Sales Skills Training

Objective:

At the end of the training Trainees should be able to:

Identify and demonstrate sales techniques in script

delivery, finding decision makers, getting pass the gate

keeper.

Enumerate techniques in building rapport and apply

them in role plays.

Differentiate the two kinds of probing questions and use

them to identify customers need.

Differentiate features from benefit/ value from product

and use them to identify customers need.

Effective Objection Handling.

Identify and demonstrate closing techniques.

MEET the minimum requirement of 85 % to pass the

training.

Topic Outline:

Culture and Geography

American Culture Vs. Filipino Culture

State Abbreviation

Time Zones

QA Parameter (Telemarketing Law)

Deceptive Telemarketing Act

Abusive Telemarketing Act

QA Parameter and Guidelines

Identifying Customers, Why they Buy and Why they don’t

Buy

Basic Behavior Style

Three Personality Types

Features and Benefit

4 Basic Principle Why Customer Buy

4 Reasons Why Customer DON’T Buy

Identifying Decision Makers and Passing the

GATEKEEPER

Effective Script Delivery

Components of Script Delivery

Communication Guidelines

The Sales Cycle

Probing Skill and Rapport Building

Open-Ended

Close-Ended

How to Effectively Establish Rapport

Objection Handling, Listening and Rebuttal Skills

Reasons Why Customer Don’t Buy

Process of Handling Objection

Categories Of Objection

Elements of Handling Objection

Tips on overcoming anxiety of selling

Effective Listening Skills

Closing Techniques

Buying signals

The Sales Pyramid

How and when to close a Sale

Common Closing Techniques

Feature and Benefit/ Values over Product

Identifying Customers Need

Features and Product VS. Benefit and Values

Role Play

Real time Script Delivery and Objection Handling

Role Play

Phone Simulation

Day 1.1 Sales Training Skills Introduction

American Culture versus Filipino Culture

Communication Style

AMERICAN VALUES FILIPINO VALUES

Belief Expression

Help OthersDo Good

Act with Decency

BraveHelpful

Compassionate, Cause Oriented

Belief Expression

Self ProprietyAcceptance

Walang hiya is a Social sin

ShyTimidConservative

Free to Live Life as an individualChooses as long as others are not harmedTakes Care of Self

IndividualisticTolerant, Democratic Self Reliance

Freedom

Goodness Hiya

Freedom

Get along with othersLoyal to group then Self

Conformist

Be like others

Equality Bahala Na

Equal Right under LawEqual Chances at SuccessEqual accountable for action

Impatient

Hardworking

Perfectionist, Do things right the first time

Repay from those whom you receive favorThings will take care of themselves, God’s Will

Loyal to kin and friends, Sacrifice self interest for othersRespectful to Elders, Spiritual, wait for things to happen

STATE ABBREVIATION AND TIME ZONE

(Refer to hand outs)

Day 1.2 Telemarketing Law and QA Parameters

Deceptive Telemarketing Acts

It is deceptive telemarketing act or practice and a violation of this

RULES for any seller or telemarketing to engage in the following:

Failure to disclose all information in a clear manner

Misrepresenting, directly or by implication, in the sales of goods

or services

Causing billing information to be submitted for payment without

the customer expressing verifiable AUTHORIZATION.

Abusive Telemarketing Act

Americans

ConfrontationalAcceptable to show DisagreementBlunt- Get straight to the pointPrecise about fact, time, date, sense of humor

Filipino

Non-ConfrontationalAvoids open DisagreementPolite small talk firstVague, leeway’s in accuracy of factSense of humor though humor is different

It is an abusive telemarketing act or practice and a violation of this

RULE for any seller or telemarketer to engage in the following

conduct:

Threats, Intimidate, or uses profane or obscene language

Causing any telephone to ring, or engaging any person in

telephone conversation, repeatedly or continuously with intent

to annoy, abuse, or harass any person at the called number.

Denying or interfering in any way, directly or indirectly, with the

persons right to be placed on any registry of names and/or

telephone numbers of persons who do not wish to receive

outbound telephone calls.

Abandoning any outbound telephone calls.

Day 1.3 QA Parameters and Guidelines

3 Steps in Handling Irate Customer

1. Identify emotion – through tone, inflection

2. Acknowledge emotion

3. Give an action statement

How to Handle Abusive Customer

1. Warn the caller for transfer to higher ups

2. Act (transfer call)

3. Document

4. Inform higher ups for action taken

(Still waiting for QA materials)

Day 1.4 Identifying Customer and Why Customer Buy

Basic Behavior Style

Expressive- Social, Talkative, Fun

Drivers- Aggressive, Competitive

Amiable- Quiet, Likeable, Cooperative

Analytical- Quiet, Technical, Logical Thinker

3 Personality Types

Visual – Sees Picture ( How does it look)

Auditory- Hear sound ( How does it sound)

Kinesthetic- Instinctively Feel ( How does it Feel)

Features and Benefit

What is a FEATURE?

It is a characteristic of a product or service

It is describing and object, product or service

What is a Benefit?

How these features satisfy the customer’s need

It is what you get out of having a feature

Example:

Microwave- Rotating Platter for a “Feature”, “Benefit” Food is

cooked equally on all sides

Air conditioner- has a timer for a “Feature”, “Benefit” saves

money and energy.

ACTIVITY LET’S PRACTICE

4 Basic Principles Why Customers Buy

Customer wants to feel special

Customer has strong feeling about their time and money,

they’ve made an investment

Customer wants solution

Customer wants to deal with people who are like

themselves.

Day 1.5 Getting Past the Gatekeeper

Gatekeepers could be:

Receptionists

Assistants

Secretaries

Customer themselves

How to pass gatekeepers

Be polite and courteous

Don’t sound like a stranger

Pronounce their names right

Ask the right questions

Qualify the decision maker

Be confident and relaxed

State the purpose of your

call clearly

Make the gatekeeper your

friend

Respect your customer’s

time

“Hi! How are you? I would like to speak with John, is he in?”

“Oh, John isn’t around? Perhaps you could help me, is there any

other manager who is in charge of the phone bill?”…”And his name

is?”…”May I speak with him please?”…”Thank you.”

“Hi! My name is Celine and I’m calling on behalf of ABC Co. I would

like to speak with John Smith please?”

“You have been a great help! Thanks!”

Day 1.6 Effective Script Delivery

Components of Script Delivery

TONE- Should have the right rising and falling

intonation pattern. Should sound Polite and Courteous.

Sound VERY PROFESSIONAL.

PACE- Should mirror the pace of the customer. Words

should be clear and well enunciated and pronounced

VOLUME- Should be loud enough only for your

customer to hear. Do not disturb others. NEVE shout

at your customer.

Energy- Should always sound Enthusiastic. Make

every call a pleasant and enjoyable experience for

your customer. Let the customer hear the smile in your

voice.

Communication Guidelines

Avoid fillers like uhm, ahh, excessive “and, ok, alright,

Actually etc”

Pronounce word correctly and clearly

Be conversational

Do not use words or phrase that change the meaning

of the script.

Exude assertiveness, assumptiveness and confidence

in your delivery.

Day 1.7 Probing Skills and Rapport Building

PROBING IS QUESTIONING WITH A PURPOSE .

Two probing techniques:

Open-Ended Probes

Closed-Ended Probes

Note: Use probing questions to find a customer’s need or interest to give you an edge in making a

sale OR Use probing questions to establish rapport.

OPEN-ENDED PROBES (questions) cannot be answered with just a

“yes” or “no”.

Use open-ended when you want to gather information from the

customer.

Example:

“How long have you been in the business?”

“What are your strategies for advertising?”

“What have you been doing lately to get more customers to

walk into your store?”

“What interests you and your family?”

“What activities do you and your family does for fun?”

CLOSED-ENDED PROBES require only a yes or no or one-word

response.

Use Close-Ended probes:

• When you want to get the customer in a “YES” frame of mind.

• When you want to direct the customer to a purchase decision.

“Is getting more and more customers walk into your store a priority for

you?’

“Is more savings in your bank account something that you consider

every time you take your checkbook out?”

8 Key Question Type

Factual – Get info and stimulate who, what, where

people to talk when, why, how

Explanatory – Get specific info Can you explain what

or develop statement happen?

Leading – To plant a seed in the Most people prefer this

Customer’s mind don’t you think you

Would to?

Hypothetical – To develop a new idea What if

Alternative possibility

Alternative – To give a customer a A or B?

Choice

Clarifying – Confirm Info Are you saying you’d

Like to place the order now?

Verifying – Check conclusion,

Data or fact

Probing – Allow you to gather more Can you tell me more

Info on a topic about the product?

Establishing Rapport

• ESTABLISH common ground

• FIND common interests

• SHARE similar experiences

Other ways to build rapport:

Say your customer’s name. Don’t say ma’m or sir

Say “How are you doing?” sincerely!

Be sincere!

Have a smile in your voice.

Say your customer’s name. Don’t say ma’am or sir

Be sincere!

Have a smile in your voice. Show enthusiasm.

Listen and respond appropriately! Do not ignore the

customer. Be genuinely interested in what they are

saying!

Today we were able to:

Learn the geography and culture of the Americans

Explain Telemarketing rules and learned the Standard Quality

Guidelines

Identify types of customer and the reasons why they buy and

why they don’t buy

Learn the difference of the feature and benefit

Know when and how to use Probing questions and use them to

create need and establish rapport.

Identify and demonstrate sales techniques in script delivery,

finding decision makers, getting past the gatekeeper.

Enumerate techniques in building rapport and applied them in

role-plays.

DAY 2.1 Objection Handling, Listening and Rebuttal Skills

4 Reasons Why Customer DON’T Buy

No Value

Possible Solution

• Value is personal and subjective

• No Money “ Costs-to-much Concern are usually no

Value concern

• AGENT must Focus on direct benefit to the

customer

• Educate about product/services benefits

No Need

Possible Solution

• A meaningless Concern

• Must probe to determine why customer does not

perceive need

• Probe to discover real reason and to uncover needs

No Trust

Possible Solution

• Does not trust you/ the Company you represent

• Ask question and determine needs and establish

rapport.

• Educate Customer on who you are and who you

represent and what they could benefit from your

product and services

• Be a good listener

No Help

Possible Solution

• Focus on benefit / matched needs

• Understand the company and product’s weakness

and strength

• Learn how to highlight strength

Process of Handling Objection

Step 1 Acknowledge- Show the customer

that you heard and understand the objection.

Step 2 Isolate- isolate and analyze the

problem.

Step 3 Diffuse Objection- Give proper

rebuttal for the objection

Step 4 Confirm- Verify if you have

addressed their concern

Step 5 Gain Agreement- customer must

agree if you have answered the concern.

Tips

• Must always sound calm and professional

• Address the concern

• Avoid long pauses

• Return to the point of interruption

Elements of Handling Objection

Transitional Phrases- tie that binds idea together

in communicating. Provides unity by helping the

customer to understand the relationship between

ideas, and they act as a signposts that help the

reader follow the movement of the discussion.

Scripted response- planned action

SPR- Stimulus – Pause – Response used in

delivering rebuttals

RPI – Return to the Point of Interruption a term

used to go back to the script or contact guide.

Effective Listening Skills

3 Common Techniques

• Affirming- They made a good decision

• Acknowledging- recognizing customers statement

to demonstrate that you understand and actively

listening

• Paraphrasing- says the same thing in a different

way.

Kinds of Listening

• Active listening- listen as a willing act with open

mind

• Appreciative- Listening for aesthetic

• Comprehensive- Listen to learn

• Defensive- listen to discover argument

• Dichotic- listening to two things at once

• Emphatic- Listen to understand but not necessarily

agreeing

• Reflective- listen to verify

• Selective- Listen to what one want to hear

Closing Techniques

• Conducting Needs Analysis - Uncover the customer’s basic needs• Transition - Offering products to satisfy the customers’s needs• Overcome Objections - Respond to the objection and re-state the benefits• Closing The Sale - Ask for a buying decision

Conducting Needs Analysis• What are the three types of questions we can ask to determine the customer’s

needs?

– Closed-Ended– Open-Ended– Direct agreement

Offering The Product (Transition)

The first step in offering the product is called the Transition.– An effective transition is offering the appropriate product(s) based on clues.

Conducting

Needs Analysis

Closing The Sale

Handling Objections

Offering The

Product

Tips for making our transitions well connected:

– Pace and tone– Building rapport – State a benefit

Offering The Product (Transition)

The next step in offering the product, as well as the scripting, is the Presentation .

• Informs what our products are, with emphasis on what the products do.

Three necessary elements: Features and benefits Required sales policy information Accurate product details

Offering The Product - Features and Benefits

• What is a feature?– Characteristic – What it is

• What is a Benefit?– Advantage – What the feature does

• What is a feature benefit statement?– Combining both the feature and the benefit

Features tell, benefits sell!

Handling Objections

Why should we welcome objections?Consider an objection not as a “no”, but as feedback

• What does “No” mean?– “I don’t know enough to make a decision” – “Maybe”– “I wasn’t really listening”– “I don’t understand” – “No”

• The standard three-step approach to handling objections is:

– Clarify/Verify

– Acknowledge

– Offer Information

Closing The Sale

• What is closing?– Asking – Motivating

“A terrible thing happens when we do not ask for the sale… Nothing!” –Unknown

• When do we close?– Closing may happen several times in one call– Closing script options follow the presentation and the objection

Attributes of a successful close:– Belief – Urgency– Confidence – Planning– Directness– Pausing

Buying Signals

• Shows interest

• Starts listening

• Asking Question

• Sharing experience

How and when to close a Sale

CLOSE – statement of agreement between a seller and a

buyer.

CLOSING – process practice of bringing an activity or

discussion to a conclusion.

When to Close

1. Close whenever you believe it’s appropriate

2. If a customer wants something prior to your call even before

creating needs, close immediately

3. If you think what the customer could purchase might change

based on the need.

Why Do People Have Trouble Closing

1. Poor listening skills

2. They were never trained properly

3. Limited needs based on selling skills

4. Lack of self-confidence

5. Fear of failure

6. Fear of customer rejection

7. Inexperience closing sales

8. Poor attitude or “can’t do”

9. Dislike for the customer

10. Dislike for the agent position

11. Trouble communicating over the phone

12. Focus of feature not the benefit

13. Trouble responding to customer question and objection

6 Steps of Sales Process

1. Introduction

2. Rapport

3. Uncover Needs (Probe)

4. Present Features and Benefit

5. Overcoming Objection (Rebuttal)

6. Close sale

4 Common Closing Techniques

1. ASSUMPTIVE CLOSE- assumes that the sale will happen.

2. Direct Close- assist the customer in making a decision by

asking a question.

3. Forced choice - leads the customer by giving option and

alternative to choose from.

4. Trial close- Ask for an opinion, a closing question that asks

for a decision.

Three Attitude When Closing a Sale.

Confidence- A feeling of assurance or self assurance; a state

or quality of being sure to certain.

Assumptive- acceptance as real or true without proof; having

the sale; assuming the sale.

Assertive- unflagging energy.

Understanding Your Goal

1. Understand your goal

2. Understand that goal gives vision of where we want to go

3. Remind yourself of your goal on a daily and hourly basis

4. Know goals require measurement on how much we achieve

5. Appreciate sales manager, peer or team of goals achieve

6. Anticipate that goal achievement maybe more challenging

based on the type of customer need and other nuances

7. Look for your sales manager for coaching guidance to help you

reach your goal

8. Constantly work toward enhancing your skill

Transitional Phrases

• That’s great

• That’s a good question

• I’m glad you feel that way

• I’m glad where speaking about this

Up selling – The act of guiding the customer toward a higher-

priced item

Cross-selling – The act of helping customer’s recognized

additional needs

THE PLEDGE

Prepare

Review all products/services

Know your customer’s need

Know why customers buy products/services

Know why customers don’t buy product/services

Listen

To what was said

To what was not said

To what was meant

For buying signal

Every customer must have their key question answer

WIIFM “What In It For Me”

Am I getting a “return” on my investment

Am I getting my money’s worth

What is my money buying

Deliver consistent, customer focused messages

Focus on how they can benefit from that product/service

Focus on educating them about product/service benefit

Go ahead and ask for the order

If you don’t ask you won’t get

If you don’t ask you’ll never know

If you don’t ask you’ll never sell

If you ask, you may sell

Every contact can impact a sale!

TIPS

1. Make sure script is ready

2. Summarize benefit and feature of product

3. Know the benefit of products

4. Know commonly use objection

5. Share experience with others