A Short Questionnaire - How do you answer the question,
"Why should I do business with you?" - How do you quantify a customer's pain?
- How do you discover who the key decision
makers are? Their decision making process?
If you weren't able to answer these questions in 30 seconds you need to read "Closing More Sales By
Asking Better Questions." Learn how to quickly identify who is, and isn't a prospect. Click here to order "ClosingMore Sales."
FREE Sales Newsletter. |
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 WebProWorld Marketing Forum |
Web Ads: Branding Trumps Clicks
This is a new article I wrote which is running in WebProNews. In running a major eBusiness Network (iEntry.com), we still see a resistance to recognize the value of branding from companies advertising banners and other types of display ads. I would be very interested in your thoughts on all of this. Here's the article:
PR versus advertising
I've been researching how to increase traffic and get exposure that's affordable. What I've found so far is a good press release distributed properly is a very effective way to get exposure and traffic relatively cheap. ...
The Blog Marketing Explosion
There are literally thousands of blogs by eBusiness insiders. This has changed the landscape of guerrilla marketing. At first it was seen as just something cool to do ... but blogs are now being used to build personal and corporate credibility that will eventually attract customers (they hope!).
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| Recent Articles |
Maximizing AdSense Revenues via Up-Selling
If you go into any Blockbuster Video store, you quickly notice the company's use of a classic marketing technique - up-selling correlated products.
The Seven Secrets of a High-Sales Marketer
If you want to boost your website sales to the next level, you've got to think and act like a High-Sales Marketer. Here's how:
10 Power-Packed Ways To Spark Your Sales
1. Spend money on targeted advertising instead of mass media advertising. You don't want to waste your ad dollars on people who aren't interested.
Make More Sales By Airing Your Dirty Laundry
There's an old saying, "Don't air your dirty laundry".
10 Killer Ways To Multiply Your Sales
Would you like to multiply your web site sales? Or course you would, who wouldn't? :) Then take a close look at the following 10 killer ways to multiply your sales...
The Top 7 Sales Blunders
We all make mistakes when selling our product or service. Here are the most common mistakes people make. I have to admit I have made many of mistakes listed in this article even though I have been teaching this stuff for almost a decade. I hope you can learn from them.
4 Easy Ways to Boost Your Sales
Here are 4 easy ways you can boost your sales for little or no new expense ...and without making major changes in your selling process.
Increase Sales with an Easy-To-Navigate Web Site
Can your visitors find what they're looking for on your web site with one or two clicks? Easy navigation is essential to keep visitors at your site and turn them into buyers. Follow these 13 steps to make your web pages easy to navigate and compel prospective buyers to explore your web site.
Persuading Learners to Buy: 7 Groups
There are seven major reasons why adults continue their pursuit to learn. Each of the reasons play into the way you want to present your sales information.
RuleStream Appoints New Vice President of Sales
RuleStream today announced the appointment of Gary Fedor as vice president of global sales.
How to Explode Your Database Marketing And Back-End Sales
Set up multiple simultaneous marketing campaigns with database marketing automation email software that get results exploding your internet business marketing while growing multiple optin lists, prospects consistent follow, increasing Back End Sales, and bottom line profits.
Creating a Powerful Sales Presentation
The quality of your sales presentation will often determine whether a prospect buys from you or one of your competitors.
Is Your Sales Process Foolproof?
A lot of energy is expended within selling organizations as they try to identify, adopt, and administer a sales process that works for them.
The Top Five Traits of a Successful Salesperson
If you're looking for a successful salesperson to hire, a salesperson who not only can sell but will sell, look for a salesperson with PRIDE.
Determining Visitor Types
The trade show floor is full of different types of people with different agendas. Some people have specific goals for attending the show; others do not. As an exhibitor your observation and questioning skills will be your key to determining who may be a viable sales prospect.
Getting Off the Advertising and Sales Rollercoaster
Seeing the results of advertising your business can be like watching a roller coaster. The day you run your ad you see a flurry of activity; your ph0ne starts ringing, your web site traffic increases and/ or potential clients visit your store. |
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| 10.11.04
Are You Selling Value?
 By Keith Eades
is more to selling than offering the lowest price. In fact, sometimes "value" has absolutely nothing to do with price. If you are not offering a total solution that meets the critical needs of your prospect, then your buyer will likely buy from someone who can. Value is an extremely part of the selling equation. Your prospects want a superior product or service - one that comes with added benefits such as technical training, extended warranties, top-notch customer service, implementation support, consulting hours and more. They want assurance that if they have a problem or question down the road, you'll be there with a solution.
Take the following quiz to determine if you are focused on providing your prospects value. Answer YES or NO to each question. A YES answer equals one point.
1. I'm not interested in a one-time sale; I'm interested in building a strong business relationship
2. I help them address their critical business issues such as reduced cost, avoided cost, increased revenue, etc.
 3. I always ensure that the risk is balanced against the reward i.e. Investing the appropriate amount against the value of the critical business issue. Would you spend $100k to solve a $10k problem?
4. I always provide my prospects with an ROI calculation to help them understand when the investment will pay for itself.
5. I provide my prospects with calculations that depict how they will save time or money using my product or service.
6. I provide my prospects with calculations that depict how they will make more money.
7. I show how, by quantifying capabilities and comparing the company financial results using my product and without using my product product, side by side, the key business ratios of Return on Assets, Return on Equity, Profit Margin, and Earnings per Share etc. can be compared "at a glance".
8. I look for ways to provide "added-value" to my prospects. i.e. extended warranties, extra consulting hours, more technical support.
9. I make myself immediately available post-sale to ensure quality implementation.
10. I follow up each quarter, post-sale, to ensure customer satisfaction.
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What's your score? If you scored a perfect ten, congratulations! You are offering your prospects a total solution. You understand the importance of providing prospects with the most value for their investment. A score between seven and nine is still good, but make ten your goal. For those of you who scored below seven points, you may want to read further.
By definition, justification is a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends the action being taken. Justification answers the question, Does the end justify the means? Unless you're dealing with a single individual who has the power, money, and authority to buy without answering to anyone else, justification must be done. Too often salespeople leave this important step up to the prospect or customer to do. They don't have a model to work from, or they're afraid to get involved because they don't know how. I recommend that salespeople initiate the activity and participate with the customer in the value justification activities. If you don't know how, you must learn.
 Value justification gives customers a compelling reason to take action. People will spend money if they can see that doing so will enable them to make more money or save money they're currently spending.
Salespeople have been participating in ROI (return on investment) analysis and cost justifications for years. Many times I've observed salespeople frustrated because, though their proposal was completely justified with a fantastic ROI and a short time frame for payback, the customer still didn't take action. Why? One reason is that the return and the payback are in the mind of the salesperson and not the buyer. The only way prospective buyers can get the same vision and understand the real value of the solution is if they understand and own both the problem and the solution. As long as salespeople are telling buyers, "We can solve your problems," they're not enabling prospective buyers to take ownership.
Historically, salespeople and customers have used terms such as cost justification and ROI analysis instead of value justification or value analysis. I stress the term value justification because I want salespeople to focus their customers and prospects on value. It's very important for salespeople to know that the higher the price, the more important it is to sell value. Remember, in Solution Selling we define value as Total Benefits minus Total Cost or Total Investment.
Read the Rest of the Article.
About the Author:
Keith M. Eades – CEO, Founder, President
Sales Performance International
www.spisales.com and www.solutionselling.com |
