Presentation Finding And Winning Customers

Copyright © 2008 Elite Edge Marketing Consultants Ltd. All rights reserved. www.elite-edge.co.uk

A presentation to Chapel Street Business Group by Paul Clement

Know your customers

1. Customer Research

2. Customer Profiling


Customer research

• Know who your customers really are; don’t rely on assumptions or your own expectations

• It doesn’t need to be complicated or costly to be effective

• Can be a combination of primary (you make your own) and secondary (you use someone else’s) research


Customer research• Remember that this is research you want to use, so

keep it practical and avoid the purely academic

• Review your client files, client accounts, contact management system, market and industry reports, trade press, business news etc

• Talk with your customers!


Research –what can you learn?• Who are your customers?

– individual consumers

– other businesses

– social enterprises

– distributors

– wholesalers

– agents


Research –what can you learn?

• What do they buy from you? How much? How often?

• How do they prefer to buy from you? Cash? Credit? Invoice? Finance? Online? In store?

• When do they tend to buy the most? When do they buy the least? Is it sporadic? Is it cyclical? Is it seasonal?



• Are there obvious trends? Can you influence these? What factors or circumstances cause them to buy?

• What other needs do your customers have? Can you meet them? Can you partner with someone who can?

• Are there opportunities for you to cross-sell? Can you up-sell? Can you tailor specific services to fill any gaps?



• Where do they hang out? What do they like to do? What do they watch? What do they read? Where do they surf on the web?

• Who do they already buy from? What products or services have they bought in the past? Are they pioneers? Do they play it safe?


Why is research useful?

• Research gives your plans substance - make informed decisions, reduce your risks and CYA

• ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail’ – however, speculation does not make good business planning

• Your marketing and sales campaigns should naturally follow from your research, not the other way round


Why is research useful?• What exactly are you selling? To whom? Are you

selling many things to many people? Are they all the same or different? Widgets or waffleheimers?

• How should you communicate with your customers? What messages work? Will they see it or hear it? Will they respond? Are you talking ‘to’ them or ‘at’ them?


Things to remember• Properly ‘engage’ and excite your customers

• Motivate them to choose you

• Meet and even surpass their needs

• Inspire them to have confidence in you


Things to remember• Demonstrate your knowledge of their needs and

desires

• Recognise what is important to them

• Make yourself different from your competitors – be more connected, more ‘in tune’

• Make yourself familiar, safe and credible


Why do your own research?• It is more likely to be immediately relevant

• Your data should be more reliable

• It can be more cost effective if done in-house

• Your results should be more specific to your business and your customers

• You will be more likely to use it


Customer profiling

• Know what types of customers you have; review your own files and accounts

• Demographic profiling individuals – income, age, gender, marital status,

size of family, education, employment, transport etc businesses – sector, size, employees, turnover,

products, services, customer base, market share etc


Customer profiling

• Psychographic profiling – thoughts, preferences, opinions, beliefs, values, reactions, impressions, attitudes etc

• Behaviouristic profiling – actions, motivations, pursuits, interests, hobbies, free time, travel, socialising etc

• Geographic profiling – home, work, infrastructure, climate, customs, culture, religion, fashions, legislation, politics, resources etc


Profiling –what can you learn?• What motivates or influences them to buy?

• Exactly who is buying what?

• Who buys more? Who buys less or not as frequently?

• What is their total sales value throughout the year?


Profiling –what can you learn?• Who are your ‘bread and butter’ customers

• Who are your ‘wow’ customers?

• Who contributes reliably to your profits?

• Who represents a disproportionate drain on your resources and time?


It’s all about them!


Why research and profiling?• segment the market; utilise a niche approach

• allows diversification by targeting specific needs

• positioning specific products or services in the market

• tailor your marketing mix to meet customer needs and preferences


Why research and profiling?• gap analysis; is there really no requirement for the

product or service or has it just not been exploited yet?

• differentiation; distinguish your offer from your competitors

• source of competitive advantage; develop USPs and ESPs

• aligning your means to meet your ends


Thank you

Any questions?

Winning Pitch © Winning Pitch plc

Personal Selling Skills

Tim Smith, Winning Pitch


Introductions

Tim Smith


I don’t know who you are

I don’t know your company

I don’t know your company’s products

I don’t know what your company stands for

I don’t know your company’s customers

I don’t know your company’s record

I don’t know your company’s reputation

Now-what was it you wanted to sell me?

McGraw-Hill advert 1958


The UK Sales Mentality?


In selling you are not trying to get somebody to buy something they

don’t want

You are looking to help someone make a decision

Someone who is already interested in you and your

products & services


Poor Salespeople…

Don’t spend time with customers

Don’t prepare

Lack of product knowledge

Put off closing

Perfectionists

Keep on selling


Star Salespeople…

Visualise with defined goals & objectives

Believe in their products / services

Expect to succeed

Live in the customers’ world

Make friends

Close when the buyer wants to buy


Winning


The difference between

winners & losers is small…

…the result is HUGE


Wouldn’t it be good if…

We had time to prepare?

We knew what the other person was wanting?

We were better at negotiating?

We weren’t so desperate?


Why do people buy from you?


Why do people buy?


Why do people buy?

Because they want to be better off

Also…

…will only buy if THEY believe you are acting

in THEIR interests


Buyers only buy if they

think you are acting

in their interests


Before you go in

Planning and preparing


Sales meetings Checklist- The 3Ps

Purpose - Why am I going there?

Process - What am I going to say when I get there ?

Pay Off - What is in it for us and for them ? (win - win)


What do you need to know?What do they need to know?

You have a face-to-face meeting with a potential strategic large customer.

What questions do you need to ask?

What questions might they ask you?


What do you need to know?What do they need to know?

YOUWhat their needs & wants are

THEMThat buying from you is the right decision


Prepare for the meeting


Open

Probe

Match

Close

The Personal Selling Process

Permission to move to each stage


Opening & Probing


Your Biggest Selling Asset


Matching & Closing


“If you were to buy our product what would you need it to do for you?”

To match you need to find out the BUYER’S NEEDS

“If you were to buy our product what would convince you you’d

made the right decision?”


Sales Meeting - Matching

EmotionalI just want it!

BusinessPerformance

Finance

PersonalMake me look great

The Buying Motivators


So…. What does he REALLY want..?


£


Defend your priceNegotiate on other concessions

Free delivery

Installation

Trial period

Training

Extended warranty


Protect your assets


Avoid Barry Bradley


Avoid Barry Bradley…… “All you can eat”

Paid £7.50

30 sausages 20 bacon rashers 15 fried eggs 3 tins of baked beans 6 bowls of cereal


Avoid Barry Bradley…… “All you can eat”

Paid £7.50

30 sausages 20 bacon rashers 15 fried eggs 3 tins of baked beans 6 bowls of cereal

1 1/2 croissants


How many Closing Techniques?

108 Sales Closing books on Amazon


Close when your customer wants to buy…

…not when you want to sell


Why don’t you give it a try?

That will look good on you. Why not try it on?

Why not take a test drive?


Alternative

Do you want it this week or next?

Do you want blue or red?

Deliver or pick up?


…then SHUT UP

SILENCE at the end of a close is the only PRESSURE

Ask for the order…


Ask for the order


The difference between winners & losers is small…the difference in results is HUGE

Buyers only buy if they think you are acting in their interests

Understand your sales persona and your strengths and weaknesses

Prepare for the meeting

Understand your customer (Live in the customer’s world)

Protect your assets

Ask for the order

Top tips

Presentation Finding And Winning Customers

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