How many times have you met with a customer and started telling them about the wonderful things about your products, services and your business programme only to get one objection after another?

By the time you finished, they said NO and you left the sales call feeling low and down.

There is a place for offering features and benefits in a presentation but it is NOT in the beginning.That will cause objections.

Before you can offer solutions (benefits) you must know what your customer/prospect’s motivations are.

Who Cares About Your Product? Customers Want Solutions.

Usually your customers will remain proud. They don't appreciate the glories of your product's reputation, the sheer practicality of its design or the cleverness of its title.On the contrary, they're focused on their personal needs and motivation.

Maybe it's a jacket that needs mending. Or a Hi-Fi system gone haywire.They want a solution to their problem, not a product.

They want something to keep themselves warm and they want to enjoy interrupted music. So you've got to present your product as the satisfaction to the need.These motivations are usually “problems” that the prospect will not talk about without asking them some well thought out questions.

Here’s how you do that:

Ask “exploratory/bridging” questions focusing on their "problems":

Examples:

1. “Are you satisfied with your old TV set,is it giving you screen discolouration problems?”
2. “How do you feel about the noisy fan at the corner of your room?”
3. “Do you ever worry about payment,delivery?”

Study your product or service with this in mind, and then train your entire organisation to appreciate the differences in perception.

For example,a car engineer will boast of how many much horsepower the engine outputs or how fancy the car looks, but family types will only focus on self-serving factors like bigger leg space, less fuel consumption,larger boot for groceries.Whenever you list a product's benefits, you're answering an age-old question: "What's in it for me?"

Not All Customers Are Equal

All too often,business owners have trouble understanding that the same product has different appeals, depending on the type of customer.

Some ad companies often get instructions when creating a brochure to make it speak to two audiences, such as to both men and women, when promoting a unique credit card.(there's the men's credit card and the ladies' credit card)

Though both men and women are looking for the same final result, their perspectives are unique. You must appeal to them differently, using different language.

Once you master this distinction, you are halfway to becoming a marketing guru.

In closing,get your customers talking about their emotional concerns BEFORE you give your sales presentation. They will then be far more receptive to your proposal when you do bring out features and benefits.