When provide solutions, we do not sell products. People do not buy products and they buy products of the products – known as benefits. By selling the benefits of the products through figures and pictures, the salesperson wins and help others to win.
In sales, we ask ourselves two questions. The first question: What do we sell?, the second question: what do your prospects buy? The third question to ask ourself, do these two lists match? If yes, we are miles ahead of many of our competitors. By doing these simple test, it will reveal a great deal about us.
When we truly believe what we have to offer is for the benefit of our prospects, we will take a certain number of calculated risks to persuade our prospects to take action in their own best interests. We will do it politely, pleasantly and professionally but we WILL do it. When we want our prospects to take action, we will talk about the benefit and lead with need.
One of the oldest educational principles known to the human race – repetition. Listen to the right messages on an ongoing and repetitive basis. Repetition is the mother of learning and the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.
In order to “lead with need”, we must have an understanding of the basic definitions of three key words. (1) Feature is part of the product or service – or what the product of service IS. (2) Function is the act that particular part of the product or service performs – or what that particular part of the product or service DOES. (3) Benefit is the advantage in using the feature and the function – or what the feature and function DO FOR THE PROSPECT/CLIENT.
Our challenge as a salesperson is to clearly understand and articulate the features, function or benefits of our product or services, or else, we will be losing the sales to those who can. We can use the following questions to become a true professional in sales:
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What are the three most important parts/aspects of our product or service? (What is our product or service?)
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What act does that part/aspect perform? (What does your product or service do?)
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What is the most efficient statement for us to use with our product or service that states loudly and clearly, “Look out, here comes the benefit to you!”?
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What are the primary reasons that others would want to purchase our product or service? (What does our product or service do for the prospect?)
(Adapted from “The Ultimate Handbook for the Complete Sales Professional – Ziglar on Selling”, Chapter 9 – Selling Solutions to People’s Problem – Lead with Need, by Zig Ziglar)