Increase Your Sales in 5 Minutes

Increase your sales-in five minutes. This article is the third in a series of five articles probing the five critical points influencing how you find a steady stream of customer for your business.

Customers Buy Benefits

You want more sales? Customers buy for one reason. They buy because your product or service has a benefit they want. Telling your customer your product has a 10 year warranty is a product feature. Telling them that in over 400 roofing jobs last year, there were no leaks, no call backs and no broken tile is selling the benefits your customer wants. Sell customer benefits and you will increase your sales.

Why You Sell Features

Bottom line, selling features is easier. Features are the visible things you see about products and services. Features are the things you see, touch, feel and smell.

Selling features is your self-interest. The products and services are your life-blood. You live with them every day. You know them inside and out. You love talking about them!

Identifying the benefits each customer wants it tough work. Customers are unique. Each buys for his or her own reason. It is easier to talk about common product features rather than uncover unique customer benefits.

Your Five Minute Exercise to More Sales!

The five minute exercise is called "SO WHAT." When you complete this exercise, you will change your from selling product features to selling customer benefits. Remember, customer benefits are what sell! Here is how it works.

You create a five minute dialogue between a pretend customer and yourself. It's important to speak this conversation out loud. Start with one of your most popular business features. Explain the feature to your pretend customer. Then listen as the customer says, "so what?" Now answer the customer's so what question. Then listen as the customer says, "so what?" to your response. Again answer the customer's so what question. The customer again responds with a "so what" question. Keep doing this dialogue until the customer no longer asks you a "so what?" question.

Now, you have identified a customer benefit!

Check Out This Example

This is how an insurance agent used the exercise. I asked him, "What distinguishes you from other agents?" He told me, "I find the cheapest and best policy for my customers." I responded, "So what?"

He said, "Well, unlike other agents, I customize each policy for my customer." I said, "So what".

He answered, "As part of my program, I promise to keep my customer informed about any policies changes that may benefit them in the future. " I asked "So what".

He responded, "The customer has the security of knowing that they have the best program and best costs for their insurance." I said, "So you are guaranteeing me that I can go to bed at night and not worry that I am paying too much for my insurance?"

"Exactly," he exclaimed, "That is the security I provide each customer with my insurance program!"

By using the SO WHAT exercise, the agent moved from selling the "cheapest rates" (business feature) to providing the customer the security of knowing he will always have the best rates (customer benefit).

Which agent would you buy from; the one with the cheapest rate or the one that provided you with security about your rate and policy?

Conclusion

Now, you have a simple way to make more money by improving your sales at no additional costs! Use the SO WHAT dialogue with each of your business features and start selling customer benefits. For a special report that shows how the five critical pieces work together in getting more customers for your business, Send an email to al@hanzal.com with subject line, "Special Report."

Copyright Al Hanzal, 2004. All Rights Reserved

About The Author

Customers have been using Al Hanzal's materials to improve their sales and marketing skills.

al@hanzal.com

---

Probe Before You Sell

When selling a product to a customer, it is very... Read More

Five Tips To Increase Your Sales

1. You could end your ad copy with a discounted... Read More

7 Ways to Get to the Truth: When the Sale Disappears

Based on his most recent e-mail, "Everything looks good --... Read More

Need A Sales Boost ? Try These!

The telephone is still the best and most effective way... Read More

Successful Sales Strategies: Winning the Close Ones

The "Three Cs" in building customer relationships are a key... Read More

How Do You Use Your Sales Commissions?

What do you do when you have a big sales... Read More

Smart Discounting: The Right Way To Discount Your Products

If a store had a great discount in the middle... Read More

9 TIPS: Dont Sell Me - Persuade Me

We all have something in our past we believe someone... Read More

Sales Letters - How to Write Them

You could just send out your brochure to potential customers... Read More

7 Sales Techniques To Differentiate You From The Competition

You have a choice. You can stand out or blend... Read More

Seven Keys To Closing More Sales During The Second Half Of 2006

It's not too early to start planning for the sales... Read More

The Power of Confidence

My experience has taught me that people want to buy... Read More

The Unmentioned KEY to Selling

PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THEY KNOW, LIKE, & TRUST.... Read More

Get Leverage & Increase Your Sales Results Immediately!

Have you ever started something and not completed it? Or... Read More

Make More Sales By Airing Your Dirty Laundry

There's an old saying, "Don't air your dirty laundry".If you're... Read More

Your Business Approach Can Make or Break a Business Deal

Every sales presentation should start with the approach, or introduction.... Read More

One Simple Persuasion Secret That Will Blow The Roof Off Your Sales

The next time you're shopping for clothes in a department... Read More

A Stupid Question

This is a stupid question but it has to be... Read More

The Pipeline: Curious, Desperate, Inspired?

You do have a "Pipeline" don't you? You know, the... Read More

Order Takers vs. Sales Professionals

As business owners we all know that in a ideal... Read More

Practice Building: Create a Powerful and Targeted Call to Action for Your Prospects

A "Call To Action" is an invitation for your prospective... Read More

11 Secrets to Leadership in Sales

In his classic book, "Think and Grow Rich", Napoleon Hill... Read More

Reaching Goals in Direct Sales

From surveys and experience, we've noticed many setting excellent goals... Read More

Do You Want To Sell More? Then Stop Trying To Be Everything To Everybody!

I know you've heard this a thousand times, but from... Read More

It Is Not The Price That Is Keeping You From Making The Sale

Most salespeople are under the false belief that the lower... Read More

You Dont Love Your Kids if You Dont . . .

"You don't love your kids if you don't buy my... Read More

12 Sure-Fire Steps To Improve Your Retail Sales

The purpose of any business is to bring in customers,... Read More

Make Your Referrals Count

Just because we receive a referral, it doesn't mean that... Read More

Theres a Referral for Everyone

I worked for years as a mortgage loan officer. During... Read More

Four Ways To Increase Your Sales Fast... In 2-4 Weeks?

You built a very good web site...You have a great... Read More

In Sales, Words Just Don?t Compute

In studies conducted by Motivational Systems of West Orange, New... Read More

Get More Clients Now!

Although David has been a graphic designer for a decade,... Read More

Survival On The Road! A Resource For The On The Road Sales Professional

It makes no difference if you are a Saleswomen, a... Read More