Chapter 14 – Presenting the Product

1. Chapter 14 – Presenting the Product Unit 5

2. 14.1 – Presenting the Product • Selling an expensive product such as a car relies on both product features and on emotional aspects of decision making. • A car salesperson, for example, must be able to relate to the customer on all these levels in order to close the sale.

3. Organizing the Product Presentation • Selling is, in many ways like putting a jigsaw puzzle. • you analyze the various parts by shape and size. • When you sell, you analyze your customer’s needs and buying motives. • use that information to begin framing your product presentation.

4. Show and Tell • 1st Step • What product or products to show your customer • 2nd Step • Think about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it

5. Which Products Do you Show? • After you have learned the customer’s intended use of a product, you should be able to select a few samples that match those needs.

6. What price range should you offer? • Begin by showing a medium-priced product. You can then move up or down in price one you begin to get some customer feedback

7. How many products should you show? • To avoid overwhelming your customer, show no more than 3 products at a time. • When a customer wants to see more than 3, put away the displayed products in which the customer shows no interest • Why would you do this?

8. What do you say? • Talk about the product’s features and benefits. • Tell your customer the product features that match his or her buying motives and needs. • Use highly descriptive adjectives and active verbs when describing product features. • Avoid unclear words such as nice, pretty, and fine. • Use Layman’s terms – words the average customer can understand

9. Holding the customers attention • If you are loosing your customers attention, ask a simple question. • Example: Now that you’ve seen the features of this product, what do you think about it? • The key is keeping the customer involved

10. Tips for Effective Product Presentation • Display and Handle the product • Show the customer any special features of the product • Demonstrate • Show the customer how the product works • Involve the Customer • If possible let the customer try the product

11. Review • When you cannot determine a customers intended price range, what price level of product should you show? • For security purposes and to make your sales presentation effective, what would you do if a customer asks to see six pairs of expensive earrings?

12. 14.2 - Objections • Objections • Concerns, hesitations, doubts, or other honest reasons a customer has for not making a purchase • Excuses • Reasons for not buying or not seeing the salesperson

13. Plan for Objections • Objections can occur at any time during the sales process and should be answered promptly. • Objections can guide you in the sales process by helping you redefine the customer’s needs and determine when the customer wants more information.

14. Objection Analysis Sheet • Objection Analysis Sheet • A document that lists common objections and possible responses to them. • Thinking of objections ahead of time gives you an idea of how to handle other objections.

15. Common Objections • Need • Usually occur when the customer does not have an immediate need for the item or wants the item but does not truly need it • Product • Objections based on the product itself are more common • They include concerns about things such as construction, ease of use, quality, color, size, or style.

16. Common Objections Cont… • Source • Often occur because of negative past experiences with the firm or brand • Price • More common with expensive merchandise. • Time • Reveal a hesitation to buy immediately • Ex. I think I’ll wait until July when you have your summer sale to buy those sandals.

17. Four Step Process for Handling Objections • Listen Carefully • Acknowledge the Objections • Restate the Objections • Answer the Questions

18. Specialized Methods of Handling Objections • Substitution method • Involves recommending a different product that would satisfy the customer’s needs • Boomerang method • Brings the objection back to the customer as a selling point • Example

19. Specialized Methods of Handling Objections • Questions • Question the customer to learn more about the objections. While answering your inquiries, the shopper may even come to realize that an objection may not be valid. • Superior-Point Method • Permits the salesperson to acknowledge objections as valid yet still offset them with other features and benefits.

20. Activity Find a few ads (2) that promote products such as clothing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, athletic footwear, etc. Write a brief description of the ads you selected. Then note whether the ads give information about the products’ features and benefits. Explain why they do or why they don’t.