One of the longest standing, most respected and basic presentation methods is F.A.B. Selling. I do not know who first identified this method, but I learned it from Larry Wilson in a Sales Sonics course in the late 1960s. The abbreviations stand for Feature, Advantage and Benefit. Many salespersons would tell you that they understand F.A.B. Selling. My 40+ years experience in sales training has taught me that this is not necessarily so. When salespersons say they understand it, what that has usually meant is that they know that prospects do not ...
As salespersons we know that occasionally (really more often that we like) we are going to get an Objection. The question is, “When do we handle those objections.” For many years professional salespersons have followed a practice of handling objections at four different times in the sales process. Understanding exactly which objections should be handled at which places in the sales process is another of those great sales techniques. The four times to answer an objection are: (1) before it comes up, (2) immediately when ...
Why Doesn’t a Qualified Prospect Buy Now? It is not uncommon for a thoroughly qualified prospect to stall on making a buying decision after he has heard a perfectly delivered feature, advantage and benefit presentation on a correctly priced product/service that is exactly what he wants/needs. Read on and find out why? Often after a prospect has heard a presentation and has been asked to buy, he puts up some resistance to buying at that time. Very often what he says has a tendency to cause the salesperson to lose momentum and ultimately bring the sales process to a halt. ...
Often we as salespersons become disheartened due to the number, frequency and sort of objections we receive from prospects. Some salespersons may even begin to feel a form of personal rejection. In an attempt to help clarify what is really happening when a salesperson is given an objection, I would like to begin by getting rid of the cancer of personal rejection. I was fortunate to learn at a very early point in my sales career exactly why I should never take an objection as a
A professional Doctor believes very strongly in the medicines and the treatments they prescribe. They are so confident in their actions that they take the Hippocratic Oath. This oath, in just a few words, says “Do NO harm.” A professional Salesperson believes very strongly in the products and services that they sell. They are so confident in their actions that they take the Salespersons’ Oath. This oath, in just a few words, says “Do NO harm.” The Professional Doctor is committed to the practice of only prescribing ...
Is Everyone a Prospect? Yes! Really? Sales and income are lost when a salesperson does not know how to: find the persons who should buy his product/service; recognize when a prospect has an interest in his product/service; identify the level of interest; create or increase the level of interest so as to produce a qualified prospect. Is everyone a prospect? Yes! Really? Of course! He is a prospect for someone. Whether or not he is a good prospect for us is what we must determine. Each of the various sales areas requires the ability to identify prospects for ...
[caption id="attachment_193" align="alignright" width="225" caption="It is a Warning, NOT a stoplight."][/caption] Many years ago, I can recall as a new salesperson, how disappointed and frustrated I was when confronted with Objections. Fortunately, very early in my sales career, my company sent me to a sales training course. It was taught by a man named J. Douglas Edwards. I was to learn that he is considered to be the greatest sales expert ever. Doug Edwards actually created many of the great sales techniques that professional salespersons use today. Tom Hopkins, ...
Is Selling a Science or an Art? Yes! How is That Possible? The strategic use of words to modify thinking and thus behavior is a science. The manner in which the strategy is executed is an art. Is selling an art or a science? Yes! How is it possible that it is both? It is possible because it requires both disciplines to be done well. If we agree that selling is a communication process, then it becomes easier to understand how it requires both science and art. It has been well documented scientifically that communication is made up of different ...
