I read a lot of sales books, and psychology books, and I guess just a lot of books in general. And in all the sales books they talk about the sales process, which I believe there is a process to selling, and most authors subscribe to a system such as SPIN Selling or Miller Heiman or whatever. What they don't tell you is that if every one of you is using the same system(s), how the hell do you win over the customer/prospect? What is the key to selling the account if we are all using the same type of sales process? It's very simple really. The key is YOU!
No two individuals are alike so why should you sell your product the same way everyone else does? To me that's just stupid. You need to embrace what makes you different from the other reps in the field and accentuate those differences. Let's assume that they have studied their products as much as you have, and have a counter to all your objections, and are equal to you in every way. Now how do you sell the customer? The difference is in you and the way you deliver your message. Here a few pointers on how to be different...and I mean "different" in a good way.
1.) Utilize technology - A few years ago, I had trained a rep who was very funny and witty, and charming, but not in front of the customer. In front of the customer, he was as dry as a stale piece of toast. It was frustrating to himself and me, because we would talk about it daily. So I told him, if he wasn't going to come out of his shell, he needed to find another way to be different. His solution was PowerPoint. Many of you are laughing right now, because PowerPoint presentations can be so damn boring and antiquated. However this rep became a master at putting together presentations that would "wow" the customer and in turn separate him from the other reps. He had hyperlinks and videos, and things swooshing in and out of the screen so that the prospect barely had time to breath. But it also took the focus away from him so he could relax and give a great oral presentation to accompany his PowerPoint. If he got in front of a big prospect with his PowerPoint skills, he won the account 9 times out of ten. He wasn't afraid of technology...he embraced it. If you're a tech geek, be sure to use that to your advantage when selling. "Shock and awe" your customers with technology.
And I don't suggest using PowerPoint anymore, unless you time travel back to the 1990's.
2.) Show Them Who You Are - Too many reps follow a script because they are asked to do so by the company's they work for, and that is a HUGE MISTAKE. Unless you have an obvious competitive advantage with your product, and the patent doesn't run out for ten years, you had better go off script in your presentation and do something different. In pharmaceutical sales everything is scripted to prevent the risk of a lawsuit, but that doesn't mean you have to be as dry as the white paper on a box of pills. Try something different to get a doctor/prospects attention. I received an email from a friend who told me he dropped off a cluster of grapes to the CEO of a company he was trying to get an appointment with, and the CEO called him the next day.
"Why did you send me a bunch of grapes?"
" I had to do something to get your attention. Nothing else was working, so I sent you those grapes because I was hoping to meet with you before they turn sour."
The CEO laughed, "I gotta hand it to you, that is different. So what are you selling?"
"I'm just selling the appointment for now, can you meet with me this week? What day works best for you."
"Not til you tell me what you're selling."
"I'm selling an idea on how to help your company improve revenue."
"That's pretty general but I like your style. Come by on Friday at 10 am. I'm interested to hear what you have to say."
" I'll be there at 10 am. Thank you...I hope the grapes stay fresh til then."
That was the first of several meetings, but eventually after a long process he sold the account. He used a little creativity and humor to gain the appointment and he stayed in the process with the same ingenuity which won him the appointment. Think different and be different, and people will respond.
3.)What Are You Good At? - I have a sister who for years worked as an office manager for various dentists, and finally decided that she could make more money as a sales rep. As usual, our dad was opposed to this idea because he views sales people as "the devils spawn", but she has been very successful. Why? She knows everything about running an office, but she also puts her own personal touch on things. This holiday season she baked fudge for every single dentist in her region, and they really appreciated her personal touch. What was she good at? She's a great cook, and she makes a great peanut butter and chocolate fudge. I'm sure there are other reps in her region who are well qualified but they aren't personable enough to get their message across and so she's taking their business. Because despite the fact we are in the age of Sales 2.0, people still want to have a relationship with you. Be sure to oblige them, and bring something to the table you're good at; and maybe they'll appreciate it.
PS: If you're a good fisherman I don't recommend slapping a rainbow trout on a prospect's desk, but if they fish too, then suggest a day of fishing without any discussion about work. The best business relationships are personal.
4.) Offer Something Besides Your Products - As all of us sales reps know, securing an appointment is like pulling teeth for some prospects/customers. They are just too busy to meet with you, even if you offer lunch or food. Why? Because all the other reps are offering the same things. So what do you do? Offer the customer something besides a good meal and a presentation about your company. Why would they care to hear about your company? They have other issues they need to address. So think of something they need, not what you need: for me it is education. I would educate nurses and doctors on things that will help them do their jobs better. I don't even bring up my company or products until the end of the presentation. If I tell them I want to talk about how our company can help them, they shut me down. However if I bring up education, I have their full attention. Offer something to them besides what everyone else is offering, and in that way you become more to them, than just another sales rep.
PS: And I don't mean offer them money, that's illegal.
5.) Entertain Them - I don't mean juggle, perform magic tricks, or break into song. But I do mean, entertain them, as in engage in conversation, tell a few jokes, or just be sociable. You want to differentiate yourself, then be more engaging and charming then the next person who comes through the door. The best compliment I ever received was from a group of nurses who told me, "You are one of the few reps we actually look forward to seeing." So I asked why, and they responded, "Because you don't come across as pushy or annoying, and you talk to us about stuff other than what you're selling. It's a nice change from the rest of the reps. Sales reps are so annoying sometimes...actually most of the time."
Be entertaining, don't be annoying.
I hope these little tips help you in your goal to be a successful rep. Have a great day selling!
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