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Selling_Professional_Services
| Selling Professional Services
Speak to almost any self employed professional and most of them
will say that they love their job but don't care much for
selling their services. Here's some advice to help all those
reluctant professionals who need to sell to clients.
A powerful presentation can mean the difference between securing
a contract and losing one. Always keep in mind that your
customers will be inundated with competitors wanting to present
their case for stealing your business.
Giving a presentation is one of the most feared events in
Western society. In surveys of people's fears, death is usually
ranked around number six. Giving a presentation is usually
number one. Don't feel alone, this is a common experience.
Ensure, before a presentation or meeting with a client that you
have done everything you can to be prepared.
As you go through the following four steps, think of the
practical issues of your specific service, how can you implement
these steps, what else could you do? In order for this module to
be effective you have to work through it and not just read it.
Use this as your opportunity to become a great presenter.
Selling Professional Services Step 1 Be prepared
Before you go into a business meeting spend some time getting
prepared.
What is your product and its features? Who is your client and
what are their needs? How are you provide a solution to your
clients needs? Why are you the best option for your client?
Identifying reason why they might not want your product and how
you might respond to them. Make sure you will be able to deliver
on the promises you make. Be professional in making
appointments, or use someone who can.
Selling Professional Services Step 2 Make a Great Presentation
Of course you are not going to make the perfect presentation at
your first attempt.
Start out by giving a brief presentation to your friends,
stating your name and address. Follow this with a brief
five-minute presentation on your life and interests. Make a
habit of giving brief presentations. Despite all the discomfort,
you will gradually get into the swing of it. Face that which you
fear, and eventually the fear is removed.
When making a presentation to customers, focus on the benefit.
Do not mention the cost. Can you imagine trying to sell
Leadership Coaching programs for groups of executives in the
same company at Ł100,000 per annum? The simple fact is that
nobody has got Ł100,000 to spend on Leadership Coaching.
Therefore, do not talk about the cost. Focus on the benefit. The
skills acquired by executives during the program will lead to
greater sales, lower costs and greater profits, i.e. greater
managerial ability for the foreseeable future. In fact, the
program guarantees an increase in profit of Ł1 million in the
first year of the program. If you focus on the benefits of
increased managerial skills, and the Ł1 million added to the
bottom line, then the Ł100,000 cost of the program does not seem
excessive. By the time we have focused on the benefit, then the
Ł100,000 is mentioned at the end of the presentation as a mere
detail.
Keep using expressions along the lines "what this means to you
is...", "what this means to you is that sales will be increased
by 20 per cent, what this means to you is that costs will be
reduced by 20 per cent, what this means to you is that you will
have the holiday of a lifetime, etc.".
Your prospective customer is permanently tuned in to his or her
favorite radio station, WIIFM - What's In It For Me? Listen
carefully for feedback. Look for benefit as perceived by your
customer. You cannot set goals for other people, but you can use
the powers of love and suggestion on other people. The customer
must feel that you are acting in his or her best interests. You
can suggest to your customer that certain benefits work to their
advantage.
Be positive. Be excited and enthusiastic about your product or
service. Speak confidently.
Dress for success. Be sure to present your product or service in
its best light.
Use mega-credibility - who has already used the product
successfully, offer recommendations from other customers,
present lists of clients, stories of satisfied customers, and
independent verification from other companies, research
institutes, universities. You cannot offer too much credibility.
Nobody wants to be the first sucker to give it a try! Use your
judgment to offer trial closes as follows: "is this the kind of
thing you had in mind?" "Is this the kind of idea that could be
of interest to you?" "Is this what you were looking for?" "Does
that make sense to you?" If you can get the prospective customer
to nod or agree in any other way to one of these questions, then
you are well on the way to making a sale.
As well as appealing to your prospective customer's desires, you
could also use a little bit of fear. You could mention the fact
that your customer's competitors have already done it!
Finally, be prepared to handle all possible objections. Step 3
Know how to handle objections
One of the scariest parts of the presentation is the possibility
of the customer saying no thanks. The truth is you are probably
expecting it anyway. Be prepared for it. Practice what you'll do
when someone says no. So they think they are not interested. It
is up to you to show them why they they do. Your initial
reaction could be that you are not going to make the sale. This
is incorrect. You have to understand that an objection is a
request for more information. As long as the customer is
objecting, you are selling. Only when the customer disappears
have you possibly lost the sale. Most objections are simply
requests for more information. "It's not in the budget" means
"can you invoice me at a later date?" Familiarize yourself with
the objections that customers usually make.
Rehearse your replies.
Compliment your customer for the objection along the lines
"that's an excellent question ... that's an interesting
observation ...".
Handle the objection along the following lines: "many people
felt that way at first, but this is what they found ... that's
exactly what some of my biggest customers suggested at first,
but this is what they found..".
Then, produce the evidence, produce the proof, handle the
objection.
For further ideas of how to handle objections, simply think back
to the last time you went to look at cars and the sales person
would just not take no for an answer. Car sales people are
especially good at handling objections.
Selling Professional Services Step 3 Know how to handle
objections
One of the scariest parts of the presentation is the possibility
of the customer saying no thanks. The truth is you are probably
expecting it anyway. Be prepared for it. Practice what you'll do
when someone says no. So they think they are not interested. It
is up to you to show them why they they do. Your initial
reaction could be that you are not going to make the sale. This
is incorrect. You have to understand that an objection is a
request for more information. As long as the customer is
objecting, you are selling. Only when the customer disappears
have you possibly lost the sale. Most objections are simply
requests for more information. "It's not in the budget" means
"can you invoice me at a later date?" Familiarize yourself with
the objections that customers usually make.
Rehearse your replies.
Compliment your customer for the objection along the lines
"that's an excellent question ... that's an interesting
observation ...".
Handle the objection along the following lines: "many people
felt that way at first, but this is what they found ... that's
exactly what some of my biggest customers suggested at first,
but this is what they found..".
Then, produce the evidence, produce the proof, handle the
objection.
For further ideas of how to handle objections, simply think back
to the last time you went to look at cars and the sales person
would just not take no for an answer. Car sales people are
especially good at handling objections.
Selling Professional Services Step 4 Closing that deal
A customer is someone who is willing and able to purchase the
benefit you offer. In a successful sales presentation, you
eventually reach the point when it is time to ask for action,
time to close that deal. You may or may not have already tried
one or two trial closes. The following approaches are popular
when it comes to closing:
You could try an invitational close: "should we complete the
paperwork ... should we arrange delivery ... should we give it a
try ...?"
You could try an assumptive close: "let's arrange the delivery
... let's complete the paperwork".
Perhaps the most popular approach is the alternative close:
"will you be paying by cash, cheque or credit card ... the blue
one or the red one ... the deluxe or standard ... were you
thinking of holding the program before or after Christmas?"
Another approach to the alternative close is the minor point or
secondary close: "will you take it with you now or would you
like us to deliver ... did you want it with the hardback or the
soft back?"
It is extremely important to note that once the customer is
considering the answers to these questions, the purchasing
decision has already been made. You have made the sale. We are
now discussing mere details. On occasion you will be able to
identify a hot button close where the customer has got to buy
the product because it's red in color, and it's the only red one
he or she has seen in two months.
On occasion the customer makes it perfectly clear that he or she
must have that armchair because it is the exact same color as
the curtains and the carpet in the living room. Given the
chance, go for the hot button close. Identify the most
attractive feature to the customer and keep talking about that
feature. Finally, congratulate the client on making such an
excellent selection. Then make an additional sale to the same
customer.
Remember to follow up, you may not sell on the first visit or
first occasion. Make a decision to go the extra mile, make the
second effort, follow up your initial approach.
Contact the prospective customer once again within three days.
You can always reopen a negotiation with new information, new
price, new terms, a better offer following discussions with your
boss. Keep your customer informed. Educate your customer to
appreciate the benefit you offer and your competitive advantage.
After making a sale, contact the customer within four weeks with
a view to making the next sale. Follow up direct mail with a
telephone call. Follow a presentation, visit or discussion with
a note, small gift or a "thank-you" card. Many businesses have
been completely turned around by the simple technique of getting
each salesperson to send out a number of thank you cards every
Friday afternoon. Remember that it is activities which lead to
sales. Ensure that your final contact with the customer is
always positive.
The customer must appreciate that you are caring, courteous and
considerate. Do not be afraid to ask for referrals. Referrals
alone can guarantee a successful business. Every customer should
be able to recommend you to two additional prospective
customers. Use your existing customers to create a golden chain.
Ask your satisfied customers to provide you with a reference, an
endorsement of your product, something on paper which you can
use to give you mega-credibility with prospective customers.
About the author:
Learn more at
http://www.my1stbusiness.com/sales-letter/landing2.htm Ben Botes
MSc. MBA, is an Entrepreneur, Speaker, Writer, Coach and
academic. He is the founder of My1stBusiness.com, South African
Business Hubs Join the My1stbusiness.com Reseller Program and
earn 40% referral commission
http://www.my1stbusiness.com/affiliate
Read Ben's Blog at http://www.my1stbusiness.com/weblog
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