Presenting

Companies seem absolutely obsessed with giving their sales force Product Knowledge. Of-course sales people need product knowledge but do they really need all the product knowledge they receive? I don’t think so.

A salesperson needs to know their company’s USP. They also need to know the USPs of the product they are selling. U.S.P. stands for Unique Selling Point. A prospective customer would probably want the same information. They want to know why they should buy this particular product and why they should give their order to this particular company. It is absolutely unbelievable how many so called salespeople cannot address these two basic questions. The answer is they are untrained.

If we take the insurance industry for example. Salespeople, or advisers as they prefer to be known, are given mountains of product training and little to no sales training. This is probably because insurance companies are of the belief that the best salespeople are the best informed people. If this were true then the best salespeople in the insurance industry would be actuaries, which is not the case. It would most likely be the same in every industry. Those who design and produce the product are usually not the best salespeople. It is a case of horses for courses. If a company needs a salesperson then hire a salesperson, but if they need a manager or a fabricator then hire someone who can do those jobs. Please don’t ask someone who is suited to one job to do another. This strategy can only end in failure.

What is happening so often is that companies are sending out representatives into the open marketplace and these representatives have lots of information about their product and no idea what they are doing in the sales meetings. They flounder like a fish out of water and become mere order-takers with poor conversion rates.

The niche system recognises that very often sales are lost inadvertently because during the presentation a salesperson says one thing but a customer hears another. We are about to discuss something which everyone accepts exists but few address. I refer to Facts, Claims and Benefits.

We have all heard of these words but we seldom try to separate them. For example, if I hold up my watch in a room full of salespeople and say, “Give me a FACT about this watch which would make someone interested in it.” Someone may say, “It’s a good time keeper.” That is supposed to be a FACT about the watch but should I ask a potential customer if the statement was a FACT a CLAIM or a BENEFIT they may not know or say that it is all three. Either way there is a breakdown in communication which should not be allowed to happen in a presentation. So how can this be solved?

I ask my students to deliver each of their USPs slowly and in the following way. Make a statement about the product, followed by the word BECAUSE. Instantly the first statement is a FACT and the second is a CLAIM. Finish the presentation of the USP with a phrase such as WHICH MEANS TO YOU THAT… This makes the third statement a BENEFIT. Now both you and the customer known exactly what is being said. How can anyone expect another human being to make a final decision if they are talking at cross-purposes?

Once you have done your FACT, CLAIM and BENEFIT for each USP you may proceed to say why you think it suits the customer. Begin that phrase with “WHICH MEANS TO YOU…” Finally, ask if the customer also thinks it is a good idea.

Why do this? Do this because you are adding to the Reasons For Buying Now column.

Niche can improve your conversation rates, BECAUSE, it utilises the techniques adopted by top sales persons, WHICH MEANS THAT, you will be more confident in the sales meeting since you are utilising techniques adopted by top sales people before you, BUT THE REAL BENEFIT to you is… you will make more money by closing more frequently. Now in your opinion doesn’t that sound like something which interests you?

Well does it? Have I impressed you yet? Could you do this? Of-course you could.

A story told by Norman Vincent Peale in the 1960′s is as true today as it was then. He told a story of a pastor who decided to preach a mission in the southern states of America. He prepared his sermon, hired a marquee, sent out his posters and waited patiently for the evening of the sermon. When it arrived only one farmer turned up. The pastor asked the farmer what he should do and the farmer replied that he had come to hear the pastor preach so he should preach. This the pastor did willingly. For three hours he delivered a sermon of hell fire and damnation and the farmer listened attentively. When it was over the pastor asked the farmer what he thought of the sermon. The farmer replied, ” Pastor, I don’t know much about preachin’ but I do know a lot about farmin’. Now if I had a barn full of hay and a field full of cows and it can to feedin’ time but only one cow turned up, I’d feed that cow, BUT, I wouldn’t give it the entire barn full of hay.” The farmer then left.

The moral of this story is that salespeople need to give their customers product information but they don’t have to give them everything there is to know about the product. That is why it is so important to find out what the client wants and for you as a salesperson to know your USPs without having to think. You owe this to yourself and to your prospective customers.

Every time a customer agrees with a USP, this is a buying signal. Trust me!

Every buying signal is an invitation to close.

I would recommend that all salespeople developed their presentations to make them short and to focus in on USPs. Observe successful salespeople and copy them if you have to, but develop a sound and informative presentation. Make it a short presentation. Remember, if your presentation is too long or just plain boring then your customers will probably lose the will to live and just simply switch off. You must excite interest at the presentation stage.

SUMMARY:

1. Excite interest by having a short but informative presentation centred around USPs. Don’t miss out this stage or rush through your presentation.
2. Remember Fact, Claims and Benefits.
3. Watch out for buying signals.

Sometimes the most interesting encounters happen spontaneously. I had just picked up the Beach Metro Community News and noticed an advertisement for a bed and breakfast in Toronto’s Beach that had a rather unusual name: Accommodating The Soul Bed and Breakfast. For my neighbourhood portrait of the Beach I had wanted to interview a tourism entrepreneur anyway, so I decided to call the number listed.

I talked with one of the owners and got a positive reception. Steven and I arranged that I would drop by Saturday afternoon for a quick interview. So on a snowy day I drove down Waverley Road and stopped just north of Queen Street: I had found my destination. Steven Zarlenga, one of the co-owners, opened the door to Accommodating The Soul B&B and welcomed me. He offered me a pair of slippers, a comfortable accessory on this cold and clammy day. The co-owner Paul Karamat had also been waiting for me and said hello. After offering me a glass of orange juice, Steven took me on a tour of the house.

The historic home has a beautifully decorated living room on the east side, with an adjoining dining room that features a colourful oversize floral painting which Steven and Paul brought back from a trip to Thailand. Upstairs are three tastefully decorated bedrooms, with one gorgeous private bathroom and one shared bathroom. Steven did all the interior decorating, and the entire house has a tranquil elegance to it. Straight down from the entrance is the kitchen, a room they plan to renovate in the near future. Doors from the kitchen and the dining room lead down a few steps to a new addition: a beautiful west-facing garden room with three sets of French doors provides a perfect spot to relax. In the summer you can gaze out over the green sanctuary behind the house. Their backyard is part of the Beaches Garden Tour.

Their garden has even been used as a backdrop for weddings and other special events. The generous garden room with its series of French doors reminded me a bit of a European palais, where doors open up to a beautifully designed oasis of colour and fragrance. Steven commented that the garden is a quiet respite and many B&B guests have remarked how peaceful the garden is. During the Jazz Festival Steven and Paul often sit in the backyard with their guests, enjoying a glass of wine and listening to the music that drifts up from Queen Street.

Steven and Paul used to live in Richmond Hill, and had been playing with the idea of opening a bed and breakfast for some time, but they always thought that this would be something to do later on in life. At a critical juncture in life they decided to go ahead with their plans anyway and started searching for a suitable property. They looked in different parts of Toronto and were shown various properties all over the city. When they looked around the Beach, they liked the small town feel of this neighbourhood and the restaurant and shopping opportunities close by. Paul commented that when their real estate agent drove them down Waverley Road, they somehow felt guided to this property and bought it right away after the viewing. They became good friends with the former owner who allowed them to put plants in the garden before they even owned the house and fixed up all the holes in the wall before Steven and Paul took over the property.

The name for this B&B came to Paul in a divinely inspired moment. Paul describes himself as spiritual, he prays regularly and asked for a name for their new bed and breakfast. Paul smiles and says the next day the name came to him spontaneously: Accommodating The Soul. He adds he wanted to create a home for people to come and just be.

Over the last three years Steven and Paul have had guests from all over the world, including from different parts of North America, Europe and Asia. Steven likes to spoil them with his full hot breakfast which includes a fresh fruit cocktail, coffee, tea, juice, and a main course, either an egg dish (Paul adds that Steven’s omelettes are to die for), a quiche or a dish made with filo pastry. Steven told me about his pancakes: he takes thin slices of ripe pear and puts them in the dough while the pancake cooks. The fruit remains visible on one side of the pancake and the top gets sprinkled with icing sugar. My mouth was watering just listening to this description.

I asked them to tell me a few of their favourite guest stories that they have accumulated over the last three years. They both commented that their guests come from all walks of life, some are wealthy, some are regular, hard-working people, but they treat everyone the same way, and 99% of their guest experiences have been positive.

Many of their guests say that they sleep so much better here than in their own home. Just recently some guests from the West Coast brought a bottle of malt as a present, and other guests brought some cheese. Often their guests are interesting personalities or they come for interesting reasons. One of their guests was doing research into the death of his uncle who was killed on duty as an RCMP officer. Another couple from Korea came with their Korean brother-in-law. As an interior designer, Steven got involved in an animated discussion about architecture with the brother-in-law. Later that day the couple commented that their traveling companion had not talked with anyone for five days, and Steven was the first person that he opened up to.

A young woman from Japan who spoke no English stayed for several days at their B&B, and they went on some joint excursions to Niagara-on-the-Lake together. The only way they could communicate was through improvised sign language, and the three established a great connection and had lots of laughs together. Positive human connections are possible even without the aid of a common spoken language.

Steven and Paul’s favourite guest story involves a woman from Halifax who came to stay at their B&B. Mary, a good-looking tall woman in her fifties, with blond hair, was a bit reserved, yet she also came across as relaxed and spiritual. The two owners knew that they were going to connect with this B&B guest. Mary finally opened up and told them her story: she had had a very close friend, Anna, whom she had grown up with. They would often have tea and cookies together, and one day, during one of their get-togethers, Anna got up, and fell back down – she had suffered a massive heart attack and passed away the same day.

When Mary was taking the train to Toronto on her way to visit Steven and Paul’s B&B, Mary said to herself “Anna, if you are out there, give me a sign. ” Mary closed her eyes and when she opened them again she saw a big A in the sky. As Paul was telling this story, something had just given me a chill. Steven and Paul added that they became good friends with Mary and they cried when she left. They felt they had met a soul sister. Needless to say, Mary has been back several times since her first visit.

I inquired into their personal backgrounds and Steven started to explain that he was born in Toronto into an Italian-Canadian family. He graduated from a program in marketing and started to work for American Standard. He moved into the field of human resources and started to work with disabled people for whom he organized job fairs and work placements.

One day he literally had a light bulb moment, he realized that he needed a change in his life, and at the time he considered that he might open a home accessories store. Steven had always had a real talent for interior design, and since he was a child, his relatives would ask him for decorating advice. He figured he might as well try to make a living at something that he is really good at. He got as far as attending some trade shows and gathering some samples for the intended home accessories store, but in the end, Steven and Paul decided to harness Steven’s decorating talents by putting them to good use in their own bed and breakfast which they were planning to open.

Steven is also a talented stained glass artists, and some pieces of Steven’s art adorn their home. Steven has also sold several pieces of stained glass to some of his bed and breakfast guests while several other visitors have requested his help with their interior design projects.

Paul was born in Guyana and was twelve years old when he came to Toronto. He said his initial adjustment period was a bit difficult since he was used to growing up in a large family who had been living closely together. Once he arrived in Toronto, his entire family was spread out all over the city. In his twenties Paul completed his education in nursing and worked as a “traveling nurse” in various parts of the USA for three years. He was hired by different nursing agencies and worked in various cities throughout Florida and California.

Paul is also a registered physiotherapist and describes himself as an aspiring spiritual counselor, writer and public speaker. He also provides mindfulness awareness meditation workshops.

One experience that shaped Paul Kamarat was a walk along the ancient pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago. We briefly talked about my friend Sue Kenney who has become a recognized authority on the Camino. Paul recounts a story of when he was traveling by train from France towards the border of Spain where he would be starting his pilgrimage. He had met a local woman on the train who told him that they were very close to the famous French pilgrimage town of Lourdes. Paul decided to get off the train and spent a night in this historic town, a magical experience.

Once he had started his pilgrimage near the Spanish town of Roncesvalles, he asked God to give him a sign whether he was on the right path. Just at that moment he saw a pair of dancing butterflies, which had always been a positive symbol for Paul. He knew he was on the right track.

Paul adds that as a budding writer he has a strong interest in regular people. He said that he meets so many interesting people and there are so many special individuals out there who are making a positive contribution to the planet.

Steven also pulled out his album and showed me a few pictures of the B&B’s renovation project. Other images featured some of the special events held here and some of his stained glass work. We also went through their guest book which features so many positive comments about the guest experience at Accommodating The Soul B&B. Ever the gracious hosts, Paul and Steven had brought me cookies and a delicious plate of cheese and crackers to keep me energized during the interview. Their natural knack for hospitality is genuine and welcoming.

Just before I had to leave, Paul showed me his pilgrimage passport and the scallop shell that is the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. Steven also had a special item to show me, particularly since Paul was instigating: Steven’s artistic talent manifested itself early in the form of a blue paper-maché pig, an art project that was displayed in his high school along with a variety of other exhibits and science experiments. We all chuckled at this unusual long-lashed yet strangely endearing piece of art.

Two other interviewees were waiting for me, but meeting these two hospitality entrepreneurs was a real treat. I have interviewed many bed and breakfast owners over the years, but I don’t think I have ever met B& B hosts who enjoy the guest experience and the human connection as much as Steven Zarlenga and Paul Karamat. Both gentlemen invited me to come back and I didn’t leave before I got a big hug from both of them. Truly a bed and breakfast with a personal touch…

A cover letter’s only objective is to compel the reader into contacting you. In some ways, it is also to introduce yourself and set the stage for the resume. Yet, if you can write a cover letter that compels the hiring manager to call you, then the resume simply becomes what it is meant to be; a documented list of past experiences and accumulated skills.

Let us look at this from a sales perspective. A sales presentation is essentially composed of four parts:

- Approach

- Presentation

- Proof

- Close

The cover letter is the presentation and the close. The resume becomes the proof that supports your presentation as laid out in the cover letter. The approach is simply what you do to get the hiring manager to read your offer.

If the presentation is solid, the proof is something buyer needs to reinforce his belief that he made a good buy. So, in that light, the resume becomes the afterthought in a sense. If you have written a cover letter that effectively convinces the hiring manager to call you, then the resume simply reaffirms that, “yes, I am doing the right thing in calling this person, why; look at how sterling the resume is!”

On the other hand, if the cover letter fails to impress or convince; all the hard work of putting together the resume may be for nothing. A person must already have a “buying” predisposition for the proof to work, otherwise all the testimonials and proofs will probably not be enough.

Most people are familiar with the features and benefits of a product and what the differences are. In short, features are what make a product unique and the benefits are “what’s in it for me.” Yet in making the presentation, it is not enough to simply state mostly the benefits or mostly the features.

A good sales presentation makes the connection between a feature that the buyer most cares for and the benefit to the buyer. It is the connection that you draw that sets the stage for the close. It is not enough to say, “I am proficient in sales management, having directed 6 sales representatives in achieving 106% of sales quota for 2000.” That is the feature, that is nice; but so what.

It is not enough to say, “I can generate an increase in sales for your company by building a team of aggressive sales representatives.” That is nice, that is a benefit to hiring you I suppose, but what makes me believe that? And do I have to go back to the previous statement and make my own connection?

The feature and benefit must flow to something like, “I can bring increased sales and revenue to your company; as I did for Wily E. Acme Inc., where I achieved 106% of sales quota for 2000,” or words to that effect. You state the benefit first, and then, bridge to the feature. In this case, you are the product and so the cover letter is your sales pitch of you.

As you write your presentation, as much as making the connection for the hiring manager is critical, even more critical is making the right connection between the feature she is looking for and the benefits she needs. And the answer to that riddle is in the job description and your research of the company. You should not send form letters, willy-nilly, to every job you are interested in.

Select the position and the company that is a match for you, and then, you must dissect the job description. Make a bullet point list of what they are looking for. Then make a list of your skills and qualifications. And as you did in grade school, draw a line between what they are looking for and what you have to offer.

Research the company and industry and attempt to pinpoint which of the bullet pointed items seem to be the most important.

Mirror the words and descriptions that you picked out of the job posting and description. Nearly every job posting is pretty exact in what they are looking for. So,give them what they want in the words they wrote it in. If you use a template to get the flow of ideas down first, fine; then tweak the letter to mirror what the company is looking for.

And of course, you must close the letter by asking for a decision, “I suggest getting together immediately to discuss the possibilities between us, you may call me at (000) 000-1234.”

In concept, I suggest you write the cover letter as though it was a sales presentation. As you write the letter, write it in terms of what the buyer is looking for and in the words the company uses. You letter will be far more compelling.