advertising sales training cindy ramsey st. petersburg times

Advertising Sales Training

Cindy Ramsey

St. Petersburg Times


Agenda

• Needs-based selling philosophy• Large sale vs. small sale comparison• Psychology of selling• Questioning techniques• Advancing the sale

Spin Selling

Huthwaite & Associates



Characteristics of Major Sales

Large Sales vs. Small Sales

What is needs-based selling?

Needs vs. Wants


The Paragon Principle – Stages of the Sale


Today’s training will focus on :


Profile

Probe

Profile Stage

Purpose:

Find out more about the customer and about the customer’s current situation.


Profile Questions

Profile questions help you learn what the customer:

• Likes• Wants in a product• Does not want in a product• Currently has in the way of a product

Profile questions uncover information about the customer’s current situation.


Examples of Profile Questions:

• Do you currently have an advertising budget?• How do you determine your advertising

budget?• How do you track response from advertising?• Who is your target customer?• Who is your competition?


As a result of asking profile questions, you will build a customer “profile” which details:

• The customer’s current situation, goals and expectations.

• The customer’s comfort level with advertising and marketing strategies.


Needs Assessment

In order to profile a customer, you must dissect their present business situation and future goals into four distinct categories:

• Business• Consumer• Marketing• Advertising


Business:•Corporate structure•SIC category•Number of employees•Square feet•Decision makers•Positioning within Industry

Marketing:•Present forms of marketing•Promotions•Point of sale philosophy•Internet/web strategy

Consumer:•Typical customer demographic•Product usage•Customer Value

Advertising:•Budget•Knowledge of advertising options•Expectations


Probe Stage

Purpose:

Find out more about the customer’s needs and dissatisfactions.


During the Probe stage of the sales discussion, a variety of questions are used to obtain information from the customer which help to identify and define the customer’s needs and dissatisfactions.

An effective sales professional:• Plans in advance some questions to ask the customer• Formulates appropriate follow-up questions, based

on how the customer responds to planned questions.


Once you have effectively profiled a customer, you have a responsibility to the customer, in the Probe stage, to uncover needs or voids in their planning process.

Your customer has given you some very personal information, it is now your task to use your expertise and address the appropriate areas.


Medical AnalogyAsking probing questions is similar to visiting a medical professional.

• First, you are asked to complete a comprehensive medical profile (Profile)

• Secondly, routine tests are run to determine problems (Probe)

• Finally, a medical diagnosis is rendered (Solution)


• Perform the test• Uncover the customer’s needs


In advertising, tests are used to determine if there is a problem. It the sales professional’s responsibility to:

• A health care company may be concerned about the shortage of health care professionals.

• A builder may be concerned with the changing real estate market

• A travel agency may be concerned about outbreaks of viruses on cruise ships.

• A church may be concerned with the changing demographics in their area.


There are certain predictable problems that face certain market segments: For example:

Open-ended questions typically begin with:• What• When• Where• Why • How


Open-Ended QuestionsOpen-ended questions prompt the customer to answer with more than one or two words.

• Your products• The products of your competitors• His of her current situation


Probing Questions Probing questions are used for uncovering a customer’s difficulties and needs related to:

By discovering what the customer’s problems are, you are in a position to offer the customer a solution. This is the basis for needs-based selling.

Examples of Probing Questions:

• Are you worried that you are losing too much business to the internet?• Does it make it difficult for you to balance your inventory throughout the entire year?• Are you concerned that you may not be reaching the entire Tampa Bay marketplace?


• What the customer wants that he or she currently does not get.

• What difficulties the customer is experiencing as a result of the problem.

• What expectations the customer has regarding a solution.


As a result of effectively asking dissatisfaction questions, you will learn:


Do you presently advertise in the newspaper?

Profile Probe

X

Has it ever been a problem knowing how to obtain information about special offerings? X

Do you use an advertising agency?

Do you find it difficult to reach consumers on the internet?

X

X

Advertising Sales TrainingObtaining Commitment

Simple (small) sales have only two possible call outcomes – “yes” or “no.”

Large (complex) sales are different. It may take weeks or months to get an order.

Therefore, in large sales, any individual call that results in an action that moves it closer to a sale is called an Advance and is considered a successful outcome.


The key measure of success in obtaining commitment is getting the buyer’s agreement on an action that moves the sale closer to a close.

An Advance shows the buyer’s commitment to moving the sale forward, e.g., the buyer agrees to attend a demo or arranges a meeting for the seller with other decision makers.


An outcome of a call that does not reach agreement on an action that moves the sale forward is called a continuation.

A continuation is unsuccessful, no matter how pleasant or complimentary the buyer seems.


The only way to successfully utilize advances is to plan for them by utilizing realistic call objectives.

Call objectives may be as simple as setting up a second meeting. However, it is only considered an advance if the second meeting results in an action that moves it forward in the sales process.

An example of an advance could be getting the second meeting arranged with “all” the members of the selection team.

Advancing the Sale


I’ll cut a purchase order today so we can start right away.

No. Although we liked what you showed us, we’ve decided to go with Google SEO.

I like what you’ve got to offer, and I enjoyed your presentation.

Let’s meet again to continue this discussion sometime next month.

Call Outcome (Sale, No-Sale, Continuation

or Advance)

I can’t make the decision alone, but I’ll arrange for you to meet my partner next week.

Sale

No-Sale

Continuation

Continuation

Advance

Advancing the Sale


We’ll think about it and probably call you in the next few months.

If you could include those schedule modifications in your proposal, I’ll present it to my associates.

All I need is my accountant’s ok, we’ll review it against our financial criteria and if it passes, you’ve got a deal,

We really need to see the system in action. Can you arrange a local demonstration for me and my production manager next Tuesday?

Advance

Advance

Continuation

Advance

Call Outcome (Sale, No-Sale, Continuation

or Advance)

Questions?

Cindy Ramsey

St. Petersburg Times

Thank You.

advertising sales training cindy ramsey st. petersburg times

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