Do you have a fear of selling

Is the idea of selling holding you back from starting your own home-based business?

The idea of selling can be very frightening, especially if you’re new to the world of sales. Becoming a successful salesperson is all about confidence and confidence is a by-product of experience. You can only develop experience through practice and there lies the conundrum. You’ll struggle to develop confidence if you let your fears of selling stop you from acting. The fear of selling stems from a lack of knowledge. Rest assured ‘selling is simple’ once you break it down into smaller mini processes. In sales, the biggest obstacle to overcome is ‘yourself’.

When you accept your fears about selling, recognise your weaknesses in this domain and acknowledge that you’ll experience knock-backs you’ll be well on the road to becoming a sales success. It’s important to accept your fears. It’s natural to feel apprehensive if you’ve never sold before and you cannot expect to feel any other way. It’s just as important to acknowledge that this is a weakness in your path towards success. When you can identify that a problem exists you can then start to work towards a solution – after all, you cannot fix what you don’t acknowledge. Finally, if you accept that you’ll be ‘rejected’ from time to time you’ll not be disappointed! Through no fault of your own, or your product or service, you simply will not satisfy the needs of every potential customer. Provided the reasons for the knock-backs you may experience are not a reflection of the product or service itself, or your level of customer service, it’s entirely conceivable that you won’t secure every sale.

So let’s start building your confidence, with five simple lessons!

Lesson 1. Do you understand and appreciate the distinction between the ‘features and benefits’ of your product or service?

This is an important point. Customers immediately respond to what they understand best – ‘what’s in it for me?’ When promoting your product or service convert your features into benefits. To successfully sell you should discuss the features of your product or service in terms of how they will benefit the customer. Features are the characteristics and technical aspects of a product or service; those intangible and tangible attributes. A feature can be a product’s capacity, colour, strength, durability, technical capabilities and so forth. A benefit describes exactly how a product or service will satisfy the customer’s need. Customers are only interested in the benefits, not the features of your product or service. You can have a mountain of fabulous product or service features; however they’re nothing more than an extra production cost if they don’t translate into real benefits desired by the customer. Let’s take a closer look at the difference.

Pantene’s Pro-V Colour Therapy Conditioner is designed with a pro-vitamin formulation (this is a feature of Pantene’s hair conditioning treatment). The benefit of the pro-vitamin formulation is that it provides the customer with the means to have beautiful, shiny and healthy looking hair as it restores and preserves the beauty of colour treated hair. Women are motivated to purchase products such as Pantene’s range because they hold the hope and opportunity to look beautiful.

The features of a car could include: anti-lock brakes, side airbags, leather seats, or airconditioning. The benefits provided by these features include: anti-lock brakes provide safety in wet weather and if you have to stop quickly; airbags will reduce the physical impact of a collision, again providing additional security and safety; leather seats are more robust and comfortable than cloth thus keeping the car in ‘prestige condition’; airconditioning increases driving pleasure, allowing driver and passenger to travel at a comfortable temperature.

In any given purchase there are two forces at work: emotion and logic. Most consumers base their purchase decisions on the emotional benefit provided by the product or service and justify the purchase with logic. Consider the purchase of an average $500 digital camera. With the exception of photo enthusiasts, most consumers will purchase a basic digital camera to conveniently capture special moments at any given point in time. This is the emotional rationale that justifies the purchase. The logic that supports the purchasing decision is the product’s features, in this example the feature of 8.1 mega pixels with 3.5x zoom glass lens, which enables the user to easily capture a moment in time in any given situation.

Consider why some teenagers have mobile phones. It’s not solely because a mobile phone provides safety, the most logical reason for its purchase. Teenagers desire their own mobile phone because they want to look cool and fit in with their friends – they seek the acceptance of their peers which is an emotional benefit provided by the mobile phone.

Benefits appeal to the consumer’s emotional side as they satisfy the consumer’s real need, which is why most purchases are made based on the benefits provided, not the features. Features simply justify the purchase once the purchase has been made.

What are the key benefits of your product or service? Selling, whether it’s through an advertisement or face-to-face, should always place focus on the benefits, demonstrating to the customer how your product or service will improve their life. Take time to develop a solid list of benefits. Focusing on the ‘how’ instead of the ‘what’ will practically guarantee a better response and more sales.

Exercise: To understand the emotional benefits provided by your product or service, consider the following extract from an article by Adrian Mullen, author of 'The Internet Demystified' and founder of WebDummy.com – a popular Internet marketing resource for small business owners.

There are three steps to creating benefit orientated sales copy and/or messages, namely:

Step 1: Isolate the features of your product or service
Step 2: Convert the features into benefits
Step 3: Explain and elaborate on the benefits

Let's go through a few examples so you get a better feel for how the process works.

Example 1: Nokia 6800 Mobile Phone

Step 1: Isolate the Features

Here we are looking for the attributes of the product, which are:

-    unique and innovative design
-    high-resolution full colour display
-    compact size
-    camera to take snapshots
-    synchronise data by linking directly to your PC
-    speed dial for up to nine names

Step 2: Convert the Features into Benefits

Now that we've identified all the features, it's time to associate each feature with a corresponding benefit.

The Nokia 6800 Mobile Phone features:

-    unique and innovative design: which means the phone looks cool and stylish
-    high-resolution full colour display: which means the text is easy to read and the images are sharp and clear
-    compact size: which means the phone is small enough to fit in your pocket
-    camera to take snapshots: which means you'll never miss an important moment if you forget to bring your camera
-    synchronise data by linking directly to your PC: which means you'll always be up-to-date and save time by not having to input contacts one by one
-    speed dial for up to nine names: which means you'll save time by not having to constantly look up people you call frequently.

Step 3: Explain and Elaborate on the Benefits

Once you've established the benefits of your product or service, you can begin writing your sales copy. This is done by simply elaborating on the benefits you've identified.

Here's the final copy we've created on the Nokia phone, all taken from the six original features we started with.

Introducing the Smart and Sexy Nokia 6800

The new Nokia 6800 takes stylish gadgets to the next level.

Nokia's latest mobile phone features a stylish magnesium alloy casing that's sure to make you the envy of all your friends.

The high- resolution, full colour display means that text messages are easy to read (no squinting) and photos are crystal clear.

And you know how Murphy's Law dictates you never have a camera when you actually need one? Problem solved! The 6800 has an in-built camera so you'll never miss an important moment.

But the 6800 isn't just good looks; it has brains as well.

A built in infrared module means you can save hours by instantly transferring your PC address book to your phone. The one touch transfer button means you'll always be up-to-date.

And if you're like most people, you probably have a handful of friends you call all the time – so instant speed dial buttons are a must. Speed dial also comes in handy when you're on the road (no more fumbling to find that phone number between traffic lights).

You'd expect a phone with this many features to be a tad on the bulky side, but the Nokia phone is no brick – the innovative design means it's small enough to fit in your shirt pocket.

Your list of elaborated benefits represents carefully crafted messages you can use in a number of different selling situations.

Lesson 2. Not all benefits are equal.

Upon review of your list of features and benefits you’ll notice that some features provide stronger benefits than others. Some benefits are more applicable to other segments of your target market. This is another important point to appreciate. Each benefit provided by your product or service will not equally satisfy the entire needs of your overall target market.

For example, dehydrated cup of soup sachets pack an enormous appeal to winter campers, however the soup sachet’s ease of use and convenience as a quick snack may appeal just as much, if not more, to office workers looking for an alternate to coffee, tea and other standard beverages.

Using your list above, add another column. In this column describe the group of consumers whose needs would be satisfied by the respective benefit.

Lesson 3. Tailor your sales campaign.

Attempting to mass market and sell your product or service will provide disappointing results. Your selling and marketing efforts should be tailored based on the needs of each segment of your overall target market and how your product or service benefits each segment. A customer’s level of desire and need for various products and services will greatly differ from customer to customer. More often than not when you’re selling to several different people at once you’ll find positive results by tailoring the sales presentation of your product or service to appeal to each possible segment of your target market.

Sadly many business owners struggle to dissect their overall target market. Sales is not black and white; there are many shades of grey. Granted, it’s difficult and expensive to print separate marketing materials to appeal to various segments. Therefore if you’re creating sales copy to be viewed by a wider target market, ensure your copy speaks to all audiences.

Lesson 4. What’s your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

Time to consider your competition. How does your list of product/service features and benefits compare with those offered by your competitors? Just as importantly consider why a customer should choose you over another supplier or service provider? Generally speaking customers choose suppliers based on their USP and how it emotionally relates to them. The USP sums up the benefits provided by the product or service, providing compelling justification that motivates a customer to purchase. In order to overcome your competition you need to develop a strong USP. Try summing up the benefits of your product or service in one phrase or a brief sentence.

Avoid basing your USP on a general claim such as our product ‘tastes better’ or ‘goes faster’, unless you have some credible, objective documentation to substantiate your claim.

Many companies base their sales pitch on what's unique about their product or service offering. Let’s look at some examples:

Wonder Bread: ‘It helps build strong bones 12 ways’

Federal Express (FedEx) dominated the package shipping market with the following USP: ‘Federal Express: When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight’

L’Oreal: ‘Because you are worth it’

Kentucky Fried Chicken – KFC: ‘It's finger-lickin' good’

M&M's: ‘The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand’

The best known use of a problem-based USP has to be Avis. The car rental company ran a distant second behind Hertz until they coined the USP: ‘We're Number Two. We Try Harder’.

Note how each USP above strikes an emotional cord. M&M’s ‘The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand’ – can’t you just taste the chocolate? L’Oreal’s ‘Because you are worth it’ – well of course you are … would you say you’re not? And finally, Wonder Bread’s ‘It helps build strong bones 12 ways’ – what parent doesn’t want their child to grow up with healthy bones?

Lesson 5. Get out there!

Nothing will happen unless you make it happen! If you want a small business turning over a handful of sales a month, then stay hidden behind your PC. For those in fear of sales an online business is great as it provides perfect anonymity. However, whilst it avoids undertaking the process of face-to-face direct sales, it does limit your business’s potential. If you dream of taking your business to great heights, the fact is you have to get out there. Hiding away in fact will double your workload as you’ll have to work twice as hard to attract traffic to your website. In conjunction you’ll also need superior ‘copy’ to appeal and convert visitors into customers.

For those aiming for the stars, you’ll need to make B2B sales (business-to-business). To achieve a reasonable level of market penetration and word of mouth promotion you should distribute through a retailer and/or middle person who has ready access to your target market. This usually involves giving a prearranged presentation, whether in person or initially on paper.

Selling business-to-business can be quite a complex process. Many times you’ll never meet the person who will ultimately use your product. You’ll need to appeal to the buyer and/or purchasing agent, who’ll be focused not only on the benefit for their customers, but the benefit for their business as well. If you have properly developed your tailored sales messages as discussed above you’ll be in good stead to confidently appeal to the buyer or purchasing agent.

To further support your sales efforts, research the buying agent and potential retailer/distributor before you meet. Know who you are presenting to and what their role is in the business. If you’re presenting accounting software to a company accountant, consider their role in the company and how you could successfully appeal to this person. Try to anticipate some of the objections and/or questions the distributor could have and consider your possible responses. Finetune your presentation to appeal to the individuals in the room as well as to the company they represent. Researching potential distributors is a great way to pre-qualify them. It would be a waste of time and resources meeting with distributors who only have a distant reach to your target market and/or who would fail to help market and promote your product. Take the time to ensure there’s a genuine synergy between potential distributors and the objectives of your business.

Practice is perfect. If you’re a foreigner to the world of sales, take time to rehearse your sales presentation. Perhaps try role modelling your presentation with a close friend or family member. A little preparation won’t go astray. Knowing what you’re going to say and when you’ll say it can save a lot of nervous rambling and ensure the attendees leave with a handful of clear benefit statements about your product.

Embrace any objections you may receive during your sales presentations. Negative feedback is far more beneficial than positive feedback; you can’t improve if you’re only told how great you are. Negative criticism can be the catalyst for a slight product modification that sees your product become a bestseller. Always end your presentations with confirmation of the next step, whether it’s the close of the sale, with a signed order form, or an agreement to progress further.

Your approach to sales, your presentation skills and level of confidence will all improve as you undertake more sales presentations. You’ll start to identify the common objections to your product and tailor your responses accordingly. Ideally put together a list of the top five common objections that arise during a sales presentation and write down a well-scripted response. Your responses should incorporate the benefits listed above. Scripting your responses will help you remember them and respond smoothly should they arise. It will also provide you with the opportunity to proactively head the objection off before it arises. If you believe the attendees are likely to raise a certain objection, build a pre-emptive response into the core of your presentation. This will remove the objection right at the start so you can confidently get on with the rest of your sales presentation.

Don’t expect to walk away with a sale from every presentation. You may not secure the sale on the first presentation; it may take a succession of meetings before the customer agrees to make a purchase. It’s important not to be too pushy and/or demanding as some customers like to take their time before making a commitment. It’s far more beneficial to take the time to build a relationship with a potential customer as then you’re more likely to have them for life.

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