“We had a great demo, but they haven’t returned my email since”
We’ve all been there.
One of my early sales mentors offered to join one of my sales demos and give me feedback after. While he appreciated my enthusiasm, he affectionately described my style as “show up and throw up.”
“If someone shows up to your dealership, do you show them the Civic lease special and tell them about the fuel efficiency of the Insight? Or do you ask them why they’re here today? If they just had a 3rd kid, that Civic lease special isn’t going to help them so much. ”
This is how wonderful of a salesperson he was. He shared that advice in a way that a car guy could immediately understand, and it changed my sales presentations forever.
If there’s no need, there is no sale. The sales presentation is about uncovering the needs of your prospect, and then mutually understanding whether your product can help them solve that need.
It’s more of a needs analysis for the prospect mixed with visuals and explanations of how the solution could work. Your product won’t be right for every situation. By not pushing in situations where there isn’t a fit, the matches result in more value and better retention.
In a sales demo, the salesperson walks through a product so the prospect can decide if the product is right for them.
In a needs analysis, the salesperson understands the prospect’s problems to see if their product can be a part of the solution.
Next time, try a needs analysis. I’d love to hear how it goes.
