Speak to almost any self-employed professional and most of them will say that they love their job but don’t care much for selling their services. Here’s some advice to help all those reluctant professionals who need to sell to clients.
A powerful presentation can mean the difference between securing a contract and losing one. Always keep in mind that your customers will be inundated with competitors wanting to present their case for stealing your business.
Giving a presentation is one of the most feared events in Western society. In surveys of people’s fears, death is usually ranked around number six. Giving a presentation is usually number one. Don’t feel alone, this is a common experience. Ensure, before a presentation or meeting with a client that you have done everything you can to be prepared.
As you go through the following four steps, think of the practical issues of your specific service, how can you implement these steps, what else could you do? For this module to be effective you must work through it and not just read it. Use this as your opportunity to become a great presenter.
Selling Professional Services Step 1
Be prepared
Before you go into a business meeting spend some time getting prepared.
What is your product and its features?
Who is your client and what are their needs?
How are you provide a solution to your client’s needs?
Why are you the best option for your client?
Identifying reason why they might not want your product and how you might respond to them.
Make sure you will be able to deliver on the promises you make.
Be professional in making appointments or use someone who can.
Selling Professional Services Step 2
Make a Great Presentation
Of course, you are not going to make the perfect presentation at your first attempt.
Start out by giving a brief presentation to your friends, stating your name and address. Follow this with a brief five-minute presentation on your life and interests. Make a habit of giving brief presentations. Despite all the discomfort, you will gradually get into the swing of it. Face that which you fear, and eventually the fear is removed.
When making a presentation to customers, focus on the benefit. Do not mention the cost. Can you imagine trying to sell Leadership Coaching programs for groups of executives in the same company at £100,000 per annum? The simple fact is that nobody has got £100,000 to spend on Leadership Coaching. Therefore, do not talk about the cost. Focus on the benefit. The skills acquired by executives during the program will lead to greater sales, lower costs, and greater profits, i.e. greater managerial ability for the foreseeable future. In fact, the program guarantees an increase in profit of £1 million in the first year of the program. If you focus on the benefits of increased managerial skills, and the £1 million added to the bottom line, then the £100,000 cost of the program does not seem excessive. By the time we have focused on the benefit, then the £100,000 is mentioned at the end of the presentation as a mere detail.
Keep using expressions along the lines “what this means to you is…”, “what this means to you is that sales will be increased by 20 per cent, what this means to you is that costs will be reduced by 20 per cent, what this means to you is that you will have the holiday of a lifetime, etc.”.
Your prospective customer is permanently tuned in to his or her favorite radio station, WIIFM – What’s in It for Me? Listen carefully for feedback. Look for benefit as perceived by your customer. You cannot set goals for other people, but you can use the powers of love and suggestion on other people. The customer must feel that you are acting in his or her best interests. You can suggest to your customer that certain benefits work to their advantage.
Be positive. Be excited and enthusiastic about your product or service. Speak confidently.
Dress for success. Be sure to present your product or service in its best light.
Use mega-credibility – who has already used the product successfully, offer recommendations from other customers, present lists of clients, stories of satisfied customers, and independent verification from other companies, research institutes, universities. You cannot offer too much credibility. Nobody wants to be the first sucker to give it a try! Use your judgment to offer trial closes as follows: “is this the kind of thing you had in mind?” “Is this the kind of idea that could be of interest to you?” “Is this what you were looking for?” “Does that make sense to you?” If you can get the prospective customer to nod or agree in any other way to one of these questions, then you are well on the way to making a sale.
As well as appealing to your prospective customer’s desires, you could also use a little bit of fear. You could mention the fact that your customer’s competitors have already done it!
Finally, be prepared to handle all possible objections.
Step 3 Know how to handle objections
One of the scariest parts of the presentation is the possibility of the customer saying no thanks. The truth is you are probably expecting it anyway. Be prepared for it. Practice what you’ll do when someone says no. So, they think they are not interested. It is up to you to show them why they do. Your initial reaction could be that you are not going to make the sale. This is incorrect. You must understand that an objection is a request for more information. If the customer is objecting, you are selling. Only when the customer disappears have you possibly lost the sale. Most objections are simply requesting for more information. “It’s not in the budget” means “can you invoice me at a later date?” Familiarize yourself with the objections that customers usually make.
Rehearse your replies.
Compliment your customer for the objection along the lines “that’s an excellent question … that’s an interesting observation …”.
Handle the objection along the following lines: “many people felt that way at first, but this is what they found … that’s exactly what some of my biggest customers suggested at first, but this is what they found.”.
Then, produce the evidence, produce the proof, handle the objection.
For further ideas of how to handle objections, simply think back to the last time you went to look at cars and the sales person would just not take no for an answer. Car sales people are especially good at handling objections.
Selling Professional Services Step 3
Know how to handle objections
One of the scariest parts of the presentation is the possibility of the customer saying no thanks. The truth is you are probably expecting it anyway. Be prepared for it. Practice what you’ll do when someone says no. So, they think they are not interested. It is up to you to show them why they do. Your initial reaction could be that you are not going to make the sale. This is incorrect. You must understand that an objection is a request for more information. If the customer is objecting, you are selling. Only when the customer disappears have you possibly lost the sale. Most objections are simply requesting for more information. “It’s not in the budget” means “can you invoice me at a later date?” Familiarize yourself with the objections that customers usually make.
Rehearse your replies.
Compliment your customer for the objection along the lines “that’s an excellent question … that’s an interesting observation …”.
Handle the objection along the following lines: “many people felt that way at first, but this is what they found … that’s exactly what some of my biggest customers suggested at first, but this is what they found.”.
Then, produce the evidence, produce the proof, handle the objection.
For further ideas of how to handle objections, simply think back to the last time you went to look at cars and the sales person would just not take no for an answer. Car sales people are especially good at handling objections.
Selling Professional Services Step 4
Closing that deal
A customer is willing and able to purchase the benefit you offer. In a successful sales presentation, you eventually reach the point when it is time to ask for action, time to close that deal. You may or may not have already tried one or two trial closes.
The following approaches are popular when it comes to closing:
Mark Lamplugh is a fourth-generation former firefighter holding rank of Captain and sits on the executive team as Chief Marketing Officer for Atlas Health Group. Atlas Health group operates Satori Behavioral Health, Silicon Beach Treatment Center, and Detox LA based in Los Angeles, California.
Mark serves on the board of One World for Life, National Fire Heritage Center, and the Institute for Responder Wellness.
Mark (https://marklamplugh.com) is one of the top marketing executives in the United States and has revolutionized how companies reach potential clients thru influence, SEO, social, PR, and traditional marketing. His expertise in Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Public Relations has generated millions of dollars in revenue for several national companies. Mark documents many of his techniques in his book “Beginners Guide to Social & Digital Media.” and “Marketing Playbook for Social Media,” which was named the top 100 social media marketing books of all time by Book Authority. He’s also a professional advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders. Marks articles have been published in Better Marketing, Startup Magazine, Social Media Today, Kivo Daily, Biz Catalyst 360, Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, and several others.
One of his companies, niches, are marketing products and services to the public safety industry and their employees, specifically mental & behavioral health services. He can be reached for comment at ceo@influencemediasolutions.com
23,000 #1 Connections, 40,000,000 US B2B Contacts and 300,000,000 B2b/B2C email contacts as well as 1,000,000+ monthly social media reach. https://marklamplugh.com
