Have you ever been on a sales call and everything just clicked? You had rapport with the customer. The conversation flowed. You got answers to the questions you had walking into the meeting. And the best result—your contact was eager to get you in front of the final decision-maker to wrap up the sale.

Now, have you been on a sales call when the opposite happened? The customer was not engaged. He just wanted to focus on bottom-line price, not the value of your product. And he said he would call you when he was ready to discuss again.

So what makes the sales conversation a winner? According to business author Rachel Clapp Miller, it's the ability to identify and address your customers' needs and highlight the unique value of your solution.

Today and tomorrow, Promotional Consultant Today shares Miller's six key elements of a sales messaging framework that drives consistency, clarity and a compelling story that makes the buyer want to take action.

1. Value Drivers. Miller says that people don't make buying decisions based on features and benefits alone; they make them based on the value that product or service brings to them. They want to know that their needs are addressed through the solution.

In an effective messaging framework or sales conversation, you want to first outline the reasons that are driving the customer to make this purchase. Then follow up by asking yourself what value are you providing the customer. Identifying these will enable you to have a sales conversation based on the long-term value of your solution.

2. Differentiators. What do you say when a prospect asks you why they should choose your product over a competitor's product? While experienced sales professionals can usually address this, it's more difficult for less experienced salespeople. In order to drive consistency across your sales conversations, spend some time identifying what truly identifies your product, your service and your company. Create a framework of key differentiators that are truly unique to your organization. Be careful that your differentiators are unique to your business. As Miller states, "a framework with well-defined differentiators helps your salespeople clearly articulate how you solve buyer problems better and differently than the competition."

3. Ability to Quantify Business Pain. If you spend time talking about features and functions that your prospect doesn't need, two things will happen:

  1. They will perceive your product as too expensive, or as more than they need;

  2. They will feel like you don't care enough to take the time to understand why they came to you in the first place.

Uncovering the pain points that your customer or prospect is facing is key to then demonstrating how your products and services can solve their specific pain points.

You can uncover these pain points by asking your customers the right questions. Why did the product fail in the past? How is their department being rated? What makes them successful to their customers? When your salespeople become accustomed to asking the right questions and listening to customer problems, they will be able to guide the sales conversation in such a way that the buyer can see how their admitted problems will be addressed.

Ready to learn more elements of an effective sales message framework? We'll address more in tomorrow's issue of PCT.

Source: Rachel Clapp Miller heads up digital engagement for GrowthPlay, an organization that specializes in helping businesses to increase revenue, improve sales margins and gain market share.