sales & marketing front

Enthusiam
It's contagious and can lead to more sales and higher profits.

by John Dearden

As with any new endeavor it is always good to start with baby steps; learn your craft first and charge the castle second. The sales process is no different. As I am honored to have been asked to pen a sales and marketing series for the hurricane protection industry, please bear with me if this Sales 101 course is a little elementary. I promise we will pick up speed and discuss more advanced sales and marketing techniques in future installments. The only assumption I will make is that you (and your staff) know your product; you absolutely must know your product.

No matter what we sell, the primary issue you will face is the Price vs. Value Objection. Your prospective customer often has no concept of the value in your product beyond the obvious. I often tell audiences (I also do sales speaking and training) that there are simply three components to every business transaction. They are:
1. Price
2. Quality
3. Service

The problem for the consumer is you can have only two of the three. You see, you cannot have the best price (cheap), the best quality and world-class service . . . It simply does not exist!

If you are reading this article, you probably are not the lowest price provider in your industry. If you were, you wouldn’t need sales help because the low-price provider is an order taker not a professional salesperson. If you sell on quality and service, you are constantly being challenged by consumers to justify price differences that are often hundreds or thousands of dollars above competitor’ prices for similar products. In many cases, your prospective client has gotten other estimates by phone, the Internet or by in-home visits—and even if they like you and your presentation, they have no tangible reason to give you hundreds or even thousands more for the "exact same coverage."

It is at this point that order takers must become salespeople, or else they surrender to the competition and either lower the asking price or lose the sale!

THE FIRST PIECE OF THE SELLING PUZZLE
I have always believed that good salespeople have to be convinced themselves, before they can convince prospects that their companies and their products are worth the price. In fact, once your salesperson truly believes in the products and the company he or she represents, that belief will be visible—during the presentation, in expressing product knowledge and in the obvious self-confidence that the prospect will see and feel during a sales visit.

One great way to create this enthusiasm is to make sure each person who sells your products is a customer. If your salespeople don’t own what you sell, you are missing the first piece of the selling puzzle. You need to figure out a way to make them a customer so they can truly and honestly love what they are selling. The personal stories on how salespeople use their companies’ products are paramount to closing the deal.

It is your job to provide your staff with all the tools necessary to show why your product is so far superior to all the rest out there from the unique details you possess, the unmatched strength, the quality and the timeliness of handling your orders. Take some time and gather your staff and brainstorm what makes you better than your competition in the marketplace. Make sure your salespeople are conveying a consistent message and the message you want in the marketplace. To do this you also will need to do a little intel on your competition. Don’t be afraid to call and shop all your competitors, you will learn key information by going undercover. Find out what price they sell at, what areas they key on, how they talk about you and your company in the marketplace.

My question to you is: Have you done enough to ensure that you and your people convey the professionalism and knowledge that you need to be the best? This way they will be better equipped to give the consumer what they deserve—the best product, installed by the best people and backed up by the best company in the marketplace! This equals more sales at a higher price and that means better margins and more profits.

Enthusiasm is contagious and if you and your people embrace an I-am-sold-myself attitude, your profits will be contagious as well.

John Dearden has more than 18 years of field-proven business sales experience most recently as owner of Eclipse Awning Systems where he was in charge of sales and marketing. In just four years under his direction the company grew to more than 180 dealers and more than $7.5 million is sales. Dearden has spoken throughout the country to small, medium and large companies and has addressed association, chambers, non-profit organizations and conventions and led sales workshops, seminars and interactive training sessions.