What is APPCOM

am an effective
sales
person
Write down why you are NOT
an effective sales person
& Let them go
Write down your goal for NIEW IV
Containing “I” & in present tense
Write down “I give myself permission to …”
Consultative Selling
APPCOM for
Everyone
Dr. Robert
Cialdini
6 Principles of Persuasion






Consistency
Authority
Reciprocation
Liking
Scarcity
Social Proof / Consensus
What is APPCOM






gaining Acceptance
stating Purpose
Probing
Consulting
Overcoming objections
Motivating to act
Why APPCOM




Uncovering the exclusive corporate and
departmental needs of the customers
Offering benefits to meet those needs
Providing the means for professional,
consultative negotiation
Allowing continued probing throughout the
entire call, especially for pricing objection
It’s all about price…




You understand the customer’s corporate
needs
You presented the benefits
You ask the customers if he will buy your
service if the price is equal or less?
Higher price means better service and value
Higher Price
Margin
Price
65% of pricing
objection are
raised by
sales person!
Cost of goods
Price
Margin
It’s all price’s fault!
Lower Price
Your salary
Your commission
Your ops cost
Your…
STEPS IN APPCOM
Steps in APPCOM

GAINING ACCEPTANCE
–

Obtaining the customers approval in order to
proceed with the sales call
STATING THE PURPOSE
–
Opening statement for following gaining
acceptance and states the sales professional
intention for the call, the benefit to the customers
for entertaining the meeting, and the customer’s
desire and action at the end of the call
Steps in APPCOM

PROBING
–
Used of fact-finding, problem, cause & effect, and
benefit questions to uncover the customers
implied and explicit needs
Steps in APPCOM

CONSULTING
–
Matching benefits to the customers explicit needs,
by using applicable Feature Advantage and
Benefits statements
Steps in APPCOM

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS
–

Continued use of probing and objection handling
methods and feature-advantage-benefit
statements in order to overcome the customers
objections
MOTIVATING TO ACT
–
Asking for the business in definite terms or
gaining agreement to move to the next key event
within the sales call cycle
BENEFITS OF APPCOM
Benefits of – Gaining Acceptance


opportunity to professionally represent
himself & your organization
allows pre-call planning efforts to be noted by
the customer
Benefits of – Stating the Purpose




Opportunity to establish the probing direction
Control the call direction
Establishes the benefit to the customer for
entertaining the visit
Opportunity to meet the defined call objective
Benefits of – Probing




Opportunity to explore and discover
corporate and departmental needs
Understand further about explicit needs and
goals
Provides the mechanism to reduce or
eliminate objections
Enables control of pace and direction of the
meeting
Benefits of – Consulting



Opportunity to offer benefits that meet explicit
needs
Encourages discussion of benefits derived
from features
Discourages listing and naming all features
Benefits of – Overcoming Objection


Reduce or eliminate customer objections
Gain permission to move to the next key
event
Benefits of – Motivating to Act



Ask for the business !!!
Gain customer commitment and definite
terms
Gain agreement to move to the next key
event
LET’S GET STARTED
Role Play
Benefits of APPCOM
No more FEATURES dropping…
What Feature Dropping Does
So many features:
 It will be expensive...
 I’ll be paying extra…
 I’ll be paying for others…
 Is my need satisfied…
APPCOM as a Lifestyle
cold
call
A-P-P-C-O-M
idea
generation
A-P-P-C-O-M
qualify
lead
A-P-P-C-O-M
Spec
definition
A-P-P-C-O-M
present
solution
A-P-P-C-O-M
beta
creation
A-P-P-C-O-M
close
A-P-P-C-O-M
UAT
A-P-P-C-O-M
customer
service
A-P-P-C-O-M
launch
A-P-P-C-O-M
APPCOM
Step 1
Gaining Acceptance
A – Gaining Acceptance

Gaining Acceptance is defined as action
taken to establish rapport with the customer
in order to proceed with the sales call.
A – In Customers’ Mind



“Doest this person knows what they are
talking about?”
“Can I trust this person?”
“Does this sales person have my best of
interest at heart?”
A – Methods






Professional appearance
Correct use and spelling of the customer’s name
Referring to the previous conversation by telephone
in which the visit was approved
Asking about a pertinent questions about the
customer’s business
Using a referral from another business contact within
the same company
Using an outside business referral
A – Method (Caveat)



Corporate gifts or premium
Compliments
Proof-sources
Do Not Omit
Gaining
Acceptance !!!
APPCOM
Step 2
Stating the Purpose
P – Stating the Purpose

Identifying for the customer, your intent of the
meeting, the benefits to the customer for
entertaining the visit and the action steps
which will follow immediately after the
meeting
P – Benefits

To Sales Professionals:
–
–

The customer extends the appropriate amount of time to
achieve the sales call objective
Use of the sales person time and energy is maximized.
To Customers
–
–
–
–
Understands the agenda for the meeting (no surprises…)
Recognizes that the sales professional is interested in
meeting the needs of his organization.
Establishes the probing direction of the call
Understands why the sales person shows his line of
questioning
P – Call Objectives





S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic
T – Time Definite
Always prepare
your call
objectives &
memorize it
before meeting
Primary Objective:
•To chart out the decision making process flow of ABC
company by the end of the sales call
Secondary Objective:
•To obtain the names of all people involves in making the
decision for this logistics operation
P - Structure



The purpose of my visit is […]
If at the end of our meeting, I can […]
I would ask you […]
P – Examples
-
Mr Martin, I hope to uncover ways that My
Company automation systems can increase
your department’s productivity, save your
time and therefore increase your company’s
bottom-line. If after this demonstration we
both feel it is appropriate to proceed, my next
step will be to ask you to provide a letter of
intent with My Company.
P - Recap



The purpose of my visit is […]
If at the end of our meeting, I can […]
I would ask you […]
Always prepare
your purpose
statements &
memorize it
before meeting
Practise - P
You are meeting your
customer tomorrow,
draft your call objectives
and purpose statement
APPCOM
Step 3
Probing
P – Probing

Used to 1fact-finding, 2problem, 3cause &
effect, and 4benefit questions to uncover the
customers implied and explicit needs
P – What to Probe


Corporate and departmental goals
Identify the decision making process and
who are involved
P – Taking Notes




Not an option, but a MUST
Be clear, concise and detail
Record all concerns, topics and
commitments
Recognized as part of sale person’s job
duties and tasks
P – Why Take Note







Reflect your personal recollection
Future follow up
Considered as official company documents
Proper hand over of sales territory / job
Show customers that you are interested
Maintaining company records
Support your presentation case
P – Needs & Motives

Customers’ needs
–
–
–

Finance
Performance
Image
Customers’ Buying motives
–
–
–
–
–
Make money
Save money
Save time
Enhance the product
Survive in the Market place.
9 Human Emotions
Grief
Apathy
Fear
Anger
Peace
Lust Pride
Courageousness
Acceptance
Emotion behind Motives
Motives





Emotions
Make money
Save money
Save time
Enhance the product
Survive in the Market
place.





Lust / Anger
Fear
Fear
Lust / pride
Fear
Missing emotions:
Apathy, Grief,
Courageousness, Acceptance, Peace
P - How
What's
Areas of
concerns
Business
Needs
P – Why Why Why…
PROBLEMS
Finance
Performance
Image
problems…
NEEDS!
What
Is
In
here?
Remember when you are AF-ed?
P – Implied Needs

General statements by a customer about
problems, difficulties and dissatisfactions
My people tell
me they are
too busy at the
end of the day
Too many
hours are
spent paying
your
invoices
P – Explicit Needs

Specific customer’s statement about wants or
desires
We are too busy at
the end of the day,
I need to
streamline my
operation
I must
eliminate the
number of
hours spent
paying your
invoices
P – Why Uncover Needs
Problems
Financial
Performance
Image
Needs
Motives!!!
COMMUNICATION
TECHNIQUE
P – Types of Probing


Open questions
Close questions
Open Questions

worded to encouraged broad expensive
answers concerning a single topic
P – Closed Questions

question that encourage a short precise
answer to a single topic
P – 3 Communication Skills



Confirming, restating & asking
Acknowledge
Bridging
P – Confirm/Restate/Ask

Confirming, Restating what you heard and
then Asking the customer for verification
If I understand…
Do you
agree...
P - Acknowledge

Recognizing that the sales person values
what the customer said before moving to
another topic
What you said made
sense. Let me then
I see what you
ask…
are saying, I
wonder if...
P - Bridging

summarizes previous points made by the
customer or the sales person
Something you said
earlier,
made
When
weme
last
wonderspoke,
how you
the feel
about...concerns
were…
Practise - P
Home work:
Construct the list of
questions to uncover
your customers needs
Urbancook.me
Probing technique
P – 4 Types of Questions




Fact finding question
Problem question
Cause and effect question
Benefit questions
Fact Finding Questions
Looking for Kill-Zone
P – Fact Finding

determined facts, information and
background data
How long have you
What type of equipment
been doing things
do you use?
many
thisHow
way?
people do you
employ?
P – Fact Finding




Do not ask too many, you must research first
Do not bore your customer
Must be accompanied by a defined purpose
Must let customers know the potential
benefits of answering the question
–
“the reason why I ask this is …”
P – Fact Finding



To understand the current situation
To understand the desirable situation
To Identify explicit needs
Problem Questions
Setting Up Kill-Zone
P – Problem Questions
People only accept change when they
are faced with necessity, and only
recognize necessity when a crisis is
upon them.
- Jean Monnet
P – Problem Questions


Questions concerning problems
Uncover problems, difficulties or
dissatisfactions
Be careful not
to offend
customers
P – Good Problem Questions
Isn’t it difficult to
process increased work
loads with your current
method?
What are the
disadvantages of
proceeding with this
type of equipment?
Cause & Effect Questions
Leading Into Kill-Zone
P – Cause & Effect Questions


The sales person to take a problem that
buyer deem small and build it to such large
magnitude that the buyer can justify taking
action to resolve the problem and turn it into
a positive buying need
Ask about the 1effects, 2consequences or
3implications of a customer’s problem
Example - Impact Amplification








Lost your pen  no pen
No pen  no notes
No notes  no study
No study  Fail
Fail  no diploma
No diploma  no work
no work  no money
no money  no food
Continue…









no food  you get skinny
you get skinny  then you get ugly
Ugly  no love
Lesson:
no
love  no marriage
no
marriage
 your
no children
Don’t
lose
pen, you will
no children  alone
alone  depression
depression  sickness
sickness  death
die!
P – Cause & Effect Questions
does
problem
How does this How
affect
yourthis
When
this
Whatperformance?
are theaffect
consequences
to
your customer
financial
happens
how
your department,
when
your
service
dept?
What
are
the
implications
What
are
the
packages are to
delivered
late?
does
this
effectwhen
your
customers
consequences
to
theyproductivity
receive
damage
you
ofWhat
delayed
are the
the
freight?
shipments
to your
effects
on you
of your
customer
customer?
when you cannot
servicelocate
agents?
an inventory
on time?
Benefit Questions
Offering a Live Buoy
P – Benefit Questions

Purpose
–

builds the positive elements needed for solution
Objectives
–
–
focus the customer’s attention on a solution to the
problem, instead of focusing on the problem
the customer to state the benefits to the sales
person
P – Execute Benefit Questions


Initial question
How would it benefit
P – Power of Benefit Questions

Customer tells you the benefits
–

Customer owns the benefit
–

For you to use in later selling
He will not object to you using it later
Direct appropriate benefit question at
different customer contacts
–
Different level has different benefit
P – Probing Recap

3 corporate needs, 5 buying motives
–
–

thoroughly so
3 Communication techniques
–

Financial, image, performance
Make $, save $, save time, enhance product, and survival in
Probe
marketplace
you can avoid
Confirm-restate & ask, acknowledge,
and bridging
objections
Fact finding, problem, cause &later!
effective, benefit
4 probing techniques
–
Recap






Take notes
Recap
Recap
Recap
Recap
Recap…
Probe
No
Clarify
Recap
Trial
Close
Done
probing?
Yes,
Confirmed by customer
Next Stage
APPCOM
Step 4
Consulting
C - Consulting


matches the appropriate benefit of the
particular feature of service, to meet the
explicit needs of the customer
Feature-Advantage-Benefit (FAB)
C – Feature-A-B

Definition
–
–

characteristic of a product or service
something about the product or service which
distinguishes it, making it solution to the problem
Example
–
–
MS Word is not a feature
A feature of the MS Word is Spell-Checker
C – F-Advantage-B

Definition
–
–
–

a positive interpretation or description of the feature
describes how the feature of that product or service can be
used to help the buyer
reverse of the problem discovered through the problem
question
Example
–
–
Problem: Customer’s field sales persons spend too much
time calling back to check inventory status, caused missed
sales opportunities
Advantage: WMS web visibility would reduce delay in
checking inventory for field sales person and therefore
reduce missed sales opportunities
C – F-A-Benefit

Definition
–
–

a statement described how the feature and advantage can
meet the buyers explicit or stated need
Derived from answer given by customers on Benefit
Question
Example
–
–
Customer wants to come under budget and boost morale of
field sales
The WMS features online visibility, this will reduce the time
spent on checking inventory and allow you to come in under
budget and boost morale by not having your people stay
late every night
FAB Preparation

It is ok to ask customer for a few minutes to
prepare for the FAB statement
–
“give me a moment, let me work out how you can
use our service, I definitely see a very compelling
proposition!”
C – Key to FAB


Customer only eyes BENEFIT derived from
feature
Customer NEVER buy a feature
Benefit derived
from feature is the
most important
statement you
made!
C – FAB Confirmation

A FAB confirmation is a question which
immediately follows the feature advantage
and benefit statement. It restates the benefit
as a positive question in order to gain the
customer’s agreement and to test the
customer’s understanding.
C – Selling on Price?



Price should come after value is acertained
Limited time offer on pricing discount and make it
confidential
3 types of price sensitive customers
–
–
–


Single bid tender
Good relationship 2 shots customer
Price shopping flip-flop customer
Uncoupling the price
Pitch price to right audience
–
Finance folks & purchasing department
APPCOM
Step 5
Overcoming Objections
O – Caveat





Do not become defensive
Do not attempt to explain your position
Do not justify your statement
Do not begin telling and selling your ideas
Do not begin feature dropping
O - Steps





Acknowledge the objection
Clarify for further understanding
Clarify is there any more objections?
Utilizing a method to overcome objection
Restating appropriate FAB & FAB
confirmation
O – Objection Handling Methods



Reverse method
Admit method
Feel-Felt-Found (FFF) method
O – Reverse Method

A simple statement telling the customer that
you can understand the objection
O – Admit Method

a statement admitting to the customer that
you agree with his suggestion and that
offering an alternative
O – FFF Method

a statement telling the customer that you can
understand how he feels that other
customers have felt the same way but they
found the benefits met their needs
The Magic of Feel-Felt-Found

Feel
–

Felt
–

Social Proof
Found
–
–

Liking / Authority  Reciprocity
Consistency (in Social Proof)
Benefits
FAB & FAB Confirmation
–
Request
O – FAB & FAB Confirmation

After responding to the objection with one or
more of the above methods, proceed by
applying a logical feature advantage benefits
statement followed by a FAB confirmation
O – Trial Close


To test for commitment and eliminate
objections
Proceed with next item or concern
APPCOM
Step 6
Motivating to Act
M – Motivating to Act

Ask the customer for the business in definite
terms
M – Verbal Buying Signals
“Our
The
customer
company
enquires
asks
cannot
whether
if
buying
afford
about
The
customer
enquires
begins
asks
for
how
what
The
customer
asks
for
discounts,
your
service
product
promotions;
at
will
and
this
help
your
time”
in
service
special
talking
about
references
your
you
feel
operation
price,
your
in
of
terms
your
industry,
from
even
could
of
other
though
your
clarification
regarding
accomplishing
deals
will
provide
and soa the
forth;
ROI
an
for
that
objective
hisyouismay
or
May
indicate
customer
price
benefits
clientele,
users
accentuate
competitive
is
of
not
products
and
or
a
his
other
edge
enquires
concern.
or
within
can
have
company.
help
to
offer
to
He
execute
during
or
she
a
a
will
particular
guarantees,
warranties
asking you to provide infoask
and
task.
conversation
how
it
will
increase
or
formal
profit
margin
as
customers
services
operation
the
to
market
the
specific
place
in
his
further
clarification
that
he
or of
or
your
measurement
presentation
she
can usewho
toservice
justify
the with
benefits
industry
associated
are buying
customer
purchase
price toor
his
company.
your product
products
orservice
response
services
M – Ask for the Business

Successful sales people always ask for the
business and they ask for the business in
very definite terms
DO NOT assume
that customer will
turn over the biz
to you. Even if
you answered all
his needs
M - Steps


Ask for business in definite term
Remain SILENT
–
–




DO NOT answer your own question
DO NOT offer alternative solutions
Wait until customer directly response positively
Say “thank you” & confirm the commitment
Do not “sell beyond close”
DO NOT offer additional information
–
DO NOT open any new topic
M - Resistance






What have I missed?
My offer is not good enough…
I am not good enough… (to be successful)
Too good to be true?
There must be a catch…
………
Apathy, Grief, Fear, Lust, Anger, Pride,
Courageousness, Acceptance, Peace
M – Closing Techniques


Stair Steps Close
Ultimate Choice Close
M – Stair Steps Close
YES !!!
Close!
Yes Added value to customer
Yes
Yes
Yes
Restate Benefits with FAB
Department Needs
Corporate Needs
M – Ultimate Choice Close

This method is used to give customer choice
between 2 alternatives (my alternatives)
Mr. Customer, would you like us to begin
delivering your supply on Monday, September
1st or Tuesday September 2nd?
Non-Interactive APPCOM
Non-Interactive APPCOM


Paper writing
Presentation
Negotiation for Entrepreneur
Qa
&
&Q&A