There's nothing astounding about this. It's a simple, observable fact. It is astounding, though, that so many people whose livelihood depends on selling overlook this fact. It's even more astounding that some never have recognized it.

The people we refer to treat selling as a one way street. They sell primarily from their own viewpoints. These people might just as well sell to a brick wall. Few of their prospects even bother to listen to them. On the few occasions that they get an audience and the fewer still that they're successful, they are very, very lucky.

It matters little what the seller thinks in a sales presentation. What counts is that other person, the prospect, and what he or she thinks.

The secret to success in selling is a simple one-look at things from the prospect's viewpoint, learn how he or she thinks. Then, help the prospect make the decision that is best for him or her.

Looking at things from the prospect's viewpoint is not difficult. You yourself have been a prospect or buyer many more times than you've been a seller. You've bought food, clothing, cars, insurance, books, entertainment, furniture, house wares, etc. Not a day has gone by that you haven't bought something. For the moment, then, concentrate on what you think about when you think about when you're contemplating a purchase. To guide your analysis, pick something specific-a business suit, for example. Aren't these typical of the thoughts that would pass through your mind in such a situation:

There are a number of different considerations here need, variety, appearance, durability, costs, etc. But all of the thoughts passing through your mind in such a situation have one thing in common. The words "I" or "me" appear in each of them. All of your questions reflect a selfish interest. In other words, your primary concern is! 'What's in it for me?" There's nothing wrong or unnatural about this. We may consider many things and even the views of others in the process of buying, but our primary interest is in ourselves.

Now that you've examined your own behavior as a prospector buyer, change roles. Think once again as a person whose career is selling.

Your analysis of your own buying behavior can lead to no other For example, if you were keeping an appointment, and found conclusion!

But don't stop there. Once your prospect has become interested (sees something in your presentation for himself or herself and family), he or she will evaluate the proposition. In other words, the prospect will ask, "Are the claims believable?" and "Will I gain more than I must give up if I accept this proposition?"

Finally, the prospect will make a decision. He or she will say "Yes," or "No," actor not act, buy or not buy.

Logically, if you expect your prospect to say "Yes," you must do three things: One, provide the prospect with information that will stimulate selfish interest. Two, help the prospect evaluate by showing that more is to be gained from the purchase of your offering than has to be paid for it in money, time or effort. Three, encourage the prospect to make a decision, i.e., act. In other words, your sales presentation will follow a certain pattern:

I

This analysis of a prospect's thought process and of steps a sales representative should follow in a presentation appears logical and reasonable. But something is milling.

For example, if you were keeping an appointment, and found your prospect talking on the phone, you couldn't very well begin your presentation. You'd have to wait until the call was completed and in some way turn the prospect's attention to yourself and your proposition. This is no small feat as we shall see.

Your sales presentation then should follow this pattern:

By the same token, if you had: gained attention, stimulated interest and something interrupted the interview, you would lose the prospect's attention. To proceed with your presentation would be a waste of time and effort. You'd have to find some way to regain the prospect's attention before proceeding.

To dramatize the fact that attention must be gained and held throughout your sales presentation, attention appears in red and is connected with each of the other steps by means of a jagged line.

Summary-Understanding the prospect's point of view

I. It takes two people to make a sale-a seller and a buyer.

All selling should be done with the prospect's viewpoint fore-most in mind.

A. it matters little what the seller thinks in a sales presentation.

B. The prospect makes the decision to buy or not to buy.

C. Selfish interest is the primary motive behind all buying behavior-"What's in it for me?"

II. Before agreement or purchase, a prospect's mind goes through logical steps-attention, interest, evaluation, decision.

We call these steps The buying motion

A. Attention-Must be gained first and held throughout the presentation.

B. Interest-"What's in it for me?"

C. Evaluation "Are the claims believable?"

D. Decision-"Yes" or "No"

Ill. If your prospect is to say "Yes," you must do the following:

A. Gain and maintain prospect's attention.

B. Provide prospect with information to stimulate selfish interest.

C. Help prospect evaluate-show that more is to be gained from purchase than has to be paid.

D. Encourage prospect to make decision i.e. act.

No matter what product, service or plan the prospect is considering, these steps are always present and in sequence.

2. Selling from the prospect's point of view

The buying motion is a track that every prospect's mind follows when confronted with an offer. Since the prospect's mind works this way, the sales representative, to be successful, must sell this way.

There is no set amount of time that should be spent in handling each step. It air depends upon what you are presenting, to whom you are presenting it, and the selling conditions

To help a sales representative lead the prospect's mind through the steps in the buying motion, the Company provides certain "tools." What are some of the tools at your disposal? Knowledge of your product or service, Work Sheets, charts and visuals that explain not only information about your product or service, but also information about the prospect's situation, testimonial letters from satisfied customers, tear sheets of your Company's advertisements, etc. Whatever tools you use, and we've named only a few, their purpose is to help you present ideas that motivate prospects to buy.

A motivation idea is defined as:

For example, when a man contemplates purchase of a particular model automobile, he does not picture in his mind 5,000 lbs. of metal~, plastic and other synthetics. He visualizes economical transportation, greater safety for himself and his family, or the pleasure he will get from some outward form of affluence These kinds of ideas are powerful, powerful motivators. The more adept a sales representative is at identifying and communicating ideas that motivate, the easier it is to gain a favorable decision.
A motivation idea is defined as:

Appeal has two dimensions. We would Ike to believe that buying is based solely on reason. However, this is not the case. Emotion plays an important part in every buying decision.

Recognizing that you must appeal to the prospect's sense of reason and emotion, motivation ideas have been separated into two types:

· Emotion motivation ideas

These enable you to gain and hold the prospect's favorable attention.

· Reason motivation ideas

These enable you to stimulate interest, help the prospect evaluate, and arrive at a favorable decision.

Summary-Selling from the prospect's point of view

I. It is the sales representative's job to lead the prospect's mind through the buying motion.

There are "tools" to help

A. Knowledge of product or service

B. Work Sheets, charts, visuals

C. Testimonial letters

II. Our ideas about products and services generate buying actions, not the products and services themselves.

III. Motivation ideas-those things a sales representative says or does which appeal to a prospect in such a way as to stimulate that prospect towards agreement or purchase.

A. Emotion motivation ideas - enable you to gain and hold the prospect's attention.

B. Reason motivation ideas-enable you to stimulate interest, help the prospect evaluate, and arrive at a favorable decision.

C. Every buying decision is based on both reason and emotion.
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