The Perfect Sales Presentation: These Five Top Sales Professionals Show You, Step by Step, How To Sell Successfully
208
The Perfect Sales Presentation: These Five Top Sales Professionals Show You, Step by Step, How To Sell Successfully
208eBook
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Overview
There’s much more to superselling than just showing a great product. Sales presentations that consistently get results are subtle blends of skill, performance, and manipulation. It’s a craft that’s almost magical—but a craft that can be learned. Now, five of the top salespeople in America—Martin Shafiroff, Betty C. Hardeman, Joe Gandolfo, Mary Kay Ash, and Buck Rodgers— distill lifetimes of sales expertise into a step-by-step guide that can help you succeed, regardless of the product or service you’re selling.
You’ll watch as a fictional character—representing the combined experience of these five leading sales pros—conducts the perfect presentation: from getting past a secretary on the phone to turning a recalcitrant executive into an eager new customer. Then you’ll hear detailed commentary from each of the five experts on subjects including:
• Doing your homework beforehand
• Creating initial interest
• Fact finding
• Presenting the product
• Controlling—and assuming—the sale
• Overcoming objections
• Closing the sale
• Servicing the customer
The Perfect Sales Presentation shows you dozens of techniques in action that can make your presentations more effective—and more lucrative. In a world that is ever more competitive, here is practical sales advice from the best: your personal edge that can help get you to the top—and keep you there.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780307803627 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Random House Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 08/17/2011 |
| Sold by: | Random House |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 208 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Getting Organized and Making Appointments
As Michael Baker will demonstrate, there are several things that a salesperson should do before making an actual face-to-face presentation. Obviously, an appointment must be made with the prospect (in Baker’s case, he has elected to schedule one by telephone). Also, assuming that the salesperson is qualified to make the sales call (being “qualified” means that he or she has acquired the necessary product knowledge, is properly prepared to answer all industry-related questions, and understands the needs of the customer), effective time management is essential to achieve the maximum number of sales presentations each day. Additionally, some basic information about the prospect is necessary; just how much varies from industry to industry. But be prepared—successful selling is dependent on much more than the art of persuasion.
It’s Thursday, a little past four o’clock. Michael Baker, age thirty-five, briskly walks into his office. Six feet tall, the dynamic man is dressed immaculately in a dark blue suit. With the exception of a quick lunch, he has been working nonstop since seven. A client who had scheduled an appointment with Baker for four o’clock is unavailable. With a five-thirty appointment remaining on his agenda for today, Baker plans to make use of the “down time” by spending the next forty-five minutes on the phone setting up sales presentations for the following week.
His appointment scheduling and general office work are not routinely done during prime selling time. However, with a broken appointment on his hands, Baker is doing what he considers the second best use of his prime time, with eyeball-to-eyeball sales presentations being in first place by a wide margin.
Seated back at his desk, he takes out several dozen notecards on prospects located in a four-block radius of a commercial area on the northeast side of town; none of the calls is more than a five-minute drive from the others. Each card contains the prospect’s name, occupation, address, phone number, and miscellaneous information about how he obtained the lead. To Baker, a “qualified” prospect is an individual who meets certain criteria based on his estimated earnings and vocation. Other considerations include the prospect’s age, lifestyle, and special interests. Each prospect card contains the name of the source who gave the referral to Baker—he considers referred prospects his best leads. The majority of his referrals have been generated by his existing clientele. All available pertinent information about the prospect has been jotted down on the card. A nonreferred prospect is an individual whom he knows by reputation in the community through such sources as newspaper articles, the grapevine, and so on. Still other prospects are selected and categorized by occupation.
Under no circumstances does Baker call a prospect without knowing his name in advance. For example, if he wanted to speak with the executive vice-president of manufacturing at XYZ Company but didn’t know his name, Baker would make a call a day or so in advance and ask the main switchboard operator or receptionist, “Who is the company’s marketing vice-president?” Later, he would put through a call to the individual.
Baker has mapped out his prospects in a small section of town to avoid accumulating a lot of “windshield” time chasing from one side of the city to the other. To accomplish this, he has carefully keyed each call on a map of his territory, soliciting prospects only in a specific area. Relying on the law of averages, he has more than enough names at his fingertips to call during the next forty-five minutes. Knowing he won’t have an opportunity to talk to each prospect—some won’t be available, others won’t be interested, etc.—he attempts to call as many prospects as possible. One of his calls is to William Silver, the chairman of the board of National Manufacturing Corporation.
The Telephone
Presentation for an
Appointment
MAIN OPERATOR: Good morning, National Manufacturing Corporation.
MICHAEL BAKER: May I please speak to William Silver?
In the initial approach, it’s important to have the name of your prospect. In this case, Bill Silver is the chairman of the board. It would have been improper to say, “May I please speak to the company’s chairman.”
SECRETARY: Good morning, Mr. Silver’s office.
BAKER: Good morning. This is Michael Baker. Bill Silver, please.
Baker immediately identifies himself. However, although he has never met the actual prospect, Baker refers to him by his first name, acting as though he knows him personally. As a result, sometimes a secretary will assume Baker is an acquaintance and put the call through. In this case, however, she doesn’t.
SECRETARY: Does Mr. Silver know you?
BAKER: Please tell him this is Michael Baker with Winchester Associates. Is he in?
Electing not to answer the secretary’s question because he doesn’t personally know the prospect, Baker identifies himself once again, but this time he states the name of his company. He controls the conversation by asking the secretary a question: “Is he in?” Now she is required to give an answer—she must think of a reply. By doing this, Baker attempts to avoid having her question him.
SECRETARY: Yes. What is the nature of your call?
She continues to ask questions.
BAKER: This is Michael Baker with Winchester Associates. Whom am I speaking with, ma’am?
Not wanting to give her specifics, Baker repeats his name and his company’s and again asks a question that requires an answer. He also wants her name for future reference because she will be flattered that he remembered.
SECRETARY: This is Mary Wilson.
He jots down her name.
BAKER: Would you kindly tell Mr. Silver that I’m on the line, Miss Wilson?
He authoritatively tells her to advise the prospect that he’s on the phone. Please note that it’s the secretary’s job to screen calls—which Baker fully realizes.
SECRETARY: What is the nature of your call, Mr. Baker?
BAKER: Miss Wilson, I know what your job entails, and I realize Mr. Silver is a busy person. I also know that it’s hard for you to decide whom he speaks to. However, I do have something really worthwhile to discuss with him, and what I have to say will be well worth his time. I’m sure he will appreciate that you gave me a chance to speak with him. Would you please tell him that I’m on the line?
Baker is having an unusually difficult time and again makes an effort to get through to the prospect. However, he realizes that busy people like Silver are not always easy to reach. Still, Baker purposely avoids telling her the exact nature of his call—knowing that she might attempt to explain it to the prospect for him. Baker knows that nobody will tell his story as effectively as he himself will, so he remains persistent.
SECRETARY: One moment please.
Because Baker has spoken with confidence, the secretary elected not to exercise her right to cross-examine him. Had he hemmed and hawed, she might have continued questioning him. His persistence and professionalism win out!
SECRETARY: He’s on the telephone. Do you wish to leave a message?
The prospect is not available. Baker must now make a decision whether to leave a message.
BAKER: Thank you very much, Miss Wilson. It’s important that I talk to him, so I’ll hold.
He decides to wait rather than call back and risk another cross-examination. Also, he doesn’t want to leave a message and risk not having the prospect return his call. Baker speaks in a no-nonsense manner and creates a sense of urgency, suggesting that he must talk to Silver now. She puts him on hold and is left with the impression that Michael Baker has something important to talk about with her employer.
SECRETARY: I’ll put your call through now, Mr. Baker.
SILVER: Hello.
BAKER: Bill, this is Michael Baker with Winchester Associates. We specialize in fine custom clothing for discriminate business and professional men. You’re familiar with Winchester Associates, aren’t you?
Baker’s opening line states both his name and his company’s. Then he immediately states the nature of his business. Note that he gets right to the point. He then asks a question that assumes the prospect knows his company, suggesting that Winchester Associates is a well-known, established company. He controls the interview by asking a yes-or-no question.
SILVER: No. What are you selling?
BAKER: I called to ask for an opportunity to meet with you sometime next week to share an idea with you that has been helpful to many leading businessmen in town. It’s an exciting concept that has been well received by our city’s top executives at such companies as City National Bank, Western Dynamics, International Foods, and Universal Business Machines. I just need a few minutes of your time to drop by and introduce myself. Would next Tuesday morning at eight-fifteen be convenient, or would two forty-five on Wednesday afternoon be better? Baker attempts to put the prospect at ease by telling him he wants only to share an idea with him. He explains that other executives in the community have been receptive, and mentions the names of several prominent companies in the area. By giving these names, he implies that influential people are his clients and that the prospect, like them, should be open to a new concept. After all, every astute businessperson should welcome new ideas. Baker gives a choice of two times during the following week for an appointment. He doesn’t ask if the prospect will see him, but when. Additionally, next week is far enough away that the prospect doesn’t feel uncomfortable about committing his time now.
SILVER: How about giving me a call on Monday and I’ll let you know.
BAKER: I work only by appointment, Bill. However, I’ll be in the area next week. I can see you on Tuesday morning at eight-fifteen or Wednesday afternoon at two forty-five.