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Make More Sales By Avoiding The Product Trap

Written by: Tessa Stowe

Article Overview: It's wonderful that you are passionate about your products and services but this won't help you make sales. Learn the key ingredient in the sales process that will have you closing more sales than ever.

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Make More Sales By Avoiding The Product Trap

The majority of salespeople fall into the product trap when selling their products and services. Are you falling into this product trap too?

You will know if you are falling into the product trap if:

* When you are having a sales conversation, you are passionate about your products and services.

* Your sales conversations are focused around telling people about your products and services. You think that the more they know about your products and services, the more they will see how great they are and want to buy them.

* Your marketing materials and website are all about your products and services.

* You define yourself and what you do by your products and services.

If you are selling for a company, it is highly likely that the company has fallen into the product trap too. Take a fresh look at all their marketing materials to see if the focus is on their products and services. Another sign is that they focus on giving you product training so you know all about the features and benefits of all their products.

So what is wrong with the product trap you may ask? Well if you, or the company you work for, have fallen into the product trap, there will be a direct negative impact on your sales results. Also, selling will be a lot harder than it needs to be. This is because, if you have fallen into the product trap, you will consequently be selling the wrong thing. You will be selling your products and services and your products and services are not what people buy.

People do not buy your products and services. They buy an outcome that they want and your products and services simply play a part in delivering that outcome. You don't buy a drill because you want a drill. You buy a drill because you want the outcome, the hole, which the drill delivers. Similarly people want to buy an outcome from you. Hence to make it easy for them to buy an outcome from you, the first thing you can do is to stop falling into the product trap.

So if you are falling into the product trap (and you are definitely with the majority if you are) here are some tips for getting out of it:

* Get passionate about the outcomes and end results you achieve for your clients. To do this, brainstorm the outcomes and end results your products and services produce. Also ask your clients about the outcomes and results your products and services have produced and the difference they have made. Spend the time to get really connected to these outcomes as the more you get connected, the more passionate you will become.

* Find and learn a simple sales process that is focused on selling an outcome versus products and services. If you have such a sales process you will automatically avoid falling into the product trap.

* Change your marketing materials and website so that they are focused on the outcomes you produce versus your products and services.

* Define yourself and what you do by the outcomes you produce.

If you are selling for a company that has fallen into the product trap, ask for outcome focused marketing materials. In the meantime avoid giving your prospects any product focused marketing materials. Also, when your company is giving you product feature training ask what outcomes and end results these features produce.

In summary, first recognize if you are in this product trap and then if you are, commit today to taking immediate action using the tips above to get out of it. My promise to you is that you will see an immediate impact on your sales results and you will close more sales. It really is that simple.

(c) 2008, Tessa Stowe, Sales Conversation. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? Yes, you can, provided you include the copyright statement and the byline below. All links must be made live.

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Home > Sales > Tessa Stowe > Make More Sales By Avoiding The Product Trap
Article Tags: conversations, fresh look, marketing materials, negative impact, product training, salespeople

About the Author: Tessa Stowe
RSS for Tessa's articles - Visit Tessa's website

I teach small businesses owners and recovering salespeople 10 simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy. I've appeared on numerous radio shows and am a regular teleseminar guest speaker. My articles are published regularly on countless sites on the Web as well as in offline magazines such as Sales & Service Excellence and Choice Magazine. I got my first sales job was via the Yellow Pages! I was working in South Africa for a computer company. I wanted to move into sales and my company said no. So I got out the Yellow Pages, looked up computer companies, and started ringing them and asking to speak to the CEOs. When I got to the S's I actually got through to a CEO. He hired me within 30 minutes of being interviewed. I have 20+ years of successful experience in selling. The sales I have made have ranged from a few hundred dollars to over US$10 million. The biggest compliment I receive is that I do not act like or seem like a salesperson. Selling is not about selling. It is about being a facilitator and helping people solve their problems. You can read more articles and join my free monthly e-zine at http://www.SalesConversation.com

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More from Tessa Stowe
Are You A Knower Or A Learner When Selling
Dont Write That Proposal Until You Ask The Magic Question
What To Say When Your Prospect Only Has 10 Minutes
7 Reasons Why You Must Zealously Qualify Prospects
Are You Selling The Wrong Thing


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