0

A Complete Guide to the Approach Step of Your Ultimate Sales Presentation

The Approach is Step 3 of your Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation.

I am not a good golfer. I wanted to be a decent golfer because it seemed like it was an important thing for a young sales manager to be able to do.

Yes, I took some lessons to improve my game, but they didn’t do much good. So, by the end of my lessons, my instructor suggested that I should take up some other sport, preferably one requiring less eye-to-hand coordination and finesse.

I took his not to subtle hint, so if you’re interested, I have three sets of golf clubs in my attic and my wife says they are all for sale!

However, I did learn one thing on my journey to not being an accomplished golfer, which is the importance of the approach shot. The approach shot is the shot you take from the fairway up to the green. The reason this shot is important is that a good approach shot sets up an easy putt for a below-par score. Whereas a bad approach shot that lands in the water or in a bunker means you’ve still got a lot of work to do to finish the hole.

The same thing is true of the relational salesperson. A well-constructed, strategic approach will set you up for a good sales presentation. Whereas, a poor approach will leave you with a lot of work to do to recover, or maybe, an early “no” from the buyer!

If you agree with my viewpoint about the importance of the approach step, then we need to spend some quality time thinking about and designing a strategic approach for every presentation.

If you missed the kick-off article in this “how-to” series to building the Ultimate Sales Presentation, you can read it here. The second article in the series covering Step 1: Prospecting is available here. And the third article in the series covering Step 2: Pre-Approach Planning is available here.

So, let’s get started by learning how to craft an effective approach.

Contents

In this article on the Approach, we will cover:

• What is the Approach?
• 3 Objectives of the Approach.
• What is the right Approach?
• 3 Types of Approach Techniques
• 4 Types of Opening Statements.
• 2 Types of Demonstrations.
• 5 Types of Questions.
• BONUS: 4 Categories of Questions

 

 

What is the Approach?

In a personal selling situation, the approach begins the moment you are called in to see the buyer and lasts until you transition into the heart of your presentation.

An approach might last a few seconds or a few minutes depending on how long it takes to open communication with the buyer while gaining their trust in you, and their interest in how your product will meet their needs.

The approach establishes the buyer’s first impression of you. Oh, and I’m sure you know what they say about first impressions, right? You only get one chance to make a good one!

So, let’s focus on how to construct a strategic approach that will set you up for success!

3 Objectives of the Approach

We’ll talk about the types of approaches later, but regardless of the type of approach you use, your approach has three objectives. You need to get the buyer’s attention, secure their interest in what you have to say, and then smoothly transition into your presentation.

Attention

We need to get and maintain the buyer’s attention from the moment we first make eye contact and say hello!

In all likelihood, the buyer is asking himself/herself, “Why is this person here, today?” “I wonder if they can help me?” or “Is this going to be a complete waste of time?”

As we develop our approach, we must begin by securing the buyer’s undivided attention, so we can pique their curiosity and gain their interest in what we have to say.

Interest

If you did all your pre-approach planning, you should have a pretty good idea of what is most important to the buyer. A key to gaining the buyer’s interest is to demonstrate right away that what you have to say will meet the buyer’s needs or help solve the buyer’s problem.

Transition

Alright. So, now we have gained the buyer’s attention. We demonstrated that we know what is important to them, and we showed them we have a solution. Next, we need to transition directly into the heart of the presentation.

A good transition is simple and straightforward. We’ve already made some good progress by gaining the buyer’s interest. Let’s continue to pick up momentum by transitioning smoothly and immediately into our presentation.

What is the Right Approach?

The approach will often consist of two parts; some small talk to build rapport, and then the more structured, strategic lead-in to the discussion of our idea.

Because every selling situation is different, there is no one right way to approach your buyer. It is up to you to construct a strategic approach based on the situation.

Some of the common situational variables, that you must consider include:

• The product you are selling.
• How well do you know the buyer? Is this your first contact, or do you have an established relationship?
• How much do you know about the buyer’s current needs?
• How much time do you have for the presentation? Is it enough?
• How is the company’s business? Are they growing, or are they a sinking ship?

Your understanding of each of these and other variables will inform how you construct your approach to this buyer!

Now that we know we must construct a different approach for every situation, let’s talk about some of the approach techniques we can use.

3 Types of Approach Techniques

There are three common approach techniques that every salesperson should master. They are statements, demonstrations, and questions. Knowing when and how to use each of these techniques is a critical step in mastering the approach to your buyer.

Statements

Statements are a very effective way to begin your approach, especially if you know a lot about the buyer’s needs. There are four common statement approaches.

• Introduction
• Compliment
• Referral
• Samples/Premium

Demonstrations

Demonstrations are one of my favorite approach techniques because they create drama and engage the buyer in the process immediately. There are two common types of demonstrations.

• Product
• Showmanship

Questions

Questions are an excellent way to begin your approach, especially if you need to learn more about or confirm the buyer’s needs. Questions are also a good way to start your approach because they engage the buyer in the conversation right away. Five types of questions are commonly used in the approach.

• Customer benefit
• Curiosity
• Opinion
• Shock
• Multiple Questions (aka SPIN)

Now that we know about the three types of approach techniques; statements, demonstrations, and questions let’s dig in and learn more about each one. I’d like to start by examining each of the four types of opening statements.

4 Types of Opening Statements

Four types of common opening statements are used in the approach. Each one can be effective if used the right way in the right situation.

Introduction

The introduction statement is by far the most common and, in my humble opinion, the least powerful way to begin your approach.

An example of the introduction statement opening is, “Hi, Ms. Jones. I am John Smith from the Acme Distributing Company.”

The best use of the introduction statement is when you are meeting a buyer for the first time. However, because the introduction statement does nothing to really engage the buyer, I like to couple it with another opening statement like the compliment, the referral, or the premium.

Compliment

I find that most buyers are just like most everyone else. What I mean is that, just like us, (and most people), they enjoy receiving compliments. Sincere compliments regarding the overall business or directed to the buyer’s business specifically can be a very effective way to begin your approach.

Here is an example of a compliment statement: “Congratulations Ms. Smith! I just read an article in XYZ Trade Journal talking about your record year and how much you’ve contributed to the business here at the Acme Company.”

Before we go on, let me share a word of caution about using the compliment approach. Keep your compliments sincere and professional. Compliment the company or the buyer’s business. Also, I would try and avoid venturing into the trap of using compliments that are personal in nature, unless and until you have a personal relationship with the buyer. My advice is, keep it professional and avoid personal compliments altogether.

Referral

The referral approach statement includes the use of someone else’s name. For example, “Ms. Jones, the CEO at Acme Freight, spoke very highly of you, and she suggested I speak with you.”

The advantage of the referral approach is when used correctly the expertise and authority of the referring party helps open communication with your buyer. The referral is a great approach tool to use if you know the buyer and the person providing the referral know and respect each other.

I’ve had referral approaches used on me by salespeople and had both positive and negative reactions. If I like and respect the referral person, I feel like I have something in common with this salesperson already. “Come on in, new friend.”

On the other hand, if I don’t like or respect the referral person, I feel like someone is trying to take advantage of me. I find myself asking, “Why in the world would I care about what he thinks, anyway!?”

So, using referrals in the approach is very powerful if the referral and referee person know and respect each other.

If you’re not sure about their relationship, you can say, “Do you know Ms. Jones, the CEO at Acme Freight?” If the buyer lights up and smiles you know the referral may help. However, if the reaction is negative, then you need to minimize the connection, disregard the referral, and move on to another approach technique.

Samples/Premium

Who doesn’t like getting a free sample or a product premium? For example, when I recently opened my mail, I received a nice pen. The pen had my company name and phone number imprinted on it and came in a little velvet pouch. I received this sample from a company who specializes in producing customized office pieces. “That’s nice,” I thought as I studied the brochure that came with the pen. If I needed imprinted pens, I would give them a call.

So, giving me a sample pen was a nice surprise. It caught my attention. In the same way, giving a premium or a sample to your buyer is a great way to start a conversation and begin the approach.

When I was a sales manager for Duncan Hines, I made it a standard practice to bake cupcake samples of our new cake and frosting flavors. I assembled trays of the cupcakes and handed them to the buyer as I sat down to discuss our new product launch.

The reason I did this is, I figured that the chances of her going home and baking a cake or a batch of cupcakes to try them was small. So, I took the initiative by making the samples for her and encouraged her to try them while I was making my presentation! It worked every time!

2 Types of Demonstrations

As I said before, demonstrations are one of my favorite approach techniques because they create drama and engage the buyer right away.

Product

The product approach simply requires you hand the product to the buyer or set it on his/her desk and wait for them to examine it. The buyer’s curiosity will almost always compel them to pick up the item and look it over. At that point, you have engaged the buyer and captured their interest.

Now, let’s revert back to my Duncan Hines example. After I let the buyer sample the real cupcake, I gave her the box of cake mix and the tub of frosting so she could see what went into the cupcake she just ate. As soon as she picked up the cake mix or tub of frosting, I knew she was engaged and interested.

Showmanship

The showmanship approach requires you to do something special and dramatic to get the buyer’s attention.

I once had a briefcase stuffed full of fake $20 bills. I put it on the buyer’s desk, and as I opened it, I told him the idea I had for him was worth over $250,000.

A salesperson I knew sold paper plates, and the brand she represented claimed they were the strongest paper plates on the market. She told me she would go into the buyer’s office with a picnic basket full of food and some of these special paper plates. Then, she proceeded to load up the paper plates with mounds of food like a hungry teenage boy at a picnic. The plates held the load, and she made her point about the strength of these plates!

For me, the reason that I like the samples and demonstration methods of approach so much is that I have had a lot of success with them over the years. They are great tools to engage the buyer and pique their curiosity.

Plus, and this is important, these methods appeal to multiple senses. Tasting that cupcake employs sight, smell, and taste. The same is true of my friend selling paper plates loaded with food. Looking at that briefcase full of money employs sight and triggers the brain to think about how the buyer can earn all that money.

The more senses you can employ in your approach, the more successful the approach is likely to be!

But you can’t rely on these approach techniques exclusively. They just don’t fit every situation. Sometimes the best and most effective approach technique is asking a series of questions, and that’s what we will learn about next.

5 Types of Questions

Questions are the best tool for the job when you don’t know everything you would like to know about a customer’s needs, or if you just want to confirm your understanding! Asking questions comes naturally for most of us but asking questions in the seller/buyer environment is a bit more complicated than you might first think.

Firstly, I find the best questions are ones you already think you know the answer to because you are simply confirming information through these questions. Second, and this is where many inexperienced salespeople falter, is they ask questions that result in negative responses. The last thing you want to do is ask questions that result in negative responses from the buyer.

I’ve found there are five common question types every salesperson should master, so let’s look at each type to see when and how they can be used.

Customer Benefit

The customer benefit approach requires the salesperson to know about the buyer’s needs. You begin by stating a need you know the buyer has that your product can fill and confirm with the buyer.

For example, if you know, the buyer has been under pressure to reduce costs, and your product will save them money you might say, “Mr. Jones, would you be interested in an idea that will reduce Acme Freight’s transportation costs by 5%?”

The customer benefit question approach is very powerful if you know there is a strong connection between something the buyer needs and what your product can provide.

The customer benefit approach is especially useful when you know a lot about the buyer’s situation, and you have little time. This is because you are engaging the buyer in an idea that is important to him/her at the outset of the presentation. The buyer is interested because you have an idea that will solve a problem!

Curiosity

A curiosity approach question is designed to pique the curiosity of the buyer.

An example of a curiosity question is, “Would you like to know how 8 out of 10 companies like yours are lowering their transportation costs?” See how I phrased this question to get a “yes” answer? I didn’t ask, “Do you know how 8 out of 10 companies like yours are lowering their transportation costs? I don’t want “no” answers coming from the buyer’s lips!

Another example of a curiosity question is, “Would you like to know how I helped Mr. Jones (the buyer across the hall) to lower their costs 5%?”

Opinion

Everyone has opinions, and most people like to share their opinions. In the opinion question approach, the salesperson asks the buyer to share their opinion about a specific situation or product.

The opinion question is especially helpful for new salespeople and salespeople calling on new buyers.

An example of an opinion question is, “Mr. Jones, would you mind sharing your opinion? I’m wondering which brand of truck you feel is most efficient here at Acme Freight.”

The advantages of an opinion question include, it puts the buyer at ease because they are sharing their expertise, and in the course of answering your question, they may provide important information about additional opportunities.

The key to using an opinion question effectively is to ask a question that is directly related to the product or service you want to sell. In other words, don’t ask about trucks if you’re selling forklifts!

Shock

A shock question, as the name implies, is designed to shock the buyer in a way that causes them to think about something related to the product you’re selling.

Shock questions are not suitable for every industry, but in the right circumstances, they can be quite effective.

An example of a shock question in real estate sales is, “Did you know that housing values have increased 15% this year? If you want to buy, now is the time before prices go up further!

A pulmonologist I know, asks patients, “Do you know you’re dying?” I know it sounds cruel, but his question gains the patient’s attention and understand the seriousness of the discussion.

Multiple Questions (aka SPIN)

In many selling situations where the salesperson needs to learn more about the buyer’s business, using a series of well-crafted questions is immensely helpful. The questions are designed to help the salesperson ascertain the buyer’s needs so you, as the salesperson, can tailor your presentation with the right features, advantages, and benefits.

A specific technique to guide the question sequence is known by the acronym SPIN. Spin stands for Situation, Problem, Implication, and Needs-payoff.

Using this the SPIN technique the salesperson asks questions:

• Situation. Ask about a specific situation or problem related to your product or service.
• Problem. Ask about specific problems or difficulties related to the situation.
• Implication. Ask about the implications of the problem or difficulty. What happens if this problem or difficulty is not resolved?
• Needs-Payoff. Ask the buyer if they have a specific need they have identified as it relates to this problem or difficulty. What is the payoff if the problem is solved?

The beauty of using the SPIN series of questions is that they can lead the buyer into telling you exactly what you need to present to solve the specific problem they have!

However, notice how there is no discussion of your specific product throughout this series of questions. You are not selling; you are gathering the information that will help you sell in a few minutes when you deliver your presentation.

So, the next step you must take is to use the information the buyer just gave in answer to the SPIN questions to discuss how your product will solve the buyer’s problem!

BONUS: 4 Categories of Questions

As I said before, asking questions comes naturally to most of us. But knowing what to ask and how to ask are critical if you want to get the information you need to help the buyer.

Asking questions will

• help open communication between you and the buyer,
• increase buyer engagement, and
• will provide the information you need from the buyer.

The questions you ask need to be directed to obtain the information that will help you help the buyer.

Since some topics are sensitive, the buyer may be reluctant to answer, they may provide only partial information. Or, in some cases, may even provide false information. Getting at the truth requires a salesperson who is empathetic, has gained the trust of the buyer and is skilled at asking questions.

I’ve found there are four types of questions commonly used in sales interviews. They are close-ended, open-ended, rephrase, and redirect.

Close-Ended

Close-ended questions are typically answered with one word; often just “yes” or “no.” They are especially helpful at guiding a series of questions to the desired endpoint. If you have ever watched an attorney questioning a witness in a trial you’ve probably noticed how the attorney uses closed-ended questions to guide the witness right to where he or she wanted.

An example of a close-ended question is, “Ms. Jones, is Acme Freight’s goal to reduce costs by 5%?” Or, “Ms. Jones, are you available at 4 pm for a conference call?”

Although with close-ended questions, it is important to anticipate the answer and phrase the question, so that you get a “yes” answer. A question with a “no” answer will often leave you stuck making it very difficult to get the conversation back on track to where you want to go.

Open-Ended

Open-ended questions provide a platform for the buyer to answer any way they want. Sometimes their answer might be just a few words; sometimes their answer could span over a few paragraphs.

Open-ended questions often start with who, what, where, when, how, or why. If you have ever watched a reporter interviewing someone for a story you’ve probably noticed their use of open-ended questions starting with one of these six words! They use open-ended questions because the heart of the story comes out as the person responds.

Just like the reporter looking for information, as a salesperson, you can use open-ended questions to gain valuable insights into a buyer’s needs or problems.

Examples of open-ended questions a commercial truck salesperson might ask include:

• What features are you looking for in your new trucks?
• How soon are you hoping to take delivery of these trucks?
• Who will be operating your new trucks?
• Where will you use these trucks?

All these open-ended questions are designed to elicit information from the buyer that will help you as the seller make the best recommendation to the buyer.

Rephrase

Sometimes, a buyer’s answer may not be clear. In that case, a rephrase question is a great tool for you to use. With a rephrase question, the salesperson restates part of what the buyer said as a way to clarify their meaning.

An example of a rephrase is, “If I understand you correctly, your number one priority is to reduce transportation costs. Is that correct?”

If you get a positive answer to your rephrase, you’ve confirmed your understanding and can move on. If you get a negative answer to your rephrase, then you must follow-up with an open-ended question to gather more information.

Redirect

A redirect question is often used to turn a negative answer back to a point of agreement.

Let’s say, for example, that the buyer has said they need to reduce operating costs of their truck fleet. Yet when you tell them the price of the new truck you recommend, he or she says “no, that’s too much.”

This is where a redirect question can save the day. You direct the conversation back to a point of the agreement saying, “I understand your concern over the price of the new truck. Do you agree that your number one priority is to increase the efficiency of your fleet?”

When the buyer confirms efficiency is important, you can continue to explain how the higher efficiency of the truck you are recommending will deliver lower operating expenses and over time will pay for its higher cost. In fact, the buyer should think of the higher cost as simply an investment in the company’s success because it will save the company money over the life of the truck!

There is a lot more to learn about asking questions in the sales presentation. I promise we’ll learn more about the art of asking questions in future articles!

The Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation Series

Step3: The Approach is the fourth in a series of articles. Each article teaches you how to craft and deliver one part of the Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation.

If you missed a prior article in this series or you want to review one again, you’ll find them here:

• Kick-Off: The Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation
• Step 1: Customer Prospecting
• Step 2: Pre-Approach Planning
• Step 3: The Approach (you’re here).
• Steps 4-10: Coming soon. A new article releases every two weeks.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss one of these articles you can sign up to receive the series here.

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. What questions do you have about the Approach step of the Ultimate 10-Step Presentation model?

I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of the people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?

Category: Salespeople