Why selling equipment will make you a five-star vending machine

Editor’s Note: In this column space of Vet-Advantage, we will give you insight into both basic and advanced tactical selling techniques that will help you serve customers better than ever before. But let us preface this with a warning. The material in these articles is not for salespeople who are not ready to push themselves harder than ever before. It is for the professional who seeks constant improvement, fresh ways to serve customers, and constant learners who are never satisfied with being average. If this is you, it’s great to have you on board. Now let’s get to work!

In a recent Vet-Advantage article we gave you five steps designed to make you get the most out of every minute of each working day. Those steps were fueled with PRIDE:

Prospecting for New Customers
Relationship Making
Influence Activity
Deviation
Educating Yourself

We have another dose of PRIDE in this month’s issue, but this PRIDE focuses on five specific steps that, if used, will make you the most successful equipment salesperson in your company, territory and perhaps industry. First, let’s talk about why selling equipment is no longer an option É if you want to thrive in this market. First, we can all agree that the competition is fiercer than ever and that sales margins just Òain’t what they used to be.Ó Discounting, price battles and lost sales to the Internet seem to be weekly if not
daily events.

A dream (vending) machine
But here is the reality. Lame salespeople who do nothing but order-take are REPLACEABLE. They are like vending machines. Think about it. If you are thirsty and are looking for a Coke or bottled water, do you care which vending machine it comes out of? Of course not. All you care about is that it is easy to get to and the price is reasonable. That vending machine is REPLACEABLE. But what if you did business with a five-star vending machine? Let me explain. Let’s say you walked up to a vending machine that looked nothing like any one you have ever seen. And before it took your money, it let you know its goal was to not only provide you with a refreshing product, but to also make the 10 minutes you spend with that machine the best 10 minutes of your day.
Now imagine how you would feel if when you put in your dollar bill and a tall frosted mug dropped down from the machine. Then came the freshest crushed ice that you had ever seen. Soon after came the drink of your choice, made from the finest ingredients on earth. After the foam settled a bit, a splash of whipped cream is added, soon to be topped off by a juicy red cherry. And what if this five-star treatment didn’t cost you a nickel more? Now that’s a vending machine that will keep you coming back. In fact, I bet you would even tell your friends about it, Tweet about it and post it for everybody to see on Facebook. Make your customers feel this way when they deposit their time, money and energy into your business, and they will NOT shop on price.
While we don’t expect you to carry whipped cream and cherries around your sales territory, there is something you can provide that will make you a five-star vending machine and that something isÉ PROSPECT FOR, PRESENT and then SELL EQUIPMENT.
Why? Well if you are a master questioner, great listener, and can match the appropriate piece of equipment with the needs of a client, you become irreplaceable. While your competition is running their milk route, just Òchecking inÓ today to see if the office needs anything, you will be researching, presenting and selling the latest technology that will not only help that practice stay in business, but thrive in a tough economy.

PRIDE
So lets say that you have committed to becoming an equipment-selling machine. Where do you go from here? First, make a commitment to reach out to your top manufacturer partners. Those that get to the top in the business have trusting and very close manufacturer relationships. They spend time each week learning, preparing and co-traveling with them. If this is not your strong suit, try this PRIDE Equipment Selling Formula.

Prospect
How much equipment do you want to sell THIS WEEK?
Remind yourself what you should be selling to each type of client.
Set a call objective before each call that makes THEM do something.
Prospect Using Engagement Questions, CLEAR Questions and Literature:
Currently
Looked at newer technology
Effective/Enjoy
Alter
Responsible for equipment decisions.

Rep communication before the call
Who sets time of demo…distribution or manufacturer rep?
Who sets and prepares pricing before call?
Who prepares leasing numbers and appropriate paperwork?
What information should the manufacturer rep have to be fully prepared?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

In the call
Recap what got you there and who you spoke to.
Make sure all potential decision-makers are in the room.
Introduce manufacturer.
Manufacturer should ask CLEAR/Probing Questions.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

Decision time-who takes control?
“Let’s see if it makes financial sense.”
Know leasing options and have paper work filled out.
Offer different investment options (3 choices)
Ask for a decision
Follow-up
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

Explore
Add-on sales
Referrals

Becoming a five-star equipment machine starts with a choice to challenge yourself to learn more and work harder than you may have in a long time. And on the other end of this commitment, preparation and execution are customers who will be thankful you brought them greater knowledge, more confidence and higher revenues. And for that, you will be rewarded with loyalty that means more accounts and higher margins on EVERYTHING you sell.

As president of PRECISE Selling, Brian Sullivan helps improve sales, customer service, negotiations, leadership, and presentation skills through seminars and Internet training programs. To listen to Brian interview some of the nation’s top business minds on his weekly radio show, go to www.preciseselling.com/Radioaccess.htm.