Reps must be effective in each and every interaction with a prospect in order to avoid elimination as a potential vendor. Remember – your sales reps serve as a proxy for how buyers perceive your organization’s ability to meet their needs. And if the reps are unable to succinctly address questions or communicate the value of your solution in a way that resonates with the prospect, unfortunately so goes the prospect’s perception of your offering. Can your business afford to have anything but the best representation of your products or services?
To be effective, reps must be able to engage knowledgeably, professionally and confidently in each stage of the buyer’s journey. Each sales rep has to know exactly where in the journey the buyer is and has been, who that buyer is, what that buyer’s “hot buttons” are, why your product is the best solution for that buyer, and how your product compares to the competitors.
In summary, effectiveness =
KNOWLEDGE – of the product line and competitors; able to answer all product questions and objections
RELEVANCE – focus on the issues that are of interest to each individual prospect; continue, without repeating, earlier conversations held with that prospect
CONFIDENCE – through knowledge and relevance, establish confidence in sales rep, in the solution, in the seller to the prospect