Since prospects are overwhelmed, risk-averse, demanding, and easily distracted, salespeople must serve as invaluable assets who bring value to the relationship in every interaction by making everything a SNAP – Simple, iNvaluable, Aligned, and Priority. “Your prospects desperately want to work with smart, savvy people who bring them fresh ideas, insights, and information on how to achieve their business objectives.”
- Simple
- Propose fewer options
- To avoid long, boring PowerPoint presentations, use the NOSE method (needs, outcomes, solutions, evidence)
- Net-it-out by getting to the bottom-line right away
- Start meetings by reviewing the agenda. For example, (a) review recent past interactions (b) discuss future plans (c) set next meeting date.
- iNvaluable
- Bring value to each interaction
- Engage prospects on an equal footing as two smart peers; avoid “clever” objection handling techniques
- Never show insecurity
- Aligned
- Understand prospects’ businesses, challenges, and industry trends (though pre-call research and intelligent questions) and lead with your expertise before touching upon your features, advantages, and benefits (FAB)
- Consider tying up to half your compensation to successful execution of the project
- Use proof sources (references, case studies, testimonials, and whitepapers) that are as similar as possible to your prospect and their circumstances
- Clearly communicate time-to-payback, ROI, and total-cost-of-ownership
- Build trust be being clear about clear about objectives, milestones, budget, scope of work, deliverables, and timelines
- Understand who works with and influences the primary decision maker
- Priority
- Create a quantified gap between your prospect’s status quo and what could be by bringing ideas that (a) solve an known or unidentified problem, or (b) capitalize on an unseen opportunity. Then, provide a vision of what is possible.
- Present your value proposition as: movement + business driver + metrics (ex: increase + conversion rates + by +50%)
- Leverage internal or external trigger events that shift an organization’s priorities
- Assume the role of decision guide; help customers sort through everything that has to be considered to make a change; also stress what stays the same and what complements their existing processes
- Other
- Make fewer calls/visits to ensure higher-quality; to that end, voicemails should be highly personalized as well; make every communication count
- Plan to make 10 touches spread out over four to six weeks during initial prospecting