Bill Rice Internet Marketing > Quick Sales Tips

Five Competitor Objections and How to Overcome Them

February 6, 2011 by
Competitor Sales Objection

Know How to Handle These Top 5 Competitor Objections.

Overcoming sales objections can be especially tricky when a prospect suggests that your competitor’s offering is better than yours. You might be tempted to degrade the competition, but try to keep the focus on the benefits you can provide. Following are five competitor-related objections, along with responses you can use to overcome them. Of course, you’ll need to tailor your answers to reflect the specific advantages of your product or service, but these sales tips should give you a good idea of where to take the conversation.

1. “I already have a supplier I’m happy with.”

“That’s great, and I appreciate the time and effort it probably took you to make that selection. But just imagine for a moment that your supplier offered you the same quality product at a lower price, with improved ease of ordering, and with faster delivery. Would you be even happier?”

You’d be hard-pressed to find a prospect who could honestly answer no, and you now have a receptive audience; if the only change they’ll make by going with you is for the better, then you’re worth listening to.

2. “Your prices are higher than the competitor’s.”

“Only at face value; our cartridges produce twice the amount of images, so while the unit price is 25% higher, the actual per-image cost is over a third less than theirs.”

3. “I’ve been with my current supplier for a long time.”

“Sure, and I understand not wanting to stray too far out of your comfort zone, but if you don’t keep abreast of the ways your competitors are able to increase their savings, you could be shortchanging yourself and your company. You owe it to yourself to reassess the status quo every so often.”

4. “It would be a risk to try your product.”

“Isn’t it a bigger risk to dismiss our value-add right off the bat, without really knowing what you’re dismissing? At least make an informed dismissal, if that’s what you choose to do. You’ll never know what you’re giving up unless you try it.”

5. “I don’t have the time to explore alternative options right now.”

“I appreciate your time constraints, absolutely, and my job is to give you increased returns for less investment of both your time AND money. That’s why our customers love us.”

Remember to be your prospect’s ally. You’re on their side, so be empathetic to their objections and act as a partner in addressing their needs.

Filed Under: Quick Sales Tips, Social Selling Tagged With: competitor objections, competitor sales objections


Taking Control (In A Good Way) On A Sales Call Is A Matter Of Listening

February 5, 2011 by
Sales Calls

Taking Control of the Conversation is Just a Matter of Listening.

One of the main sales tips all sales reps are taught is how to take control on a sales call. Statistics show that sales are made in the first three minutes of the sales call. With more and more of the buying public savvy to sales techniques and scripts, getting control is becoming more difficult. There are basically three types of people: the totally uninterested, the waffler and the show me more type. With each type, taking control of the sales call is a matter of listening.

The Totally Uninterested

Getting control means allowing people to show you where to grasp control. In the totally uninterested type, this will involve listening carefully to spot their weaknesses and then putting your foot down until you get a credit card number. In some it could be curiosity, in others it could be one upmanship over a neighbor and in yet others it could be the need for a new possession to round out the collection. This type might be seen as an impossible sale, but the impossible just takes a little longer to accomplish.

The Waffler

With the waffler, the sales rep needs all the sales tips he can get in order to get a decision. Sales call research in tracking down leads will yield this type immediately. Where the sales rep will nail down the waffler is in the old adage of the solution to the problem lies in the problem. The customer can’t make a decision so the sales rep makes it for him. Bold, yes, but it works because this type craves a bit of the strength he sees in you that he lacks.

The Show Me More

The show me more type is perhaps the hardest to which to listen. This type will drain dry the sales rep of information, see all there is to offer and want to compare his wares to others he has seen. He is curious about everything possible and buttonholing this guy is going to take special listening skills. The sales tips needed to bring in this customer will involve selling out the competition and convincing the customer he has only one way to go. Control of this type sales call won’t be gained in the first three minutes but will be a lasting sale.

Taking control of the sales call is a matter of listening to ascertain the customer’s type and fulfilling the customer’s need from a position of strength.

Filed Under: Quick Sales Tips, Social Selling Tagged With: control sales call, sales calling tips, sales calls


5 Internal Politics Objections and How to Overcome Them

February 4, 2011 by
Internal Politics Sales Objections

How to Handle Internal Politics Sales Objections

In sales, it’s tough enough handling prospects’ objections directly related to your company’s offerings. But what if the objection stems from their internal company politics over which you have no control? Following are five common sales objections of this type, and some sales tips in the form of suggested responses:

1. “Our current supplier is the president’s brother-in-law.”

“No offense to the in-law, but management often assumes that because their supplier-rep is a relative, they’re automatically receiving the best discounts, when in fact the opposite is true: The relative figures he’s got an unquestioning cash cow for life. Let me work up a comparison sheet, so that both you AND your president can gauge who’s really coming out ahead here.”

2. “This isn’t the right climate to introduce any changes now.”

“If you introduce a solution that works better for the company and reduces costs, those are the kind of changes virtually every company’s looking to make nowadays. And, by proactively seeking ways to increase your company’s ROI, you’ll be recognized as an effective contributor to the team.”

3. “I’m not the decision-maker, but I can present this to my boss, who in turn would have to present it to his boss.”

“Sure, but let me make a suggestion that may be more efficient for you: How about if we set up a conference-call so that I can address everybody’s questions and concerns? I’ve found that when a few heads get together, it really leads to a more productive and informative session, rather than having to go back and forth.”

4. “The CEO is very conservative, and wants to stick with established, big-name companies.”

“You may need to remind him that much of what he’s paying for is the big name itself and, of course, their big advertising. In fact, nowadays the most conservative tactic often involves exploring smarter alternative solutions.”

5. “We have a long-term relationship with our current vendor.”

“If most of the value is in the emotional benefit of the relationship, rather than in the product itself, then it’s not much value to the company in practical terms. Consider the real advantages you’re getting: More product for fewer dollars? Better quality? If your current vendor really has your best interests at heart, he’s giving you more than just the ‘feel-good’ factor. I’ll be happy to work up a cost-comparison sheet so you can objectively compare apples to apples.”

Filed Under: Quick Sales Tips, Social Selling Tagged With: internal politics sales objections, internal sales objections, sales objections, sales tips


10 Open Ended Sales Questions

February 3, 2011 by
Open Ended Sales Questions

Listening to Customers Through Open Sales Questions

Plenty of research has been on common sales questions done over the years. It has revealed that when talking with a potential client, it is important that you don’t lead or persuade a prospect into answering sales questions in a particular way. It is important to have the customer give a real honest answer to involve him or her in the sales process. Many sales tips include steering clear of yes or no questions by asking open ended question. Open ended question usually start with the words how, what, which, when, or where.
Here are ten great open ended questions to help land a sale:
1. “What has brought you in to see me today?”
2. “Why are you looking for a particular product or service?”
3. “Where do you currently get this product or service?”
4. “What do you currently like or dislike about this product or service?”
5. “What challenges have you faced in the past?”
Building rapport is another sales tip. If the potential customer feels they have a relationship with the sales person, they will be more likely to complete a sale. To help build rapport use the following open ended questions:

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6. “How would you like this product or service to benefit you?”
7. “What about this product or service is important to you?”
8. “When would you need this?”
9. “What concerns do you have?”
The last open ended question is a great sales tip for a situation when the sales person doesn’t get enough information to make a good recommendation in order to complete the sale.
10. “How so?” or “Why is that?”
By using open ended questions, a sales person can make an appropriate recommendation and provide a product or service based on the customer specific needs. The sales person can feel they did a service for the customer instead of just being a product pusher. This will lead to better sales numbers and referrals.

Filed Under: Quick Sales Tips, Social Selling Tagged With: open ended sales questions, sales queastions


8 Tips to Motivate Yourself

February 2, 2011 by

Sales Focus and Motivation

Staying Motivated and Focused in Sales isn't Always Easy.

1. Get up and move around.

Though you may not conceive such a thing to work, changing your environment, even the slightest bit, can help you gather together your thoughts. This can mean walking around the room or even stepping outside for some fresh air; in the end it is up to you.

2. Offer incentives for each milestone

You cannot count on other people to lavish you with bonuses or other rewards, so this must be done with your own specific interests in mind. For example, tell yourself that a trip to a fancy restaurant is in the cards if you finish that business report. With this kind of encouragement, working through the day should be no problem.

3. Focus on the right things

If your focus of motivation is for achieving sales, you should look online to find just the right sales tips. When you exercise sales motivation research, sites such as justsell.com and eyesonsales.com should be kept in mind.

4. Prevent yourself from procrastinating wherever possible

When you put things aside for completion at the last minute, it will prove harder to motivate yourself. Instead, get them done as soon as possible. However, do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed; tackle each project one at a time.

5. Visual guidance

Write down what you hope to achieve, keeping the list within view. By putting your projects on paper, it will help you realize that everything is in motion. If desired, ask an outside party such as a coworker or family member to look at the list.

6. Keep in mind that there will be setbacks

For every push to complete a project there will be something that causes a delay. Perhaps you did not get a sufficient amount of sleep, or maybe you had a fight with somebody you care about. While it is fine to relapse a little bit with your goal, this should not become standard.

7. Think positively

Nary has a person achieved their wishes by thinking that they will never get what they want. If you want to get the sale, tell yourself that it is possible, even guaranteed.

8. Keep moving forward

Few things in life are required to be absolutely perfect; when you are going through the motions, finding it hard to achieve perfection, remember that progress is more important. This is not to say that you should do a poor job, but working so hard you trivialize your health does not benefit anyone.

Filed Under: Quick Sales Tips, Social Selling Tagged With: sales mindset, sales motivation, stay motivated


Client Retention is Easier with This 5 Step System

February 1, 2011 by
Clent Retention

5 Quick Tips to Better Client Retention

It is much more expensive to obtain a new customer than it is to keep an existing one. The fact of the matter is, once a client has decided that they enjoy working with somebody, they start to develop a sense of mild loyalty. The amount of effort that it takes in order to switch services is more than most people are willing to make, and this works to your advantage as a business. Client retention is one of the most important aspects of running a solid business. If your company’s customer base has a revolving door, you will burn through the available market for your product, and it will become harder and harder to obtain new clients. This is why it is so important to have a customer retention system. Follow these sales tips in order to hang on to your existing customers.

1. Stay in regular contact with your existing customers.

You should have a list of you top customers that is at least ten to twenty-five people long. Get in touch with them at least four times a year. When it comes to your absolute best clients, depending one what business you are in, you might even want to meet up with them for dinner on occasion. Research shows that customers tend to place just as much importance on regular contact as they do on the service itself, depending on what business you are in. The same goes for getting your company name in front of them on a regular basis.

2. Give your current customers good deals.

Many companies use deals to attract new customers, but then fail to continue offering them in the long run. Remember, other companies are still targeting your customers with deals. Client retention is much easier if you offer your customers the best deal.

3. Showing customer appreciation

It is a good idea to occasionally surprise your customers with gifts, deals, and other unexpected bonuses that they don’t need to do anything for. They will appreciate it.

4. Customer contact and management

Set up a database to keep track of your current customers. It is surprising how many small businesses don’t do this. How can you do anything to work on customer retention if you don’t know who your customers are?

5. Understand your customer’s needs

Talk with your current customers in order to better understand their needs. This is less about trying to upsell them on something as it is to understand what they need to stay happy as a customer. A bonus of this is that it will help you offer better service to future customers as well.

Filed Under: Quick Sales Tips Tagged With: client retention, keep customers, manage clients


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