Q: “Jack, I think I’m spinning my wheels! My sales presentation talks about what our product does. But I’m not getting much traction! Any suggestions?”
A: For every prospect there has to be a problem you can resolve. If not, you’re spinning your wheels. Do you agree?
There’s a lot to be learned before offering a product or service. Most people will tell you just about anything you want to know about their business. All you have to do is ask questions sensibly, then listen carefully.
So the first step is doing your homework, find the opportunity.
Let’s say you’re interested in establishing a foothold for your product in the building service sector. You want to know more about companies who provide cleaning and facility maintenance services to building owners and managers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
So I Googled, building services.
Almost every industry has a trade association: I clicked on the Building Service Contractors Association International (bscai.org). The BSCAI represents a worldwide network of more than 2,000 member companies from across the U.S. The association provides educational programs, publications, video training programs, seminars, and networking opportunities.
Within the BSCAI Membership Directory, I found six business categories ranging from building service contractor, security companies, janitorial supplies to franchisors and consultants. In Miami: seven maintenance, two security and two janitorial supply companies, each with contact information.
Of course, I copied key information to start building a file for a Cleaning & Maintenance Profile.
I also found three related organizations, each an excellent source for cleaning and maintenance industry information: The International Sanitary Supply Association (issa.com), BOMA International (boma.org) and The NPTA Alliance (gonpta.com).
At random, I selected Dade Paper (dadepaper.com) for a closer look. They’ve been in business in Miami since 1939. Excellent website! They provide service to the Mid Atlantic Region: from Miami (and recently Puerto Rico) to Washington DC, including 10 southeastern states. They certainly look like a Class “A” prospect.
The website’s Home page provides an overview of their product line and top sellers. The Branch Office page helped me gather personal contact information for each of their seventeen branch offices. The Newsletter PDF file gave background to the company’s recent growth and expansion.
It took me about an hour to start your Cleaning & Maintenance Profile. Now, either you push on to gather more information; or, hire a Personal Assistant to finish the job.
Tasks Every Day (taskseveryday.com) is located in India and can virtually assign and resolve any task that doesn’t require physical presence. Or checkout Va4u.com/assistant – you’ll meet PA’s from around the world. Cost is as little as $6.98 an hour. Okay?
Good decision! Your new PA can finish gathering information and order the Category Profile.
Your objective is to meet with the right people in those companies you’ve qualified as “A and B” prospects. Rather than start with your sales presentation, introduce yourself with your “Elevator Talk.” Use conversational questions to help identify the prospect’s unresolved problems related to your product and service.
Some sales experts call this “gap” identification. The gap shows where the prospect is today and where they’d like to be in the future. Understanding the gap, you’ll be able to determine how you can provide a valuable solution.
Remember: A powerful sales presentation begins with an understanding of the client’s needs, the problem to be resolved. Then, the presentation demonstrates your understanding by offering a realizable solution while seeking to establish a consensus.
Want more information about developing effective sales tools? Visit www.askJack2answer.com You ask and I’ll answer.
Jack G Hardy
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