How do you convince a prospective customer to listen to you?
Posted on 06/26/2017 in Selling SkillsIf you have only a few minutes of undivided attention of a prospect or a new decision maker at your existing account, do you know what you will say?
All sales professionals should be ready to give a succinct and impactful elevator speech that responds to this important question:
What can you do for this customer and why should she or he listen to you and ultimately buy from you?
Identify only two or three things that communicate the value that your company and your products/services provide, as well as your organizational and personal credibility and credentials.
Practice! Because it takes only about a minute to say, many salespeople don’t even bother practicing an elevator speech. The difficulty lies in keeping it short. Salespeople often have difficulty coming up with a succinct description of their value statements and credibility statements. We recommend this easy 5-10 minute practice exercise:
- Identify a specific customer or type of prospect that you are likely to run into this week.
- Write down the value you provide that this customer or prospect appreciates most.
- Write down your credentials or credibility that this customer or prospect appreciates most.
- Use the record feature on your phone to record a 1 minute elevator speech.
- Listen to yourself and identify areas for improvement, then re-record.
Essential Selling Skills on Elevator Speeches provides additional tips on preparing and delivering concise and compelling elevator speeches for different sales situations. The Essential Selling Skills 12-part series includes practical exercises, planning forms, and quizzes.