Meppy Hanzaa?

If you are hell bent and focused on being ‘Politically Correct’ (especially at this time of year) you may want to stop reading this article here.

I originally sat down to pen a letter of warm wishes and ‘Holiday/Season’s Wishes’ but my article seems to have grown to be far more in-depth than I had originally intended. My intention is not to offend, or even to be Politically Correct, it is just to be heard.

As you will read, I am an incredibly fortunate man. Every year around this time, I receive hundreds of ‘Merry Christmas’, ‘Happy Hanukkah’, ‘Happy Holidays’ and ‘Season’s Greetings’ cards and emails from friends and colleagues from around the world (thank you Internet). I have not met, nor will probably ever meet the majority of them. Every card and comment is always welcomed. I believe each message was sent with one thought in mind, to wish me and my family the very best at this time of year.

While I rarely know the personal or religious beliefs of the senders (nor do they know mine), I know one thing for sure and that is the simple fact that they have each taken the time to wish me and my loved ones well and that we have been thought of.

Whether they say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever message they find comfort in sending, the message to me (as I read it) is the same. They are taking the time out of their busy day to express that I have been thought of and that they wish me well. And for that I am thankful and appreciative.

Standard and safe ‘Holiday or Season’s Greetings’ is a greeting that is often sent or spoken with kind intentions to strangers, family, or friends; in nations around the world during the months of December and January. Unfortunately some people get caught up in the ‘Political Correctness’ of the message rather than focus on the goal of the message that was meant. As long as we wish something nice – does it really matter what it is? I am not offended when someone tells me Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas or Happy Kwanzaa or Happy Anything. I figure at the very least, they are wishing me well.

Belief in such things as Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa is a gift to the one who believes it. They hold the gift of that belief. They simply wish to share that gift with others and I believe no offense is meant in giving it. Like all gifts, they can be accepted or declined. I see no reason to become offended because someone wanted to share their gift with you. You have free choice and you can just accept it or decline it.

I have never had the opportunity to practice Judaism, I will never have the experience of being an African American nor have I worshiped Allah; I’m not Wiccan and yet I still don’t take offense to the manner in which someone chooses to be nice to me during these very dark and cold days of the year.

Anyone wishing me happiness and cheer at any time gets my recognition and appreciation. I have always said ‘Merry Christmas’ to people in general, and while it may not be ‘PC’, I don’t recall anyone ever taking offense. If they are uncomfortable, then of course I’m sorry that they’re missing the message behind my Christmas Wishes.

Only by understanding and respecting other beliefs and cultures, which are often very different to our own, will we grow. At some point in all our individual family trees, we all came from somewhere else other than where we live now.

We are all brothers and sisters on this planet celebrating and recognizing what should be a happy time of year. I personally welcome that there is both a nativity scene on display at a local shopping mall near my home and not too far away is the Menorah on display, not more than a hundred feet away.

Regardless of our personal or religious beliefs, it is the time of year to take a minute out of our busy schedules to think of and pray for the less fortunate; namely the military men and women that are not home with their loved ones this year, those less fortunate and those that have larger fights at hand with their own personal challenges.

Hopefully the remaining December and coming New Year WILL be bright for everyone.

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read my comments and if I have offended you, I would love to hear from you. Did I cross a line in sending my heartfelt holiday greeting or would you rather I played  it safe and not send a greeting at all and have just waited to wish you a Happy New Year?

Why don’t we just invent a new word for this time of year and try to keep everybody happy? Maybe something like:

Meppy Hanzaa, Seappy Grolukkah or even Meason’s Greholukkah?

Cheers and Meppy Hanzaa,

Marco Longley 

‘Sophisticated Selling Strategies...Simplified’

Author of “The Ultimate Hot Tub and Pool $ales Book”

www.Top10SalesandConsulting.com

Over the next 3 blogs I will provide you with a set of 3 showroom evaluation forms. The evaluation criteria on these forms includes items relevant to both the interior and exterior of your business; yourself or your staff, and will help you focus on identifying areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Evaluation process: 

Print the form and then go through them to evaluate your staff and the appearance of your business.

 This showroom evaluation is focused on the exterior area of your business. If you want to improve you must commit to being brutally honest in your evaluations! The best way to do this is to view your business through the eyes of the customer and what they see or encounter while visiting your store. You may want to engage an impartial family member or friend to help with the task as if they were a customer coming to your store for the first time.  Again, they must be brutally honest in their evaluation so that you will know where your strengths lie and what areas could use improving.  Every 2-3 months, re-evaluate your business to see how you’ve progressed and don’t be afraid to make changes!

 Each form has several blank rows for you to add your own items for evaluation that may be specific to your store. This form will help you evaluate the exterior of your business.

Please visit my website www.top10salesandconsulting.com to receive a copy of my free eBook on 'Overcoming Objections'.

Cheers,

Marco Longley

Sophisticated Selling Strategies...Simplified

Author of ‘The Ultimate Hot Tub and Pool $ales Book’

Discover how to double your sales in 7 days

 "... let's continue the discussion! Please join my "Group" Pool and...

Evaluating the Exterior Area of Your Business

I had an incredibly frustrating experience yesterday that really opened my eyes to just how irritating a pushy sales person can be. Having worked in sales most of my life, rarely do sales people get under my skin. That was until I walked into my new dentist’s office.

My wife and I recently moved and with that came the need for a new dentist.

A little background here, my teeth are excellent, straight and bright white. Other than the need for the odd cavity filing and regular cleaning, they are fine.

The appointment started the same as any appointment, general chit-chat, attach dribble bid, recline and open wide. Not two minutes into the examination I was asked want kind of toothbrush I used. “Electric” was my reply. “Which one?” she asked. My answer was apparently incorrect (it happens to be the best selling model in North America) and I was told that I really should buy the one they happen to sell. “No Thanks” I replied; “I’m happy with my current toothbrush.” I was then told that I really should consider switching my toothbrush brand to which I replied, “I’ll pass, thanks”.

 Five minutes later I learned my toothpaste wasn’t up to par… sorry, Colgate. For only $15 I could purchase a tube of their best toothpaste. Again “No thank you”; it must have been my blue dribble bib as I don’t believe they listened to anything I said.

The dental technician leaned in closer and very quietly let out a barely audible Hmmm. “Are you familiar with ‘Invisiline’ clear braces?” I thought to myself ‘Braces? What for?’ If you have ever seen my smile, my teeth are straight, really straight. Why would I need braces and if I truly needed braces why hasn’t any other dentist mentioned this to me? Out of curiosity I asked how much they cost. “$6,700 but if you are interested we have them on sale right now for only $5,300”. My gosh over $5,000 for a product I don’t even need. These people have had some hardcore sales training from a retired used car salesman. I was sticker shocked! I again said “No Thank You”, this time with more timber and in an annoyed tone. She thought for a moment and then said, “A night guard for $450 would work until you can afford the Invisline braces”. “I’LL PASS.”

A quiet 25 minutes went by while the technician scrapped and scratched at my teeth. Finally finished with my cleaning she hit the ‘up’ button on the chair and no sooner was I upright that I heard: “We offer oral cancer screening for an added level of security… it’s only…” That was all I could take. “STOP, I’M NOT INTERESTED AND STOP TRYING TO SELL ME SOMETHING! I’ve been in here for one-hour and you have tried to sell me something five times. Please STOP it!” Finally it was quiet, only the grinding sound of the drill punching a hole in my molar. Maybe it was me but I don’t think they put enough numbing agent in, as it was very painful.

Even when I was at the front counter to pay my bill, the receptionist wanted to know when I would like to purchase the services that were offered today.  Really?  I guess she didn’t hear my last comment over the sound of the drill.

So as sales professional, what can we learn from this experience? When trying to sell something to someone, we owe it to our prospects to be incredibly aware of their responses and reactions when we ask for the sale. Don’t just hear their reply, listen to the tone and timber; watch their body language. After you asked for the sale, did they cross their arms or legs? Shift away from you? Change the tone and timber of their voice? Did their reply shift from a monotone ‘no thank you’ to a louder more assertive reply?

Sadly all the verbal and non-verbal clues I displayed were completely missed or ignored by both the dental technician and the dentist as they continued to focus on ‘up selling’ me something before I left the dental office.  I have huge respect for sales people as I know this is how we earn a living but when I have to raise my voice and reply with a very curt and harsh, ‘I’M NOT INTERESTED AND STOP TRYING TO SELL ME SOMETHING’, they stepped over the line and I lost all respect for them and their business. I was so offended by the constant sales pitches, and complete lack of respect when I said ‘no’ that both my wife and I would NEVER go back to them. Instead we will drive the extra hour to visit our old dentist. He never tried to sell us anything.

"... let's continue the discussion! Please join my "Group" Hot Tub and Pool Sales

Cheers,

Marco Longley

Sophisticated Selling Strategies...Simplified 

Author of ‘The Ultimate Hot Tub and Pool $ales Book’

Discover how to double your sales in 7 days

In advance of closing any sale and overcoming objections, you need to check your prospect’s buying temperature before you ask for the sale. If you ask at the wrong time, you risk losing the sale.

Trial Closes are questions that elicit your prospects’ opinion well in advance of asking for the sale

It isn’t enough to just prepare yourself to ask for the sale; you have to prepare your prospect as well. So how does one do that? By using Trial Closes. A closing question asks for a final decision, while a trial closing question is one that asks the prospect for an opinion, the answer to which indicates their readiness to buy. This is also known as 'taking the prospect’s temperature.' If your prospect isn’t hot enough to buy, don’t ask him to buy - it’s as simple as that. You need to move your prospect into a receptive mind set so that when finally asked to purchase, they do.

Trial Closes are non-threatening questions that ask for your prospect's opinion and feelings about what you have presented. Typical trial closing questions can build in their directness, as these examples illustrate:

 “How would you feel about owning a floor model and saving some money?”

 “Which of the features do you envision on your hot tub, why?”

 “How do you feel a spa would soothe your aches and pains?”

 “How do you feel about our foot dome?

 “How would this make you feel after a long day of standing?”

 “What would your family feel if this was their new spa?”

 “Which are your favourite options? Why?”

 “How would you feel if we could deliver your new spa for the weekend?”

While my area of expertise is sales training in the pool and hot tub industry, the Trial Closing techniques are the same whether you are selling hot tubs or helicopters.

Your objective is to get your prospects’ feelings, opinions and feedback, from the time you meet them until you feel it is the right time to close the sale. In the absence of trial closing questions, how do you know when it is the right time to close the sale?

After reading this chapter, you will understand that closing the sale, following great trial closing questions, is much easier and far more likely to result in a sale. The likelihood of your prospect saying yes when you have finally asked for the sale is far more likely to occur if they have had favorable responses to your trial closes throughout your presentation. Master asking trial closes and your closing ratios will improve substantially.

Trial closes often start with words like how, what, who and would.

 “How does it sound so far?”

 “What do you like the most of what you have heard?”

 “How does this compare to what you’re looking for?”

 “What do you think?”

 “How close do you feel this comes to meeting your needs?”

 “Who do you think would enjoy the spa the most often? Why?”

 “Would this work for you and your family?”

Any question that starts with, “In your opinion…” is a trial close.

“In your opinion, Mr. Prospect, how do you feel this model would suit your family?” is a great trial close.

A positive response to any of these trial closes is usually a sign that you should ask for the order. The key is to have one or two trial closes committed to memory and ready to use. Through the effective use of Trial Closes, you will learn if you are getting closer to closing the sale or moving in the wrong direction.

How do you feel about using Trial Closes now they have been explained?

Yes, that WAS a trial close. Did it work?

Please visit my website www.top10salesandconsulting.com to receive a copy of my free eBook on 'Overcoming Objections'.

Cheers,

Marco Longley

Sophisticated Selling Strategies...Simplified

Author of ‘The Ultimate Hot Tub and Pool $ales Book’

Discover how to double your sales in 7 days

"... let's continue the discussion! Please join my "Group" Pool and Hot...

Each of us has been on the good and the bad side of the wheel; even the best sales pros have bad days or weeks, maybe even months. Don’t get discouraged, because it will happen to you as it has happened to me and every other sales professional out there selling every product in every market.

Remember successful selling is a marathon event and not a sprint. Some days you get a “lay down” and can’t miss making the sale while other days you think you have completed the best sales presentation of your career, but no sales resulted. Stop. Breathe. In with the good air and out with the bad.

Accepting the good and the bad is a package deal in the profession of sales. If you are consistently missing the sale, it is up to you to figure out why and how to fix it. Change your pitch, presentation or attitude, tone it down or spice it up, but be receptive to making changes and improvements.

One of the most important areas you can immediately improve is your attitude. What is your mind set at the start of your work day? Will you close the biggest sale of your career? Will it be just another boring day at the office? Will it turn our poorly just as you expected? Maybe it is your attitude. When I get those days, and I do, I like to think of a few people you may already be familiar with that had an unstoppable attitude:

-Babe Ruth is famous for his home run record, but only a few recognize that for many years he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his career (about which he said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”).

-Fired by his newspaper editor, who said he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas,” this man went bankrupt several times before he built the largest entertainment company in the world. His name was Walt Disney.

-The story goes that Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, it is reported Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts before successfully inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” Edison held over 1,300 US and foreign patents at the time of his death.

-Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old and did not read until he was seven. His parents thought he was “sub-normal,” and one of his teachers described him as “mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams.” He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. He did eventually learn to speak and read, even to do a little math.

-A school dropout and child runaway, this amazing individual used $105 from his first social security check at the age of 65 to pursue a dream and a vision he truly believed in. The world knows him as “Colonel” Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Discussion: What do you do to change your attitude?

Cheers,

Marco Longley

Sophisticated Selling Stratgies...Simplified

"... let's continue the discussion! Please join my "Group" Pool and Hot...

1.    Think of a number from 1 to 10

2.    Multiply that number by 9

3.    If the number is a 2-digit number, add the digits together

4.    Now subtract 5

5.    Determine which letter in the alphabet corresponds to the number you ended up with (example: 1=a, 2=b, 3=c, etc.)

6.    Think of a country that starts with that letter

7.    Remember the last letter of the name of that country

8.    Think of the name of an animal that starts with that letter

9.    Remember the last letter in the name of that animal

10. Think of the name of a fruit that starts with that letter

Wait, don't scroll down until you have an answer...

Are you thinking of a Kangaroo in Denmark eating an Orange?

So what just happened here? If you are like the 98% of people that tried this, you thought of a Kangaroo in Denmark with an Orange.

The reason this worked so effectively is that I knew in advance exactly where I wanted you to go. I had a plan in mind that would take you to the desired result and then I simply worked backwards with the end in mind.

Successful selling is exactly the same process. I have a goal that I need to reach, namely having the prospect in front of me purchase my product. Just how we make that happen is much easier if you have a map. That map is called ‘the steps of the sale’.

The steps of the sale are the essential building blocks to move your prospect towards making a buying decision. By understanding and applying the different steps of the sale and how to transition from one to the next, they will help you lead your sales discussion towards a successful sales outcome.

The steps to every successful sale should include:

• Greeting

Be friendly and inviting. Lead the way for your prospects to talk about themselves by asking them a few questions. This is the warm-up part of your presentation where you are building very important rapport with your prospect.

• Establishing credibility

The prospect in front of you may genuinely have never heard of your store or the brands you carry, which is why you need to establish that you are a credible business with a proven history. Show them the area of your store that physically demonstrates your credibility as a company – the credibility wall.

• Discovery

Understand the needs and wants of your prospect. When you truly listen to your prospect, you will understand their needs, wants, concerns and motivators. If you are sincerely interested in fulfilling their needs, the discovery phase will provide you with all the information you need to sell to them as well as how to not sell to them.

• Product presentation

Your time to shine is during your presentation. By now your prospects should have warmed up to you; your own credibility and the store’s credibility have been established, and your discovery has provided you with all the information that is important to your prospect. Throughout this you will have been building a great rapport with your prospect by genuinely listening to what they need.

• Creating urgency

A key component in any sales strategy, in addition to a great discovery, establishing solid credibility and a bullet proof product presentation, is to create a sense of urgency for your prospect to buy now. The more effective you are at creating urgency, the more sales you will make.

• Closing the sale

Nothing happens until a sale is made. Closing the sale is merely the continuation and completion of the terrific sales presentation you have already made. It is also the biggest area of concern most sales people have because they are afraid to hear 'No, or We want to think about it'. It is the logical end why your prospects entered the store. Closing is the final process that brings your prospect to a final decision, be it a yes or a no.

• Overcoming objections

Overcoming objections is crucial for successful selling, no matter what product or service you provide. Only when you master the skills, and gain the confidence to ask your prospect the right questions to fully understand and counter their objections, will you be closer to closing the sale. Know what questions to ask that will address common objections and commit your prospect to purchase.

• Follow-up

Do you take the time after every missed sale to analyze what went well and what didn’t? There are only two possible outcomes following your presentation: your prospect purchased your products or they didn’t purchase your products.  Following up with both successful sales and unsuccessful sales will help you to understand your strengths and areas that still need improving.

Always look for ways to improve your presentation and remember the ABC ‘s

Always Be Closing.

Discussion: In addition to the steps of the sale, what other methods to you use to move your prospects through the sales cycle?

"... let's continue the discussion! Please join my "Group" Pool and Hot...

The prospect standing in front of you may genuinely not have ever heard of your store or the brands you carry which is why you need to establish right off the bat that you are a credible business with a history.

I recently tried to hire a moving company and was amazed by the difference in telephone presentations from the various companies I called. A few of them stood out with their poor presentations because they never established credibility.

I sent several companies an email outlining all the details of the move; the dates, the locations and the house size.  Soon after my emails went out, my telephone rang and our caller ID indicated it was a moving company. I picked up the phone and heard “is this Marco?” I said yes, and they immediately launched into their pricing: “This is Mini-movers and we are $109/hr for 2 men or $139 for 3…how does that sound to you?” “I have no idea” I replied. There was a long silence on the line, finally the person on the other end asked “Why not?” “Why not what?” I said. “Why doesn’t that sound good to you?”  I replied, “Yours is the first company that has contacted me and I know nothing about your company” to their reply was; “We are independently owned and operated”.

Now it was my turn to pause. I said “I think I am going to pass”. “OK” was their reply and we both hung up. They just lost a customer for life and I just wasted precious minutes of my life. This company suffered a common and fatal error in business by not addressing their credibility with me at the beginning of the call. Imagine the difference had the call gone something like this from their side of the conversation:

 “Hello, is this Mr. Longley? I’m Trisha with Mini-movers returning your email inquiry”

“Are you familiar with our company?”

“Let me tell you a little bit about our company so that you can better understand who we are and why we are the best moving company in the city to work with. Mini-movers was founded 29 years ago by Mike Johnson, we have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and have a fleet of 9 trucks with a staff of 38. We are especially proud to say we have won the Consumer Choice awards for the city for nine years in a row. Does that sound like the type of moving company you would be comfortable working with?”

“In order to better understand your needs Marco, do you mind if I ask you a couple questions about your move?”

Do you think they would have a better chance of earning my business with that response instead of telling me their prices first? Ask yourself an important question. Why should a prospect do business with your store? Give yourself 5 minutes and write down why the person standing in front of your should do business with you. I ask this question to the attendees of my sales training courses and rarely do I get a solid answer. Try asking this question to your staff, you will be genuinely surprised by the replies you receive.

‘We want to think about it’ is often caused by a lack of trust when credibility isn’t established.

Far too often salespeople forget to establish credibility because they know the history and success of their company and their products. They forget to share huge credibility boosters such as an A+ BBB rating or consumer choice award they have received.

Establishing credibility is easy if you know how. Create an area in your store that physically demonstrates your credibility as a company. Build a ‘wall of credibility’ complete with (posters, awards, letters of recognition, indicators of involvement in the community). This is an effective sales tool and very powerful to establish with the prospect that they’re dealing with a credible business.

Credibility Builders

• Memberships in Associations BBB, NSPI, etc.
• Photos of happy customers “Hey, I know him”
• Lifestyle Images let your prospect know they’re in the right place
• Manufacturers POP materials
• Water Test Lab is obvious

Credibility Wall

A Credibility wall is an absolute must have in your show room. It is often said a credible testimonial from a satisfied customers is one thousand times more effective than what the salesperson says. One of the most important goals of your presentation is to establish credibility in a manner that is unique and different from your competition. Be memorable to your prospect in every aspect of your presentation.

A great credibility wall should contain several items: professional recognition, photos, awards, testimonials, delivery and/or ownership maps.

Designate a section on one of your main show room walls in a well lit, easily accessible area; NOT in the back of your store, away from the show room, down the dark corridor, next to the dirty washrooms and garbage cans over flowing with debris, discarded pumps and assorted old plumbing manifolds and bits. Can you tell that one is based in fact? You should have a dedicated section of wall space to proudly display your community awards, professional memberships and any other recognizable certificates.

Photo ‘Wall of Fame’

The main area of the credibility should have pictures of happy families enjoying the product they purchased from your company. When you receive a picture from a happy customer (more about getting those important pictures in future blogs), have a 3 x 5 card with ‘what our (product name) means to us’ typed across the top, below that print the family name ‘the Johnson family’. Have your appreciative customers fill this card out in their own handwriting; have them share what investing in your product has meant to them. You are building up huge credibility here AND silently overcoming objections.

Discussion:  What are you doing or not doing to help build credibility into your sales presentation?

"... let's continue the discussion! Please join my "Group" Pool and Hot...

In the absence of value, every single selling situation degenerates to one thing…PRICE.

The more value you build into your presentation, the more valuable your product becomes to your prospect.

Features + Advantages + Benefits = Value

The price we ask must be equal to or less than the value that we are able to establish.

Your prospect will pay a higher price for your products and services if they feel the value you built justifies your asking price. In the absence of value, all that’s left to negotiate is the price. A high value will justify a higher asking price; a lack of value will justify a lower price.

FAB Statements

Are you familiar with FAB statements as they relate to your presentation? They are an incredibly powerful sales technique that will substantially increase your sales when you master using them successfully.

Your primary focus in selling must be to make it absolutely clear that what you are offering is of value for your prospect. You must explain how your prospect will benefit from ownership. The most effective way to do this is with FAB statements. FAB statements help paint the picture as to why your spa, pool or product is the most effective means of fulfilling your prospects’ needs. It connects the physical features of your product to the benefit the prospect wishes to receive. The benefit of your product is the reason why your prospect must own it.

Why use a FAB Statement?

• They build value in your product and increased value justifies the asking price.
• You control the direction of the discussion and presentation.
• You can better understand your prospects’ needs.
• They reduce the chances of you data dumping.
• The prospect will often reveal buying signals.
• You will address their WIIFM.

It doesn’t matter if you're the largest, the shiniest or the fastest. How do you know if any of that is important to your prospect? Your prospect will always be thinking WIIFM - “What's in it for me?”

Your prospect will always be wondering “What’s in it for me?”

FAB statements are the most effective and valuable techniques to present your unique features, explain their associated benefits and build value in your product. Effective use of FAB statements will result in increased sales. When you present your products, always remember to translate your features into advantages and then advantages into benefits. The benefit of your product is the reason your prospect will buy from you, as it is the WIIFM that they will remember most. With practice, you will be able to turn that benefit in to a hook, a trial close that connects all the dots. Your hook gets them to confirm the benefit is important to them.

• Feature – actual components of the product (What is it?)
• Advantage - what the result of having the feature is (What does it do?)
• Benefit – how your prospect will benefit by having the feature (WIIFM?)
• Hook - ties the benefit into a trial closing question

It is not uncommon to have many different benefits associated with your unique product features, so adjust your benefit statements to reflect your prospects’ specific needs.

Following every feature and/or advantage you mention, transition into what the benefit to your prospect is.

• “What it means to you is...”
• “Providing you with…”
• “What this does for you is…”
• “Which means you will benefit by…?”
• “Therefore you will be able to…”

FAB Statement Examples

Built in Steps

“Our ‘easy entry’ cascading steps (feature) make spa entry and exit safer and easier (advantage). What this means to you is whether it’s your kids, Grandma or yourself, you will have the safest, most stable and secure way to enter and exit your hot tub (benefit). Do you think that safety is important to Grandma? Do you think she would use and enjoy the spa more if she felt safe moving in and out of it (hook)?”

OR

Waterfalls

The feature is waterfalls. The advantage is they create the sound of ocean waves or a babbling brook. The benefit is deep mental relaxation as your mind drifts a thousand miles away to a tropical beach.

“Mr. Prospect, one of our most popular options is our ribbon waterfalls (feature). They mimic the sound of a babbling brook (advantage). What this does is put your mind into an incredibly relaxed, stress-free environment. By simply closing your eyes and listening to the waterfalls, your mind will drift a thousand miles away to a tropical beach with the rolling waves in the background. The massaging jets will relax your muscles, while the waterfalls will relax your mind (benefit). Relaxation is important to you, isn’t it (hook)?”

“Mr. Prospect, please close your eyes for just a moment and listen to the sound the waterfalls create. How would that make you feel after one of your long stress-filled 12-hour days?”

Does that FAB statement sound effective in painting the picture? Would that detailed description help your prospect make an emotional connection to your spa as compared to you simply saying, “We have three waterfalls”?

What are your favorite methods to build value in your presentation?

"... let's continue the discussion! Please join my "Group" Pool and Hot Tub Sales

In the absence of value, every single selling situation degenerates to one thing…PRICE.

The more value you build into your presentation, the more valuable your product becomes to your prospect.

Features + Advantages + Benefits = Value

The price we ask must be equal to or less than the value that we are able to establish.

Your prospect will pay a higher price for your products and services if they feel the value you built justifies your asking price. In the absence of value, all that’s left to negotiate is the price. A high value will justify a higher asking price; a lack of value will justify a lower price.

FAB Statements

Are you familiar with FAB statements as they relate to your presentation? They are an incredibly powerful sales technique that will substantially increase your sales when you master using them successfully.

Your primary focus in selling must be to make it absolutely clear that what you are offering is of value for your prospect. You must explain how your prospect will benefit from ownership. The most effective way to do this is with FAB statements. FAB statements help paint the picture as to why your spa, pool or product is the most effective means of fulfilling your prospects’ needs. It connects the physical features of your product to the benefit the prospect wishes to receive. The benefit of your product is the reason why your prospect must own it.

Why use a FAB Statement?

• They build value in your product and increased value justifies the asking price.
• You control the direction of the discussion and presentation.
• You can better understand your prospects’ needs.
• They reduce the chances of you data dumping.
• The prospect will often reveal buying signals.
• You will address their WIIFM.

It doesn’t matter if you're the largest, the shiniest or the fastest. How do you know if any of that is important to your prospect? Your prospect will always be thinking WIIFM - “What's in it for me?”

Your prospect will always be wondering “What’s in it for me?”

FAB statements are the most effective and valuable techniques to present your unique features, explain their associated benefits and build value in your product. Effective use of FAB statements will result in increased sales. When you present your products, always remember to translate your features into advantages and then advantages into benefits. The benefit of your product is the reason your prospect will buy from you, as it is the WIIFM that they will remember most. With practice, you will be able to turn that benefit in to a hook, a trial close that connects all the dots. Your hook gets them to confirm the benefit is important to them.

• Feature – actual components of the product (What is it?)
• Advantage - what the result of having the feature is (What does it do?)
• Benefit – how your prospect will benefit by having the feature (WIIFM?)
• Hook - ties the benefit into a trial closing question

It is not uncommon to have many different benefits associated with your unique product features, so adjust your benefit statements to reflect your prospects’ specific needs.

Following every feature and/or advantage you mention, transition into what the benefit to your prospect is.

• “What it means to you is...”
• “Providing you with…”
• “What this does for you is…”
• “Which means you will benefit by…?”
• “Therefore you will be able to…”

FAB Statement Examples

Built in Steps

“Our ‘easy entry’ cascading steps (feature) make spa entry and exit safer and easier (advantage). What this means to you is whether it’s your kids, Grandma or yourself, you will have the safest, most stable and secure way to enter and exit your hot tub (benefit). Do you think that safety is important to Grandma? Do you think she would use and enjoy the spa more if she felt safe moving in and out of it (hook)?”

OR

Waterfalls

The feature is waterfalls. The advantage is they create the sound of ocean waves or a babbling brook. The benefit is deep mental relaxation as your mind drifts a thousand miles away to a tropical beach.

“Mr. Prospect, one of our most popular options is our ribbon waterfalls (feature). They mimic the sound of a babbling brook (advantage). What this does is put your mind into an incredibly relaxed, stress-free environment. By simply closing your eyes and listening to the waterfalls, your mind will drift a thousand miles away to a tropical beach with the rolling waves in the background. The massaging jets will relax your muscles, while the waterfalls will relax your mind (benefit). Relaxation is important to you, isn’t it (hook)?”

“Mr. Prospect, please close your eyes for just a moment and listen to the sound the waterfalls create. How would that make you feel after one of your long stress-filled 12-hour days?”

Does that FAB statement sound effective in painting the picture? Would that detailed description help your prospect make an emotional connection to your spa as compared to you simply saying, “We have three waterfalls”?

What are your favorite methods to build value in your presentation?

Let's continue the discussion! Please join my "Group" Pool and Hot Tub Sales