Top 10 Principles of Great Sales Messaging
Top 10 Principles of Great Sales Messaging by Michael Cannon
Sales Messaging - the stated reasons you give people to buy from
your firm - is the foundation on which all your sales and
marketing efforts rest. Sadly, most companies lack a definition
for their sales messaging, let alone a methodology for
developing and deploying it. The results are millions of dollars
in lost revenue, higher sales costs and missed bonuses.
Sales messaging is the foundation for all your sales and
marketing efforts
Here is your chance to break from the pack and enhance your
competitive advantage. Use these top 10 principles to create a
definition for great sales messaging that will enable your
company to win more orders, increase market share and improve
margins.
1. Specific to One Offering. Sales messaging is about selling
one offering --a complete product or service. If you sell a
number of products and services bundled together, then you can
think of this as one offering. If the products or services are
sold on a standalone basis, then you must have separate sales
messaging for each offering.
2. Target Each Buyer. There are a number of buyer types to
consider, including the prospect, customer, channel partner,
industry analyst and investor. There are also buyer roles like
User, Technical and Financial. It's important to identify buyers
by offering, by title and by role so that the sales messaging
resonates with each buyer's interests and perspective.
3. Answer Buyer's Primary Buying Questions. Each buyer has
different buying questions. For example: Prospects are asking,
"Why should I buy your solution rather than a competitive
option?" Customers are asking, "Why should I keep buying from
you?" Channel Partners are asking, "Why should I distribute your
product or service?" Each buyer's questions are different and
thus require tailored answers.
4. Support the Product and Sales Cycle. In the early stages of a
product life cycle, the most important buyer question to answer
is "Why should I change what I currently do and buy a product or
service like this?" The question has nothing to do with your
company. It's about educating the buyer on why they should make
a change. The primary goal is to create a buying event.
In the later stages of the product life cycle, when market
demand is established, the primary buying question shifts to
"Why should I buy your solution rather than a competitive
option?" It's about competitive differentiation and educating
the buyer on why they should buy your offering. The primary goal
is to create an order for your company.
Great sales messaging supports each phase of the sales cycle
Like the product life cycle, the sales cycle has distinct
phases. For example, let's say you're selling an early stage
product. At the beginning of the sales cycle, the primary buying
question to answer is "Why should I meet with you?" Once you
have a meeting, the next phase in the sales cycle is answering,
"Why should I change what I currently do and buy a product or
service like this?" The final phase of the sales cycle is then
answering, "Why should I buy your solution rather than a
competitive option?" Great sales messaging supports each phase
in both the product life cycle and sales cycle.
5. Determine the Key Differentiation Factors. There are 5
important differentiation points including Time, Money, Risk,
Strategic, and Personal. The more of these differentiation
points you appeal to, the more likely you are to attract and
create buyers.
6. Apply the Black and White Factor. Numerous studies conclude
that the brain comprehends best when presented with clear
contrast between opposites. Statements like "We are one of the
leading..." is not as compelling as "We are the leader in..."
Use lots of sharply contrasting adjectives like Only, Fastest,
Easiest, Best, etc. to create powerful sales messaging.
7. Test Against the Me Too Factor. In order to have truly
effective sales messaging, especially for competitive
differentiation, no other company should be able to make the
same claims that you do. The buyer must perceive that your
company is different from all the other competitive options and
vendors.
8. Organize into Three Points. People remember things best when
they are presented in groups of three. The brain works this way,
so optimize your sales messaging for maximum effectiveness by
incorporating this important principle.
9. Summarize on One Page. The answer to each buying question
must be simplified to a one-page format for a few of reasons.
Your sales reps cannot remember and articulate more than this
and your buyers surely will not. In order to be effective, sales
messaging must be delivered to the buyer in digestible amounts.
10. Provide Proof Points. Most buyers consider your sales
messaging to be claims. To add more credibility to your key
points, you must provide lots of evidence that your claims are
true. The more evidence you have, the more believable your
claims. The best way to validate that your claims and evidence
are true is to use proof points such as customer testimonials,
case studies, etc. The second best proof points include
third-party organizations like International Organization for
Standardization or Gartner Group, etc. The next best proof
points are a demonstration or proof-of-concept.
Great sales messaging gives your company the foundation on which
to create more meetings, buying events and orders for each of
the products and services that you offer. Since most companies
do not know what sales messaging is, and you do, you have a
tremendous opportunity right now to gain a competitive
advantage. This advantage has been proven to increase sales,
reduce costs and improve margins. To learn more about how to
develop and deploy great sales messaging go to:
http://www.silverbulletgroup.com/training.shtml.
About the Author Michael Cannon is an internationally renowned
sales expert, best selling author and a dynamic speaker. He is
CEO of the Silver Bullet Group and creator of the hugely
successful Silver Bullet Sales Messaging System. For more
information, visit www.silverbulletgroup.com or call 925 930
9436.