You may want to grab a pen and some blank paper, and the beverage of your choice… Now, let’s get started building YOUR business!
Lesson 2
HOW TO MAKE PROSPECTS BEG TO BE YOUR CLIENTS!
=======> The Myth of the Natural Born Salesperson
Have you ever wondered why some people just seem to have a “knack” for sales and marketing?
These people seem to have it made when it comes to selling.
- They’re confident.
- They always know what to say.
- AND how to say it.
- They never seem to be uncomfortable in any situation.
Are they born that way?
NOPE.
They weren’t BORN with selling skills; they simply picked them up somewhere along the way. The GOOD NEWS is that you are going to learn what they know … RIGHT NOW!!
What makes people like this stand out is that…
THEY HAVE A PRIMARY MARKETING MESSAGE, AND THEY PRACTICE IT UNTIL THEY’RE COMFORTABLE.
Here’s the GOOD NEWS. If you completed lesson one, you already have a primary marketing message!
To recap lesson one; your clients have a problem, you are the SOLUTION to that problem, and you use your power stories to DEMONSTRATE that you can solve the problem. Your solutions and power stories equal your primary marketing message.
=======> Theory Meets the Real World
Now that you have a primary marketing message let’s see how it works in the real world.
Let’s say you are talking to someone who is a part of your target market. What you want to do is make them feel like you know the type of problems they face (because you do!) and that YOU are the solution. To do that, we use what’s called a problem/solution statement.
A problem/solution statement is one sentence that tells the prospect that you understand the problem and have the solution.
Now as an example, lets say that have a gift or floral service business and you're trying attract new corporate accounts.
It goes something like this…
You’re sitting next to a lawyer from one of the biggest firms in the city at your Chamber of Commerce meeting. He turns to you and asks, “What do you do for a living?”
Rather than give your usual answer, you answer with one of your problem/ solution statements! This will pique his interest and begin a true "selling" conversation where you can find out if your companies are a good fit for one another.
You could say…
“I help companies maintain and improve client relationships, what do you do?”
He’ll say something like, “I’m a lawyer. How do you do that?”
NOW you use a power story to demonstrate *exactly* what you meant in your problem/solution statement!!
You might say…
“As a recent example, we were able to step in and repair a damaged relationship between one of our clients and one of his clients, that saved him a $60K sale.”
They’ll again say, “Wow, how did you do that?”
Its HERE that you give them your USP, what makes you better, special, and different.
You might say…
“It’s not so much what we do, but HOW we do it that makes us different. Most companies come in, show you their products, and try to convince you that you need them.
We have a process that evaluates what your company is doing now to maintain and improve your client relationships, see exactly what you’re trying to accomplish, and then customize a gift solution to help you get the results you’re looking for.”
Nine times out of ten they’ll be really impressed, and want to know if you could do that for them. All you have to do now is set the appointment!
Pretty neat stuff huh? – And when you practice, it becomes VERY smooth.
======> How to get to Carnegie Hall
You’ve heard the old joke about the man who needed to get to Carnegie Hall? He stopped and asked a street vendor playing a violin. The man with the violin answered.
“How can you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!!”
Your business is like that too. The more you practice saying your problem/solution statements and the more you memorize your power stories, the more sales you will make.
For now, take all of the “Their Problem,” “Your Solution,” “Your Power Stories,” and “Your USP” parts from Lesson #1 and combine them in as many ways as you can think of. Practice them on your family and friends until you are 100% sure of yourself.
You’ll probably feel silly at first, but as you work with it, you’ll adjust the language to what you are most comfortable with and it will start to flow naturally.
Remember, whatever you do, don’t describe the process of doing what you do. Don’t tell them that your products are better, or that your service is faster. Those are the details and at this point they don’t want those details.
They want to know what is in it for them. They want to hear the BENEFITS, not the features.
=======> THIS is selling power
Do you see how powerful this simple approach can be?
You’re not doing a hard sell, you’re just talking with the person sitting next to you. The great thing is that, while you’re having a pleasant conversation, they’re getting the important information they need to buy from you. They are hearing what sets you apart from every other vendor of your type of product or service they might come in contact with.
Since you’ve practiced it, your statements sound natural, genuine, and sincere. You’re more likable. You’re one of those people with a “knack” for sales and marketing.
People will start to wonder if you were born with it! ; )
=======> In Your Next Lesson
In the next lesson you will learn
The Simple Formula for Making Your Phone Ring off the Hook!
Or, “How to get prospects wanting to call you, instead of you always having to cold call them”.
Liz Thompson is the co-founder and CEO of HealthyWealthynWise.com. She is also the founder of guide2giftbiz.com, the premier educational site for the gift industry. She is the author of 5 books and is working on her sixth, on step-by-step web-site development, due out next summer. She can be reached through her web sites: www.healthywealthynwise.com and www.guide2giftbiz.com , by e-mail at lthompson@healthywealthynwise.com, or by calling (304) 725-2502.
