Resources for Support Organisations
Selling skills – Tutor’s notes
Tutor’s notes for a ‘Selling skills’ session
Session requirements: Handouts.
Preparation: The room has to be prepared informally enough to practise the exercises with ease and without the barriers of tables and desks.
The tutor introduces the subject and outlines the session.
Stage 1. Selling Techniques (5 mins)
The tutor asks the group to think of the different selling techniques that they are aware of or have experienced.
The group will tend to come up with sales methods i.e. door to door, telephone, mail order etc. these are not techniques or styles. The tutor gathers the responses on the whiteboard and orders them into ‘one off sales’ and ‘repeat sales’ and states that this session will concentrate on repeat sales and return business via building a trusting relationship with the customer.
Stage 2. Interpersonal Skills (20 – 30 mins)
The tutor explains the objective behind practising good IP skills. These should include:
- To give the other party full and undivided attention;
- To make the other party feel you have fully heard and understood what they have said;
- To make the other party feel important and that you are sincere in your responses to them.
The tutor focuses in on the importance of the ability to listen as distinct from hearing but not attending. Using the whiteboard two heading are put up ‘Listening’ (passive) and ‘Listening’ (active). The tutor explains each heading.
The tutor asks the group to give suggestions how to demonstrate true passive listening. The points listed should include:
- Giving attention – good eye contact, not looking at watch, not looking over shoulder etc. not interrupting, not fidgeting.
- Body language – open interested stance or position, not folded arms etc. nodding, smiling and using encouraging sounds.
The tutor repeats the process with active listening. The points listed should include:
- Questioning – use of open and closed questions
- Paraphrasing - feeding an idea or some statements back to the other party using your own words to check understanding and clarify information
- Reflecting – if the other party expresses some feelings, reflecting back on their statement encourages them to express deeper feelings which may prove useful knowledge
- Focusing – finding the appropriate moment to take a conversation back and focus in on an area of particular interest mentioned by the other party
- Summarising – re-capping on a section of a conversation or at the end to ensure you have understood and noted the entire key issues or points
- Silence – skilful use of silence often elicits valuable information that might not be given in the flow of a conversation
The tutor allows plenty of discussion about the above list of skills/techniques to ensure the participants are clear about the differences between them and what each one achieves.
The second half of this session concentrates on exercises to practice the skills.
The tutor explains each exercise and it’s objectives, sets them up and holds a brief discussion at the end of each one so the participants can share their experiences.
During the following exercises the tutor facilitates the progress of each group and observes them as they work.
Stage 3. Exercises – interpersonal (40 mins)
Questioning
Sitting in a circle each participant makes up two questions, one closed and one open. In turn the questions are put to the person on their right, who in turn answers then and has to offer an example of a closed version of the open questions and an open version of the closed one. They then pose their questions to the person on their right, and so on, around the circle.
The tutor holds a brief discussion on when an open or a closed question is appropriate.
Listening (passive)
In 3’s talker, listener and observer. In rotation, one person talks about any topic/experience for one minute. The listener has to listen without interrupting and demonstrate attentiveness. The observer notes the listener’s attitude, body language etc. and times the exercise. The talker and listener sit in chairs facing each other. Change roles and repeat exercise.
Paraphrasing (not parroting!)
1. The tutor reads out a statement and, individually, the participants write down a paraphrased version. ‘I don’t expect him to do all the housework, but he knows just starting the business I often have to bring work home and can’t spend all my time cooking and cleaning. ‘
Paraphrased example: ‘You feel he needs to be more understanding about how time-consuming a new business is and you would like him to realise he has to help with the housework.’
When they have finished writing, in turn the participants read out their paraphrased version. The others comment on whether or not it’s accurate.
2. In 2’s facing each other. The first person describes for two minutes something they dislike seeing/hearing on the TV/radio giving their reasons. The second person re-phrases and reflects back what they have heard. Change roles and repeat exercise.
Reflecting back thoughts/feelings
In 2’s facing each other. The first person briefly describes their feelings about two or three recent events in the news. The other person reflects back how the first person felt e.g. ‘It sounds as if…’ ‘You said you feel…’ Change roles and repeat the exercise.
Focusing
In 2’s facing each other. The first person talks about something they’ve been trying to achieve and mentions a couple of problems they’ve encountered. The other person finds the right time to reflect back on one of the themes, and focuses in seeking more information. E.g. ‘You said your business is going through a difficult patch, how has this affected you?’ Change roles and repeat exercise.
Complete interview
In 3’s, talker, listener and observer. The talker role-plays having a problem in their personal life or with a member of staff, and they simply want to confide in the listener. The listener employs as many of the techniques as they can including using silence and summarising at strategic points or at the end. The observer notes the responding behaviour of the listener and how many of the techniques they have clearly demonstrated. Change roles and repeat exercise.
Break (15 mins)
Stage 4. Demonstration of Consultative Selling (20 mins)
The tutor gives each participant the Consultative Selling Model handout so they can make notes on the sheet if they want to.
Stage by stage the tutor explains each area of the model in detail so the students fully understand the raltionale behind each distict stage.
1) The preliminaries – the valuable role of preparation and planning
- Research - The impotance of knowledge about your potential customer. Knowledge is power. It shows you care enough about them to take the time to find out about their background and operation . It show commitment.
- Obtaining an appointment – Don’t expect busy people to drop everything and give you time immediately. Discuss use of the telephone to make appointments and ‘cold calling’ to make appointments not to have a meeting!
2) The investigation – Identification of the clients need is paramount. You cannot hope to make a sale if the customer has no need. Exploration of the customer’s needs will enable you to align your product/service benefits to the need and help secure the sale.
- Problem or probing questions – Asking questions about the problems the client is currently experiencing in their operation will help to uncover areas of need that may as yet be unrecognised. Systematic exploration of the whole operation usually highlights an area of need. ( This is partly why initial research/knowledge of the company is necessary)
- Effect questions – Asking questions about the short and long term possible effects of having a problem and not addressing it will help the client realise the cost implications of not finding an appropriate solution. If handled well this technique will also help you build up a stack of value against your product/service, so when the key question of how much? is asked the client appreciates the cost of the solution against the cost of not resolving the problem.
3) The solution – When you have done all the groundwork and led the client at his pace along the route of realising he needs to act, you then become a saviour because you can help him meet his need.
- Client voices need for a solution – This is where skillfully you bring the client around to voicing their desire to have a solution for the problem/issue. It is important psychologically for the client to make the statement out loud as it cementsthe whole idea in their mind.
- You demonstrate product/service benefits - This is the moment your been working towards from the very beginning. The opportunity, with full attention from your client to demonstrate how to your product/service is the answer to all their prayers – how it meets their need perfectly.
4) The commitment – This is where you must take control of the situation and seek a commitment of some kind. It may not necessarily be a commitment to buy outright, it could be a commitment to trial your product for a week or month, it could be to test your service at a reduced rate for an initial period, it could be to arrange another appointment to allow them time to find out a little more about your business or your competitors. Whatever it is you must suggest a way forward that allows you to remain in control.
- Check there are no more concerns – It is important not give your customer/client a reason to have second thoughts after you have left. So check thoroughly there are no more questions or concerns in their mind. You have covered every aspect in detail and they have absolutely no more questions.
- Propose an appropriate commitment – This is where you must take control. From your assessment of the client, state clearly how you would like to move the sale forward to the next stage. Ask the client if they are happy with this as a suggested way forward. Once you have secured their agreement, shake their hand and seal the agreement. If the customer is unhappy about your proposal of a way forward, then ask them for their suggestions. If you find their suggestion to non-commital, suggest a compromise, this usually works. But remember in consulataive seeling you can’t force people to buy something they don’t want or need. Repeat business and a long-term relationship is the goal
When the tutor is happy the model is understood it is pointed out that underpinning the successful delivery of the model in its process are basic interpersonal skills looked at and practised earlier. These are skills that will allow us to have effective and satisfactory interactions with our clients/customers and will help build a trusting professional relationship.
Stage 5. Exercise – Selling (40 mins)
Research and arranging an appointment
In 3’s, (one observing) using the appropriate interpersonal skills, each takes a turn to gather some information about the other potential customer’s operation, then requests an appointment for a full meeting (the respondent has to role play the owner/manager of an relevant business).
Problem and effect questions
In 3’s, (one observing) using interpersonal skills, each takes a turn uncovering the area of need in their potential customer and getting them to recognise the possible consequences of not addressing the need promptly (again the respondent has to co-operate).
The need and solution
In 3’s, (one observing) using interpersonal skills, each takes a turn checking their understanding of their client’s needs and puts forward the solution in terms of their product or service (again the respondent has to co-operate).
No barriers to action
In 3’s, (one observing) using interpersonal skills, each takes a turn ensuring there are no more concerns the client has that may stop them committing to a sale. When all is clear propose the appropriate commitment i.e. purchase, test-period etc.
Ending the session
When all the participants have had an opportunity to try all the stages the tutor brings the group back into a circle, conducts a de-briefing session and summarises the key points of the session (10 mins).
It will need to be pointed out that initially using the skills and techniques will feel strange and uncomfortable, however with practice they become integrated into the way one responds to people generally and are very beneficial.
The tutor summarises the main points of the session.
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