Critical Selling Skills for Small Businesses

1. Critical Selling Skills for Small Businesses Innovative Selling Skills that Pay-off in Increased Sales and Satisfied Customers

2. Core Functions • Marketing • Sales • Product/Services • Cash Flow

3. What’s Critical • Focus – beware of distractions • Business and marketing plans –implementation critical • Create value added (not only price) – identify your “sweet spot” • key benefits –differentiation - know your competition!

4. The Basics • Establish credibility – knowledge, language, professionalism • Be consultative – sell solutions • Strategize with associates – what works, what doesn’t • Measure results • Provide high quality customer service - repeat business, referrals

5. The Basics • Don’t chase bad business! – use sweet spot as a barometer • Be concise • Don’t assume • Be yourself! • Dress appropriately

6. Prospecting • Define greatest strengths – uniqueness • Define target audiences – establish criteria; identify key contacts and titles • References

7. Prospecting • Where are the prospects? • Competitive sites, Google alerts, industry directories, conferences/directories, associations, social media/LinkedIn, local online news sites and print • Provide legitimate reasons to contact somebody • Current events, new products/services, special “deal” • People invaluable to get to right people • Monitor quality and quantity of leads • Use contact management software

8. Prospecting • Google Alerts • Conferences • Referrals • In person networking groups • Associations • Social Media • Website • Directories • Print • Competitive sites • Webcasts

9. Prospecting • Research company/people before contacting

10. Prospecting • eMail • Generate interest as early as possible – two or three benefits • Mention references in same type of business • Be concise – short and sweet • Use some graphics • Close with action item • Monitor opens and click thrus

11. Prospecting • Phone • Generate interest as early as possible – two or three benefits • Have additional benefits ready, if needed • Mention references

12. Prospecting • Phone • Be concise – short and sweet • Be yourself, use conversational tone • Be respectful of prospect’s time • Close with action item • NEVER! – sound canned, confrontational, arrogant

13. Effective Follow-up • Two messages in five business days, then once a week • Keep it conversational, never get arrogant or upset, use humor if appropriate

14. I Understand …… • How salespeople might be afraid to ask “difficult questions” • Ask questions that might upset the prospect

15. Need to Know • How you can not know how a decision is made • Who is involved in making the decision • Who you are competing with • When a decision is going to be made • If there is a compelling or impending event

16. Probing/Qualifying • Identify needs - what is important to prospect • Top priorities, consequences if not met  • Listen, ask questions, control the discussion • Avoid reacting, ask more questions if not satisfied • Start broad and narrow down  • Define influencers, time frames, budgets

17. Probing/Qualifying • Stress benefits in context of prospect’s needs • Limit number of benefits – avoid “laundry lists • Stress differentiation • Plant seeds to establish buying criteria – set traps for competition

18. Probing/Qualifying • Avoid negativity – address competitive weaknesses in context of your strengths • Do up front selling • Create action plan with prospect • Confirm next appointment

19. Presentation Skills - The Basics • Be concise • Modulate your voice, appropriate posture, use gestures, walk around, be enthusiastic! • 4 to 5 bullets/slides – don’t read, no sentences • Include case studies, stories, references • Avoid the obvious, avoid clichés

20. Online Presentations • Be concise • Modulate your voice • Be enthusiastic! • Use video if applicable

21. Presentation Skills - The Basics • Get to the ‘meat” of presentation quickly • Check products/equipment beforehand • Turn off cell phone • Sense of humor helps, smile, have fun • Know roles of participants, have someone preview and critique presentation

22. Presentation Skills - The Basics • Address priorities of decision maker/s first • Audience involvement – what do they think • Use support people as needed, i.e. technicians, must know roles beforehand • Pacing • Practice! Practice!

23. Presentation Skills - Flow • Overview of your company • Restate needs and current situation – prioritize • Reiterate buying criteria • Focus on key, unique functions and benefits – avoid “laundry” lists

24. Presentation Skills - Flow • Reiterate benefits in different ways throughout presentation • Keep some benefits in reserve, if needed • Discuss investment and payback • Next steps, close • Control!

25. Objection Handling • Use up front selling to diffuse objections • Be quiet and listen, don’t overreact • Acknowledge, don’t agree - ask questions if objection is unclear, get at real concern • Agree on minor objections – establishes credibility

26. Objection Handling • Respond - don’t over complicate, answer directly, use analogies if appropriate • Go back to major benefits, put objection in perspective, see “Big picture” • Confirm –is customer okay?

27. Objections You’re too expensive!

28. Objections You’re a start up with no proven track record!

29. Objections You’re a start up with no proven track record!

30. Objections If you don’t reduce your maintenance cost I’ll give you a bad rating on Angie’s list

31. Follow-up and Closing • Use combination of email and telephone • Consequences of not moving forward, time line • Something new each time – scheduling issues, price change, product enhancement • Frequency of follow up - persistent but not annoying

32. Follow-up and Closing • Keep in touch - send appropriate articles, events that may affect them, i.e. competition, industry info, webinars • Don’t assume – constantly reinforce benefits • Ask for the order after outstanding issues have been addressed • “Are you okay?”

33. Follow-up and Closing • Do not send proposal too early – pace deal • Coach - what is happening? • Negotiate face to face

34. Proposals • Customize within standardization • Concise – minimize boilerplate • Video or audio summary

35. Identifying Problem Areas • Marketing • Product or Service • Sales Skills • Lack of Focus • A combination of

36. Identifying Problem Areas • Customer Feedback Surveys • Sales Feedback -% of qualified leads • Won/Lost Analysis • Third Party Evaluations • Focus Groups

37. Sales Skills? • Prospects qualified, fit target market, budget • Decisionmaker involvement • Closing ratio • Overcoming objections • Deal breakers • Drop off points in sales process

38. Marketing? • Lack of feedback from salespeople • Lack of qualified leads • Lack of branding • Not measuring results • Marketing activities not synergized

39. Product or Service • Product does not function properly • Lack of functionality; incompatible with other products • Services don’t delivery what’s promised • Poor execution • Non competitive pricing

40. Customer Service • Not responsive • Not courteous • Caught in phone transfer hell • Issues not resolved

41. Customer Service • First Call Resolution • People Remember How Issue is Resolved • Your Value Added!

42. Customer Service RESULT! No referrals No repeat business Lousy reputation

43. A Combination of • Outside consultant – another set of eyes • Create a roadmap of potential problem areas – prioritize with milestones, test • Feedback from people involved

44. In Summary • It’s You! • It’s Your Company! • It’s Your Solution!

45. Contact Information Larry Matte - lmatte213@gmail.com 201-270-8136 SCORE - www.bergen.score.org