By Kris Mills
1. Who Are You Selling To?
Knowing who your customer is and what motivates them to
buy is very important for a number of reasons.
It's important because it enables you to get a feel for what their
needs are and how you can fulfill those needs.
It's also important to understand if your business sells the one
product to different target markets with different sets of needs.
AND ... if you sell a range of products with one target market
for each type of product.
OR ... if you have a broad range of products and services
with a variety of target markets buying a variety of their products.
By articulating which target markets you sell which products and
services to, then listing the needs and buying motivators of
each of those groups, you can then match various benefits of
your products to best suit the unique needs of your various buyers.
For instance, let's say you're a business forms printer and you
provide an in-house design and film preparation service, short
turnaround times, precision quality and a great price.
Some types of clients are more likely to be interested in the
precision quality than the short turnaround times or the price.
Others will be totally price driven.
Knowing which is which will help you tailor your sales presentation to
suit their specific buying motivators.
2. WHY - Why Do They Need Your Product and Your
Company?
This is a follow on from the previous "who" question.
Does your buyer need to:
 | save money |
| make money |
| increase efficiency |
| save time |
| comply with government regulations |
| avoid losing money |
| enjoy more relaxation |
| etc. etc. |
Why do they have these needs? Is it because their business
is growing quickly? Is it because times are tough?
Write these factors down and include them at the beginning
of your document.
Now for point #3.
3. WHAT ... What is your product or service and what are its'
benefits to the buyer?
Once you have identified who you are selling to and what their
needs are. Introduce your product. Talk about it's features, it's
advantages, and most importantly, what it will do for the buyer in
real terms.
How does it compare with competing products
If selling services, what process do you go through to ensure
the client receives results
Once you've done that, then turn this information into sentences
within block of text that talk about the product, and list the various
benefits in order of importance.
To organize this information in a logical format (for in-house use only)
create a table with the following headings:
- Product
- Feature
- Advantage
- Benefit
- Investment (price)
- What do they receive for their money
4. HOW ... How can you prove that you're the right company with
the right product for their needs?
Next, write down the reasons why they should buy from
you and NOT your competition.
What's your "Point of Difference"?
How do you compare with your competitors in terms of:
| Service |
| Quality |
| Turn-around times |
| Flexibility |
| Capacity |
| Range |
| etc. |
Note the word "proof" in the above heading. This is very
important in dissolving buyer skepticism.
Your proof can include:
- Testimonials - the more, the better
- Case studies - show problem, background and solution
- Test results - include sources
- Guarantee
- Company and team profiles outlining your experience
and qualifications.
5. WHAT - What is the next step?
Tell your buyer how to buy and make it easy for them to do that.
Show them how to make their product selection, tell them what
the process involves, what your payment terms are and how to
pay.
The easier you make it for them to purchase, the greater the
chances that they will purchase from you.
6. WHEN - When do they need to make a decision?
Knowing the answer to this question helps you develop a good
understanding of how qualified they are as a buyer.
If they're not ready to purchase for another year or so, there's no
point putting together a fully blown proposal now because
pricing and product features may have changed by then.
On the other hand, if they need the product immediately and you
can deliver the product to their door in a matter of hours when your
competitors have a 3 week delay, there's a good chance that you'll
win the sale.
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