Practice Explaining Stuff

I’m working with a customer that will soon launch a washing machine with a particular feature. This is how he explained it to me. “IoT technology will link to your home network and provide notifications of events.” That is a HORRIBLE way of saying your washer and dryer will soon be able to email or text when they are done.

SaaS salespeople are the worst offenders at complicating answers. I’ve sat in countless demos where customers ask simple questions and get convoluted responses. “Who can create new content?” becomes a crazy tour of the software with 3 unrelated features pointed out. Just say, “Admins control all user permissions, so it’s up to them”.

Sales reps and customer service agents HAVE to start practicing the simple questions. These are selling opportunities to make your products seem easy to use, or possibly differentiate from an entrenched competitor. Who wants to buy an extended warranty when the sales person massacres explaining how I would make a claim? I can honestly say I’ve never gotten a good answer to that question.

Here are 5 suggestions of simple questions your teams can practice. Simply apply your own sales products to the idea. They are

1.      A QUALITY question. This could be “How long can I count on this working?” or “Do you stand behind this?”

2.      A SECURITY question. Such as “How will you keep my data safe?” or “What encryption to you use?”

3.      A TECHNICAL question. Try “What devices will this render on” or “What systems do you integrate with?”

4.      A PRICING question. These will be common. “What is the cost?” or “Will you match your competitors price?”

5.      A DELIVERY question. “What is your return policy for damage?” or “Can I pick this up at the store?”

If your company uses a video practice solution to work on these skills, then coaching and feedback will follow each response. It will also be an opportunity to highlight some great examples and have peers learn from each other.

Simple, confident answers ease the mind of the buyer. That’s how I would explain why you should start your sales teams practicing right away.