“It is easier to sell a product because you have something you can actually show the prospect.”
“If I ask the right questions, I can sell a service without show and tell”
Is it easier to sell a product or a service?
“It is easier to sell a product because you have something you can actually show the prospect.”
“Oh no, it is much easier to sell a service because you can really sell them on the features and benefits!”
Guess what—you are both wrong! You are never selling a product or a service—you are selling what the product or service can do for your prospect. The solution your customer perceives is the answer to the problem he is experiencing—that is the only one that matters. What your product or service does is irrelevant, until the prospect tells you what actually is relevant.
We have a friend named Rich. Rich and I had a discussion one night at dinner on this very subject. Rich told me he could “never” (and I love that word!) sell a service because a product is so much easier.
“Why is that?” I asked.
“It is just easier to compare when you have something in your hands. You can show your products’ ‘features and benefits’, [another of my favorite terms] and really compare apples to apples against your competitor,” Rich stated proudly.
“Rich, how do you know what ‘apples’ they want in the first place? What if they want oranges?”
“Oh, I ask them upfront what their needs are, and then I show the differences.”
“I am confused…why can you not do that with a service?”
“Well, Greta, I guess you can, but it is easier with a product.”
“OK, Rich, I got it,” I said, even though I did not, but at this point my husband was kicking me under the table to leave it alone.
In sales, you are a matchmaker of sorts. Your job is to uncover as much as you can about the prospect’s issues as they see them and the effect these issues are having on them and their company. Once you have a good understanding of all this, you will recommend the proper solution, irrespective of whether you are dealing with a product or service.
Often salespeople misunderstand the word “benefits” for solutions. Features-and-benefits selling is typically a pre-set dissertation of what the prospect should see as a benefit, not what they decide is a benefit.
For example, suppose you say, “The feature of this copy machine is the speed of the copies, and the benefit is that you can get them faster and have your copies ready earlier.” Well, if your prospect does not have an issue with time, and her issue is something completely different like ease of use, will she really care about your so-called benefit?
If you are selling properly, it should not matter whether it is a product or a service because what you are really selling is what the client is ultimately looking for, not how you get there.
Anyone can demo a product or talk “features and benefits,” but a real pro gives solutions only to the issues the prospect is having, no more and no less.
Do you want to learn more? Well, you should. If you or your team is selling a product, you had better understand how. No, a product, as good as it may be, does not sell itself.
A service? With the proper skills, you can really be successful selling a service every time!
Final word- selling is not about showing. “Don’t show up and throw up!!
Not getting these weekly tips?
