If you are focusing your selling efforts on closing-- your are probably losing more sales than you have to! Since closing is an important step to getting an order-many reps naturally assume it is the key to their sales success. However, experience has proven it is not. Think about it, when was the last time you bought something because you were forced into it? Can't remember? Then why do we spend so much time learning tricks and techniques to 'close early and close often' to push people into buying our products? When you really think about it-focusing all of your efforts on closing you are setting yourself up to fail! The harder you push the more customers back away! Pushing for an order actually reduces sales effectiveness and jeopardizes relationships with prospects.

So, loosen up that vice grip on the customers jugular and consider a better alternative. Educate customers into the sale! Educate? If prospect's knew what you know about your products-- would they more likely choose yours over the competition?

Think of selling as helping prospects gain important insights about how well your product meets their needs, wants and expectations over the alternatives. Professional salesmanship is more a matter of education than manipulative phrases or trick closing techniques.

Educate is an important part of a highly effective selling process I teach in our workshops called The I.D.E.A. Approach™. Every sales call should include a strong I introduction, ask D Diagnostic Questions, E- Educate customers about your offering and arrive at a mutually beneficial A- Agreement. The I.D.E.A. Approach™ reveals valuable information about the customers with the answers to your DQ's . They provide the basis for recommending your products or services. It involves bridging the gap between customer wants, needs and expectations and the benefits and features of your product. Sound easy? It's not! The real test of a representative's true sales talent is demonstrated by his ability to effectively bridge this gap.

If you have been in sales for any length of time, you know it is important to ask questions. Yet, study after study and customer after customer tell us we fail to ask customers what they want and we often tell them what they need!

During a presentation, have you ever heard that little presentation recorder go off inside you and the words sound remarkably similar to the last call and the one before that? A popular mistake that sales representatives make is "feature dumping." It is popular because it is easy to do and allows us to show off how much we know about our product or service.

Feature dumping does not bridge the gap between customer needs and your product. But, it is a toss it against the wall to see what sticks approach. Reps often feel a time pressure in sales presentations and compensate by jumping in to a bottom line summary of features and benefits. Unfortunately, feature dumping forces the prospect to come to his own conclusions about how well your product suits his needs. It dramatically reduces your sales effectiveness because the prospect makes a buying decision based on a rushed presentation and understanding of your product's capabilities. You are the product expert and in the best position to link, or prescribe your offering to customer needs. So stop feature dumping and start bridging the gap!

Using Educate and the I.D.E.A. Approach™ is particularly effective in selling intangibles, technical products or big ticket items. Your customers want and need to make educated buying decisions about the products and services they use. An educational sales approach will dramatically increase your effectiveness because it helps them make informed decisions about using your product.

The goal of educating customers into the sale is to demonstrate your product's ability to meet and exceed the customers needs, wants and expectations. Ask Diagnostic questions that reveal the prospect's performance preferences and expectations. Consider how their answers match your products and capabilities.

Ask about their dislikes and frustrations about their current product. Describe how your product overcomes these limitations. Finally, explore their clinical objectives and outline how your product meets these goals. Be sure to focus on the most important benefits customers receive by using your product or service...benefits they feel are important.

Prepare your presentation to answer the following three questions every prospect asks themselves before buying:

What's so special [about your product]?

What does this mean to me [the prospect]?

Why should I care?

Finally, your responses should emphasize the unique selling advantages of your product or service to build value against price comparisons.

Present the features and benefits of your products to help prospects achieve their needs, wants and expectations. Educate 'em into the sale, because without a "bridge" customers may not make it to the other side to owning your product!