MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CENTRAL PA

Techniques & Tactics For Selling Up

What are we selling?Selling What the product isMetalWireWovenTreatedPackaged

Sell up by promoting “What the product does” SafetyHealthAsset ProtectionImproved Complianceprotection of image and reputationreduced down timereduced errors ratesimproved qualityimproved productivityadherence to good practicesesprit de corps

Sell to all parties:Source Substitution

Upper Managers1. Describe the cost of existing source use2. Reflect total cost, implementation and maintenance3. Compliance issuesMiddle management1. Doesn’t interfere with production2. Will enhance production3. Implemented in a way that won’t affect production or irritate

workers

Line workers1. Comfort, ease of use, simple changes to process,2. Cool colors, the thing actually works!3. Make the message match the recipient!

Success Stories

What are your selling-up success stories?

Questions centered around five service characteristics

What are issues of concern to customers?1. Price?2. On-Time Delivery?3. Reliability?4. Safety?5. Responsiveness?

DON’T FAKE PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

Learn what you need to know as quickly as you can.You will need:

1. Product Knowledge2. People Skills3. Selling Skills4. Positive Attitude

KNOW YOUR PRODUCTS!What does your product do?What it can’t do or isn’t?What can and cannot your competitors products do?Your unique selling position?Your competitors unique selling position?How your customers have uniquely used your product or service to improve their business?How your prospects have uniquely used your competitors product/service?

Developing Product Knowledge I1. Does Company train to improve product

knowledge? If not how do you keep current?

2. Do you subscribe to magazines, newsletters, journals that keep you educated on your industry and trends that impact your success?

If Yes, list them

3. Do you attend seminars? If Yes, list them

Developing Product Knowledge II4. Have you cultivated relationships with your

competition to keep up to speed on their strengths, weaknesses, strategies, products, services?

If Yes, how did you do this?5. Why do people buy from your organization?

What is most appealing about your products?

6. Why don’t people buy from your organization?7. Why do people buy from your competitors?8. Why don’t people buy from your competitors?

Developing Product Knowledge III

9. How well do you sell against your competitors weaknesses?

10. What are your customers telling you they want or need that you or your competitors are not supplying?

11. What trends or shifts are currently occurring in the market that are impacting your sales success? And how?

Developing Product Knowledge IV

9. If your approach is business as usual, can you expect to maintain or increase your success?

10. How are your competitors responding to trends and shifts in the market?

More Probing Questions1. How would you like to see your company and us work

together?2. Please tell me how you see our products or services

contributing to you _____________.3. Could you please elaborate further on that?4. Have you considered other alternatives, such as

______________?5. How do you feel about ______________?6. How do you typically budget for these type of

expenditures?7. What do you see as our next step?8. When would you be in a position to begin, commit,

decide?

Probing I

1. Know why the prospect is buying from you. Specified by end user? Price? Quality? Delivery Date?

2. Know what options are available to the Prospect from your competitors

Specifications Price? Quality? Delivery Date?

3. Know your competitors weaknesses (as well as strengths)

Probing II

4. Develop an understanding of how your prospect is going to use the product.

5. Sell yourself as a resource for your client. Don’t just try to move products or services.

6. Learn the internal politics of what is really going on inside your prospect’s organization, so you can position yourself accordingly.

Framing the Probing Question

Many of our customers tell us that they are concerned about ____________________.

Fill in for ProductWhat are some of your current issues or concerns (problems or challenges) that you feel are getting in the way of your product’s performance?

Trust Building

Describe how you may have built trust with a customer by using why, how, where, when, what, and who questions that show a genuine interest in the customer’s desires, concerns, challenges, and problems.

Action Steps1. Call your top 15 clients and ask them how you can be

a better resource to them.

2. Call your top 15 prospects and ask them how you can be a better resource to them.

3. Talk to other sales people and ask them how they are a resource for their customers.

4. Create an action plan to begin being a better resource.