| Recently I was asked a question by an executive | | | | whether each doctor has any of the problems your |
| from a medical device manufacturing and distribution | | | | products address, and how these problems impact |
| business. His company invests heavily to attend | | | | the doctor both personally and professionally. It is |
| domestic and international trade shows. His | | | | relatively easy to engage someone's emotions when |
| salespeople close quite a few sales at the trade | | | | you ask penetrating questions that cause them to |
| shows, but their success rate in closing sales after | | | | re-live the discomfort, pain, and frustration caused by |
| the trade shows is below five percent. He asked for | | | | their problems and concerns. |
| suggestions to improve his salespeople's follow-up | | | | Once your salespeople have identified specific |
| sales performance. | | | | business problems and quantified impacts, they should |
| Here was my response to this executive's question | | | | paint GLOWING WORD PICTURES |
| The fact that you have a relatively low (post-trade | | | | These word pictures will help doctors visualize how |
| show) follow-up sales ratio makes sense. Buying | | | | wonderful their lives will be when your company's |
| decisions are made when emotions are engaged. | | | | products make their problems go away. The word |
| When your salespeople work with doctors at trade | | | | pictures should include real-life examples of the results |
| shows, the ones who buy probably get excited | | | | your products have produced for other doctors. The |
| about your products. They perceive benefits to their | | | | more your salespeople can quantify these results, the |
| practices, their patients, and themselves personally. | | | | greater the impact. |
| Their emotions are engaged and they can justify a | | | | For any given doctor, either they have the problems |
| buying decision, so they buy. | | | | your products can solve, or they don't. If they DO |
| Once the doctors return home, what do your | | | | have one or more of those problems, either the |
| salespeople do to rev their emotions back up? If | | | | impact of the problems is significant enough to justify |
| your salespeople can't re-engage the doctors' | | | | investing in a solution, or it isn't. If the impact of the |
| emotions, a purchase becomes very unlikely. | | | | problems IS significant enough, the key becomes |
| I don't know how good a job your marketing | | | | emotion. If your salesperson can engage the doctor's |
| materials and salespeople do of identifying the | | | | emotions, they are likely to buy. If their emotions are |
| following: | | | | not engaged, they are NOT likely to buy. Does that |
| - The specific problems your products address | | | | make sense? |
| - The quantified impacts (in terms of dollars or | | | | My experience has also been that many organizations |
| percentages and time frames) of those problems, | | | | have real difficulty identifying the business problems |
| and | | | | their products and services can solve. When they try |
| - How your products will improve the doctors' | | | | to do it, they usually get bogged down in features |
| practices | | | | and benefits. |
| Most marketing materials and product training | | | | Special training may be required to help your |
| programs focus heavily on features and benefits, and | | | | marketing, training, and sales personnel understand |
| completely overlook the problems that the product | | | | the differences between business problems, |
| solves. Unfortunately, features only have value when | | | | features, and benefits. Once they have learned how |
| they solve one or more specific problems. Benefits | | | | to identify business problems and quantified impacts |
| are what happen when a problem has been solved. If | | | | for a few products or services, it will be relatively |
| your salespeople don't understand the problems your | | | | easy for them to repeat this learning process for the |
| products can solve, they are not going to deliver | | | | other products and services in your company's |
| feature and benefit information as effectively as | | | | portfolio. |
| they could. | | | | Conclusion |
| Here is another issue - different prospects are | | | | If you want to increase your post-trade show close |
| concerned about different things | | | | ratio, your salespeople need to engage their |
| Some doctors are primarily concerned about the | | | | prospects' emotions. The best way to do this is to |
| comfort and health of their patients. Some are | | | | make sure your marketing materials and salespeople |
| primarily concerned about having a practice that runs | | | | do a great job of identifying: |
| smoothly and efficiently. Some are primarily | | | | - The specific problems your products address |
| concerned about making money. Some are primarily | | | | - The quantified impacts (in terms of dollars or |
| concerned about having more time to spend with | | | | percentages and time frames) those problems have |
| their families. You get the idea. | | | | on prospects' businesses, and |
| If your salespeople aren't already doing it, one of | | | | - How your products will improve a prospect's life, |
| their key objectives should be asking questions to | | | | both personally and professionally |
| identify what each doctor wants most from his or | | | | If your salespeople learn to use this process to help |
| her practice, and why they want it. Can your | | | | prospects re-live the discomfort, pain, and frustration |
| products help that doctor get more of what they | | | | caused by their problems and concerns, your |
| want most from their practice? | | | | post-trade show close ratios should increase |
| Your salespeople should also ask questions to identify | | | | substantially! |