Leadership, Attitude, Performance ...making learning pay! LAP Selling LAP 103 Performance Indicator: SE:893 Show and Tell Product Demonstration Let me demonstrate Seeing is believing Involve ’ em Show and Tell LAP-SE-103-SP © 2012, MBA Research and Curriculum Center® 1 A Let Me See. When it comes to convincing customers of their need for products, “seeing is believing” is a good rule to follow. In most cases, customers prefer to see exactly how a product operates rather than simply trying to imagine it. Fortunately, nearly xxxxxn told that you need to chill out? every item has at least one feature A picture Ever been asked, “What is your prool. you can actively demonstrate to is worth a customers. thousand There are many instances in life when All of us have experience as words. you just have to “see to believe.” Actu- customers—and it’s experience An example ally, this phrase could apply to any of the you can draw upon as a sales- senses. You might have to see the sunset person. What was it about an is worth a over the Pacific Ocean to appreciate how effective sales presentation that thousand beautiful it is. You might have to taste convinced you to buy a particular pictures. your grandfather’s homemade ice cream product? What occurred in a poor to know how delicious it is. And, you presentation to make you walk might have to smell a lilac bush in bloom away empty-handed? As you look Stockbyte/Thinkstock to understand why so many people love through your memory, you will probably recall instances to plant them in front of their homes. that will help you prepare your own presentations. This same concept holds true for customers when they are considering a Presenting success product to buy. They often want to expe- The sales presentation occurs after you have established a rience the product firsthand before mak- relationship with your customer. During the sales presentation, ing a purchasing decision—to hold it, to you explain and show customers the benefits of product features. try it out, etc. For this reason, it’s critical Regardless of the product, effective sales presentations have two for salespeople to demonstrate products important parts. One is the sales dialogue, during which the sales- effectively. Learn more about product person tells the customer about the product’s outstanding features demonstrations and the steps you can take to present products to customers successfully. Objectives Digital Vision/Thinkstock Describe an effective product A demonstration. Demonstrate product. During the sales dialogue, the salesperson tells his customers about B the product’s outstanding features and benefits. Then, during the product demonstration, the salesperson backs up what he has said with action. 2 LAP-SE-103-SP © 2012, MBA Research and Curriculum Center® Show and Tell A and benefits. A well-informed, enthusiastic sales dialogue opens the way for the second part of the presentation, the product demonstration. A product demonstration uses action to back up the words of the sales dialogue. It shows the customer how and why a product can be of benefit. An effective product demonstration is important because: • It gets the customer actively interested in the product. Even customers who say they are “just browsing” must have some interest, or they wouldn’t be looking. An effective product demonstration builds upon this interest. • It creates a desire to buy the product. Often, customers may want a product but must be convinced that they need the product before making the purchase. An effective product demonstration shows why the item is useful to customers. • It shows the customer proof of the product’s features and benefits. Actions really do speak louder than words. A good product demonstration proves to the customer that you have given an accurate description of the advantages of purchasing the item. • It involves the customer in the sales presentation. Many products, for reasons of security, are out of customers’ reach. The product demonstration offers the opportunity for customers to handle and even “try out” the product, under your supervision. It also allows you to answer spe- cific questions about use and care of the product. Cus- tomer involvement helps to create a sense of ownership, thereby making it easier to close the sale. An effective product demonstration involves the customer. Whenever possible, a salesperson should provide her customers Choosing the right product to demonstrate with the opportunity to ask questions and “try out” the product. Before conducting an effective product demonstration, you must select the right product to show the customer. If the customer has a specific request, show that product immediately. In many cases, however, customers are not certain of the precise product they want to see. When this occurs, you must be prepared to select the best product to show. Here are some important guidelines to help you make that selection: Determine product use. Ask the customer how s/he Consider price range. If the customer has not stated a price will use the product. The customer’s intended use will help preference, show a moderately priced item. If you begin the sales you select which product(s) to show. presentation with a product in this range, you can trade up or down, depending on the customer’s needs. Show popular products. Once you’ve narrowed down the products to those suitable for the customer’s needs, show Limit the choices. Limit the selection of products you show to advertised or very popular products. Customers often feel a reasonable number of choices. Customers are often overwhelmed more comfortable with products they have seen or heard with too many choices and are unable to remember the special about previously. features of each. Choosing the right product features to highlight You have questioned the customer to find out what s/he needs, and you have selected the number and type of products to demonstrate. Usually, there is not time to demonstrate every feature of every product. Also, most customers do not consider all features important for their intended use of the product. Don’t assume, therefore, that the customer will be interested in the same product features that interest you. Remember that an effective product demonstration will prove the product’s usefulness in meeting each customer’s individual needs. How will you know which product features will interest your customers the most? Don’t assume you can predict people’s interests by the way they dress or talk. Instead, use a friendly, courteous approach to engage customers in conversation. Listen closely to their com- ments. Their remarks are important clues to the benefits each wants from the product. Before you can effectively demonstrate a product, you must have a thorough knowledge of its various features. Susan, a salesperson in a sporting goods store, can detail the features of each tennis racquet she demonstrates by completing a product analysis sheet. Show and Tell LAP-SE-103-SP © 2012, MBA Research and Curriculum Center® 3 A She can get information for the analysis from the literature that comes with the product and from conversations with her supervisors or other salespeople. Later, she may translate those product features into customer benefits, but for now, a list of features will help her organize her demonstration. The following product analysis sheet shows examples of such features: Product: Oversized Tennis Racquet Features: • Durable • Larger “sweet spot” than • Free protective cover • Light-weight average-sized racquets included • Recommended for beginners • Variety of grip sizes available • One-year warranty By listing the product features on the product analysis sheet in their order of importance or priority, you will be able to re- member the most important features more easily. But, is the first feature listed the most important to your customer? Perhaps not. Therefore, you should question the customer and carefully listen to determine which features are important to him/her. At this point, you should be able to match product features with customer needs. Now, you can limit your demonstration to those features that interest the customer. For example, if a customer is interested in the safety of a food processor, you can focus your demonstration on the food processor’s built-in safety device, rather than showing that it is pressure operated. Let’s look back at what you’ve learned about determining which product features to demonstrate. Remember: • Be thoroughly familiar with the product’s • Determine the customer’s interests in • Demonstrate only those features. Use product literature and dis- a product’s features by asking the in- product features of cussions with your supervisors/coworkers tended use in a conversational manner. interest to the customer. to complete a product analysis sheet. How do you choose the right product features to highlight? Become familiar with your product’s features; determine your customer’s interests in certain product features; and demon- strate only the features of interest to the customer. 4 LAP-SE-103-SP © 2012, MBA Research and Curriculum Center® Show and Tell A Summary Effective sales presentations have two parts, the sales dialogue and the product demonstration. A successful product demon- stration ignites customer interest and creates the desire to buy. To choose the right product to demonstrate, determine product use, show popular products, consider the customer’s price range, and limit choices. Choose product features to highlight, and create a product analysis sheet to organize your thoughts. Above all, keep the customer’s individual needs and interests in mind. A unique way that some companies choose to demonstrate products is by purchasing large “chunks” of television time and producing long commercials, known as infomercials, to display product features and benefits.