kind of speed have you been getting with your present system?

In this example, the sales person could have chosen either “fast” or “easier to use” to apply the Piggy-Back Question.  The best will explore each and develop more dissatisfaction with what they are currently getting in both.  This is what educates and motivates buyers about their own needs.

We get very little face to face time with customers.  How do you make the most of that time particularly early in the sales process when establishing rapport and credibility are so important and often become the reason a prospect chooses you or another supplier?

As we teach in Sales Mastery, the process matters.  Making the most of your face to face time is an outcome of your behaviors.  Here are some critical behaviors and skills we need to constantly remind ourselves of and practice if we are to master them.

Go practice these three essential skills this week.    Anyone can master this given enough time and attention.  Let me know what happens!

Think about it.  Manufacturing, Engineering, and Sales all have clear cut metrics.  Build or design this for this many dollars.  Meet this particular deadline for first customer shipment.  Hit this quota.  Marketing, on the other hand continues to struggle with establishing its value and its real cost.

A new age is dawning for marketing, however.  With the rapid adoption of marketing automation there is a new visibility to marketings unique contributions and impact on the organizations ability to attract and convert more customers.  These software programs allow marketers and executives to begin to measure-everything.  While this is instructive and helpful on many levels, it does not solve the real problem, however, which is to make marketing more effective and accountable for the one thing everyone in the company should care about- revenue.

A recent survey done by Act On, a vendor of marketing automation software, illustrated that up to 40% of those companies surveyed that had purchased marketing automation were unsatisfied with it.  This is not a big endorsement of the investment. They go on to probe for the underlying reasons for their dissatisfaction and it is there that the underlying reasons were revealed.

Apparently, purchasing a tool doesn’t necessarily solve the problem.  People are still important to the execution of this new method of marketing and people do not have the skills and competencies to do this without learning and practice.

You see, marketing automation allows marketers to digitally dialogue with the many – as often as they wish.  It allows this ongoing dialogue to take place in a highly monitored environment where the effectiveness of this dialogue can be measured and the “digital body language” of the customer can be observed.  This is amazing, is it not?

However, just as in any effective business encounter, the value of this to the customer is measured in how meaningful it is to them, not you.  Marketers are not prepared, as a rule, to do this well.  Nor are they prepared for the frequency with which they need to do it in order to keep prospects engaged over time. This is different from coming up with one direct mail piece that is “one and done”, or preparing to attend a trade show.  This is a daily set of activities.  It is a daily practice of developing, finding, or planning meaningful content.  Campaigning, measuring, refining, and campaigning some more. Analyzing what is currently happening, based on the metrics available to you that illustrate what your audience wants more of and less of from you based on what they are clicking to, downloading, spending time on, or ignoring.

Performance Factor brings over 30 years of sales, technical, and marketing experience to help transition your people so that your investment in this tool is realized-fully.  We do this through showing how it is done and teaching your people how to do it.  We call these learnings Success Behaviors.  It is the secret sauce to transforming your marketing department from a cost center to a revenue center. In a recent engagement with a client we were able to reduce their cost per name (lead) significantly and increase their working pipeline by nearly 30%.  Additionally, we able to provide them with the training and guidance to continue the work without us.  This was accomplished in 90 days.