Basic selling skills

TYPES OF SCIENCE

ROAD MAP

1. Introduction to selling skills.2. Call sequence.

a) Opening.b) Probing.c) Reinforcing.d) Gaining commitment.

3. Dealing with resistance.4. Using visual aids.

INTRODUCTION

There are three principles of salesmanship:1. Human relation2. Straight thinking3. Presentation

HUMAN RELATION

STRAIGHT THINKING

PRESENTATION

Product

Customer

Competitors

Product

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

Product knowledge is essential for the success of sales calls.

It helps the salesperson show the customers what they will gain by prescribing and dispensing his product.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

• History• Research and Development

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Medical Background• Product Information• Mode of Action• Indication and Dosage• Limitation and Side Effect• Advantages and Benefits• Price

SPECIFIC INFORMATION

• Action, Indication and Dosage• Limitation and Side Effects• Disadvantages

COMPETITORS INFORMATION

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

Product knowledge is indispensable for the salesperson to do his job effectively.

However not all information about the product should be demonstrated to the doctor during the sales call, so that you have to select what to say.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE IS POWERKnowledge gives you the three elements of successful selling.

KNOWLEDGE POWER

1. CONFIDENCE.

It is hard to imagine a successful salesperson who is not fully aware of his product. If you know every details about your product and competitors, you will feel confident.

2. ENTHUSIASM

The salesperson hopes to make the doctor see the product as he sees.

• Enthusiasm is contagious, let the customer catches it.

3. PROFESSIONAL SELLING

The knowledge of why a doctor should prescribe a certain product is as important for a salesperson as knowledge of what he has to sell.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

However, the salesperson should guard against talking too much about the product features and too little about what it will do for the sake of the patient, instead of selling product features, he should sell the effects and results of the product (benefits)

How to demonstrate a product?

HOW TO DEMONSTRATE A PRODUCT

1. FEATURESThey are the characteristics of the product.This is what the producer puts into a product to produce useful effects.A Feature is an ingredient or description of an aspect of the product.

HOW TO DEMONESTRATE A PRODUCT

2. ACTIONS / ADVANTAGESThey are the result of the feature. This is the way the product works, the effect of the feature is the most important thing.Actions are typically reduction or increase of levels of body chemicals.Advantages are typically relief of symptoms or speedy relief.Advantages also can be a relief of combination of symptoms "pharmacological effect

3. BENEFITSThey are how the end user is improved. These are the final result of the action of the feature.Benefits state how the user is improved or getting better. Benefits could be to the patients or the doctor.

FOR THE PATIENTReturning to normal life style.

FOR THE DOCTORDoctor benefits are typically being able to prescribe confidently and achieve control over the illness.

Features Never Change

Benefits Do

Depending on the needs

Don’t Assume That a Benefits That’s Important To One

Doctor Will Be Important To Another Doctor

Don’t Assume That Your Customer Will Translate Your Product Features Into Benefits

He buys it

Remember that it is your role

WHO IS FIRST

ORGANIZING THE PRESENTATION

FEATURE ACTION BENEFIT FABIn this method, you start with the feature and explain its action and then come up with the benefit

BENEFIT ACTION FEATURE BAFIn this method of organization, you start with the benefit and then prove it with the action and relate this action to the feature.

Customer

THE CUSTOMER

Perhaps, you are more oriented to the doctor’s role in generating prescription for your product, but you should not forget the retailer role in generating your sales.

THE CUSTOMER

Broadly speaking, what does the salesperson need to know about the doctor? The problem facing the doctor for which the salesperson

product is the solution. The way the doctor thinks about his problem, the

salesperson product and the competing products.

Buying Motives

BUYING MOTIVES

The doctor prescribes the product that fulfills one or more of his prescribing motives (buying motives).

We list out these motives below:

CONVENIENCE

EFFICACY / PERFORMANCE

APPEARANCE

ECONOMY

SAFETY

PRIDE / PLEASURE

How To Motivate a Customer?

HOW TO MOTIVATE A CUSTOMER?

Normally, more than one motive will be revolved during the product demonstration, so that the salesperson have to organize his presentation in an order which satisfy the physician motives according to the physician priorities.

HOW TO MOTIVATE A CUSTOMER?

The core of the salesperson job is to uncover the doctor’s need and then satisfy this need with the product benefits

SUCCESSFUL SALESPERSON

Salesmanship is the ability of the salesperson to convert a need to a want and fulfill it with his product benefits

PROFESSIONAL SALESPERSON

NEED AND WANT

Need is:

Want is:

NEED AND WANT

To convert a need to a want for a specific product, you should demonstrate your product benefits in a way that makes the doctor realize the urgency of your product to fit a certain need, then he will be the one who is seeking to buy your product.

In another word, combining more than one benefit which satisfy more than one motive of high priority to the physician will definitely convert the need to a want.

The Buying Decision Process

Needrecognition

Informationsearch

Evaluation ofalternatives

Purchasedecision

Post-purchaseevaluation

The Buying Decision Process and the Communication Challenge

Needrecognition

Informationsearch

Evaluation ofalternatives

Purchasedecision

Post-purchaseevaluation

Understand motivation or influence motivationUnderstand motivation or influence motivation

Understand how the customer responds to information

Create favourable attitudes

Createpreference for brand

Reinforce satisfaction

Selects and attends to informationinterprets information

Create favourable attitudes

Change negative attitudes

Reduce the time delay between decision and implementation of decision

Addressdissatisfaction

Managecognitive dissonance

The Selling Process Stages

Stage 1RECEPTIVITY

Receptivity is related to the salesperson and the product. Good personal relationship may positively affect

customer receptivity.

Stage 2

Identity customers needs to help you get the customer to FOCUS on his products needs .

Customers focuses on the product characteristics according to his needs.

Stage 3

Relate and reinforce benefits to provides the customer with knowledge about how your products address his needs.

Gain commitment and follow up to help the customer to take favorable decision.

KNOWLEDGE

Customers makes an evaluation to determine which products would satisfy their needs.

Stage 4EVALUATION

Customers take decision to accept certain products or indications and refuse others.

Stage 5DECISION

Competitors

COMPETITION

The salesperson has to accept the competition because there is no other choice.

COMPETITION

The salesperson should accept the fact that:

“These are the days of great product standardization, few brands, if any, are superior over the others according to all standards”

COMPETITION

The basis of handling competition is to

SELL THE DIFFERENCE

The difference may be in the product efficacy, safety, price and dosage.OrMay be in the salesperson personality, presentation, and knowledge.

IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPETITION

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPETITION?Knowledge of competition provides the salesperson with a broad background for better handling of his job & helps him orient himself in his territory.

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPETITION INCLUDES:

1.PRODUCT COMPARISON The salesperson should be fully aware of the information

about his product and the competing products, so as to discover the strong and weak points of competitors.

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPETITION INCLUDES:

2.COMPETITOR SELLING ACTIVITIES What are the products recommended to the doctor by

the competitive salesperson, and whether the specifications of these products recommended meet the doctor’s requirements or not.

How does the representative tell his story, the visual aids used, the give - away, models, charts, samples, reports, and demonstrations.

THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION

The salesperson can collect information about competitors through …1. Careful and analytical reading of competitors aids such

as brochures, posters, charts and inserted leaflets…etc.2. Medical journals3. Asking doctors and retailers4. Listening to doctors complaints5. Competitive salespeople

WHAT TO AVOID :

1. Do not include any reference of competitor in your sales presentation unless it is strictly needed.

2. Never initiate the subject of competition, let the doctor make the first reference.

3. Do not allow the situation to take you away from the primary task, which is to explain your product.

4. Never make a statement about the competitor before checking its accuracy.

WHAT TO AVOID:

5. Never criticize competitors since criticism can be interpreted as poor salesmanship.

6. The salesperson should always remember that the doctor may like the competing brand, and as a result he might consider the criticism as criticizing his own judgment.

Pre-call Planning

Opening

Probing

Reinforcing

Gaining Commitment

PRECALL PLANNING

PRE-CALL PLANNING

Being well informed about the product, the customer and the competitors, the salesperson can prepare himself for the call.

PRE-CALL PLANNING

In particular, the pre-call planning is to find the doctor’s basic problem or need for which the salesperson’s product is the right solution, and to find the right way to approach the doctor.

Then, the salesperson has to plan how to concentrate on the problem or the need and its solution when talking to the doctor.

PRE-CALL PLANNING

The pre-call planning gives the salesperson a clear and detailed picture of each doctor, so that a customized story can be built for each one.

STEPS OF PRE-CALL PLANNING

THE FIRST STEP: IDENTIFY THE DOCTOR There are as many types of doctors as there are people. Some doctors are nervous, others are disagreeable,

many are timid, sympathetic, calm, talkative, insulting, cooperative, hesitant, undecided and intelligent.

THE SECOND STEP: COLLECT INFORMATION Present products and why he uses them. The standards he uses in judging products.. The prescription philosophy as well as any personal

peculiarities, preference, and prejudices. The problems he is facing, his needs and wants. The objection and resistance that might be encountered

during the call.

THE THIRD STEP : ASURANCEIt takes place during the first few minutes of the salesperson interview, the salesperson can revise the data he had collected so as to assure them or exclude the information.

PRE-CALL PLANNING

BENEFITS OF PRE-CALL PLANNING:1. Reduction of uncertainty2. Higher quality of interviews3. Better interpretation of the product in terms of the

doctor’s needs4. Increased confidence of the salesperson5. Sounder selling in shorter and more successful calls

WHAT IS OPENING?

Opening is the skill of capturing the customer’s attention and focusing the sales call.

OPENING FUNCTION

1. It helps you establish the purpose of the visit.2. Allows you to highlight an important product benefit

early in the call.3. It helps you direct the conversation toward customer

needs.

TIME OF OPENING

Generally, you determine when to open, since it naturally follows the casual conversation that often precedes the business part of the call.

TIME OF OPENING

However, sometimes a customer will directly signal you to open, by saying “What brings you here?” “What can I do for you today?”

Also, a doctor may tell you, with a facial expression or body position, that it’s time to get down to business.

OPENING STEPS

OPENING INVOLVES TWO STEPS:

Step 1:

Identify known or presumed customer need.

Step 2:

Propose feature and benefit that satisfy this need.

OPENING - STEP 1

IDENTIFY A KNOWN OR PRESUMED CUSTOMER NEEDThe first step in opening is to identify a known or presumed customer need.

OPENING - STEP 2

PROPOSE FEATURE, ACTION AND BENEFIT THAT

SATISFY THE NEED.

The second step of opening is to propose the feature and

benefit that satisfy the customer’s need.

WHAT IS PROBING?

Probing is the skill of questioning.

TYPES OF PROBES

Type Definition Example

OPENA question that invites an extended explanation

Sales Rep:“Doctor, what sort of problems do you have with newly born calves?”Doctor:“there are several, diarrhea is the most dangerous one.”

ClosedA question that can be answered in a single word, often “yes” or “no”

Sales Rep: “Do you always face diarrhea in newly born calves?” Doctor: yes

PROBING FUNCTION

The general purpose of probing is to uncover customer needs and concerns.1. It allows you to guide the customer to reveal his needs. 2. With effective probing skills, you take control of the

sales interview.

PROBING FUNCTION

Type Function Example

OPENAllows the customer to describe a need

Sales rep: “Doctor, what sort of problems do you have with your NSAID?”Doctor: “High prices is the major complaint.”

ClosedAllows you to direct the customer to a presumed need

Sales rep: “Do your patients ever complain about high cost therapy?”Doctor: ”Yes”

PROBING STRATEGY

BEGIN WITH AN OPEN PROBE

NEED INPUT

BEGIN WITH AN OPEN PROBE

NO NEED INPUT

SWITCH TO A CLOSED PROBE REINFORCING

REINFORCING

You probe to uncover needs that can be satisfied by the features and benefits of your product, then you reinforce, you show the customer why your product is needed.

Reinforcing is the skill that firmly establishes you as a problem-solver and promotes your product to the customer.

WHAT IS REINFORCING?

Reinforcing is the skill of satisfying customer needs with product features and benefits.

When you have successfully used the skill of probing, your customer will either state or confirm a clear need that can be satisfied by a feature and a benefit of your product.

REINFORCING STEPS

Step 11. Agreement2. Paraphrase the customer need

Step 23. Propose a feature and a benefit that satisfy this need

REINFORCING - STEP 1

The first step in reinforcing is to paraphrase the customer need. This shows the doctor that you understand his/her need and consider it important.

FirstYou make a direct expression of agreement. Some examples are:

“Exactly.” “That can be a real problem.” “Absolutely” “That’s a significant issue.” “Without question.” “Good point, Doctor”

THENYou restate the customer’s need.

Restating is repeating the customer’s need in different words. When you restate, do not repeat the doctor’s exact words, paraphrase them.

PROPOSE A FEATURE AND A BENEFIT THAT SATISFY THE NEED

The second step in reinforcing is to propose a feature and a benefit of your product that can satisfy this need.

In this way, you show the customer how your product can be the solution to the need. To present the feature and benefit, link them in one statement

REINFORCING

RESPONDING TO COMPLIMENTS:When a customer makes a positive reference to your company, your product line, or your fellow employees, you should reinforce it. To respond to a positive remark, you should express agreement with the comment and expand it to emphasize the positive impression

WHAT IS GAINING COMMITMENT?

Gaining commitment is getting the customer agreement to take a specific action with respect to your product.

The action may be anything from reviewing a clinical paper to using your product on a trial basis.

The key is to make a specific agreement with the doctor about action steps that will lead towards product usage.

WHAT IS GAINING COMMITMENT?

Gaining commitment is the skill of obtaining the customer’s agreement to act.

WHEN TO GAIN COMMITMENT?

How do you know when a customer is ready to commit to using your product? Customer signals are important in gaining commitment. When the customer gives you a clear-cut acceptance signal, this is your signal to seek commitment.

Whenever a customer gives you an acceptance signal you should attempt to gain commitment, even if it happens before you have probed for needs.

GAINING COMMITMENT STEPS

It involves two steps:Step 1Review the benefits accepted by the customerStep 2Ask for action

GAINING COMMITMENT – STEP 1

REVIEW THE BENEFITS ACCEPTED BY THE CUSTOMERWhen you attempt to gain commitment, it is crucial to review all the benefits accepted by the customer during the sales call. In your review, you do not need to include features.

Your review of all the accepted benefits should draw the customer’s attention to areas in which your product meets his/her needs.

PROBE FOR AN ACCEPTANCE SIGNALIf you decide to try to gain commitment without receiving an acceptance signal, you summarize the accepted benefits and then probe for acceptance signal.

The purpose of this probe is to test the doctor’s frame of mind. You need to know whether he/she is ready to agree to act.

ASK FOR ACTIONA request for action is actually a paraphrased sales call objective.When you ask for action you must be specific.

ADVANTAGES SPECIFIC REQUEST:1. Strengthen your role as a problem-solver.2. Will help you evaluate your progress after the call.

You can make your requests more specific by including any of the following kinds of information;1. Asking for use in a specific number of patients. 2. Specifying a time period for trial use of the product

TYPES OF REQUESTS FOR ACTION

Requests for action fall into four general categories:1. Trial-use2. Continued-use3. Expanded-use4. Back to use

Type Purpose Example

Trial-useTo get a doctor to prescribe

the product on a trial basisNew business is obtained

Continued-use

To get a doctor to continue

prescribing the product at the

same level

Current business is

maintained

Type Purpose Example

Expanded-use

To get a doctor to

prescribe more of the product

for the same indication

To get a doctor to

prescribe the product for a

new indication

More business is

obtained

Back to useTo get the doctor to prescribe

the product againRetaining business

1. Review accepted benefits

Principal benefits accepted;No acceptance signal

2. Ask for actions

2. Ask for action

Acceptance Signal

1. Review accepted benefits

1a. Probe for acceptance signal

WHY DOES THE DOCTOR RAISE OBJECTION?

1. He is not yet prepared to accept your work for a new piece of information.

2. Because he is expressing a competitor’s counter-claim and wants to know whether this counter-claim is justified.

3. He does not understand your explanation for an important point.

4. He is interested in your story and wants it to be reassured.

5. He wants to test your belief in your product.

CUSTOMER RESISTANCE

Objections can be turned into assets and opportunities by the skillful salesperson, and therefore they should be welcomed, and highly interpreted as requests for additional information.

TYPES OF CUSTOMER RESISTANCE

As a professional salesperson, you have to be able to identify and respond to these four types of customer resistance:1. Misconception 2. Lack of interest 3. Real objection4. Skepticism

Misconception

An incorrect negative

assumption about your

product, due to a lack of

information or misinformation.

X single daily dose does not

offer anything more the

competitors

Real objectionA legitimate shortcoming or

disadvantage of your product.

X price is too expensive for

Lack of interest

Disinterest in your product

because of satisfaction with a

competitor product.

I am very satisfied with Y

SkepticismDisbelief that your product can

provide the stated benefit.

I find it hard to believe that X

has such a prolonged effect.

1- MISCONCEPTION

DEFINITIONAn incorrect negative assumption about your product due to a lack of information or the misunderstanding of information.It is always accompanied with strong feeling and may be aggressive attitude.

1- MISCONCEPTION

HOW TO DEAL WITH MISCONCEPTION1. You should resolve it immediately.2. Paraphrase the doctor objection and magnify it.3. Provide the correct information to satisfy the doctor

2. REAL OBJECTION

DEFINITIONA legitimate shortcoming or disadvantage of your product.It is the most serious attitude, and handling it inefficiently may spoil the call.

2. REAL OBJECTION

HOW TO DEAL WITH REAL OBJECTIONAcknowledge the doctor opinion, since you can not deny it.Use the YES…BUT technique.Minimize the doctor objection by maximizing the other great benefits of your product.

i.e. showing the doctor that your product benefits outweigh its disadvantage.Try to position your product in an indication in which its disadvantage is not of great importance.

3. LACK OF INTREST

DEFINITION:-Disinterest in your product because of satisfaction with a competitor product.It is the most common situation in the field.It is a challenging situation and when you pass it, you will enjoy success.

3. LACK OF INTREST

HOW TO DEAL WITH LACK OF INTRESTFIRST You should identify the competing product in use, and you may know it through:

Pre-call planning

Directly ask the doctor

Doctor may voluntarily tell you

SECONDAnalyze the competitor, ask series of closed probes to uncover area of dissatisfaction, and this will be your entrance gate.

3. LACK OF INTREST

THIRDExpress your product advantages and benefits over the competitor and acquire the doctor agreement.Support this step with more benefits, and then ask for actions to switch the prescription.

3. LACK OF INTREST

NOTEFully detailed knowledge about the competitor is essential.Be prepared with more than one area of dissatisfaction, as the doctor may not respond to the first one and sort them according to the doctor priorities.

4. SKEPTICISM

DEFINITIONDisbelief that your product can provide the stated benefit. It occurs after you reinforce the suspected benefit.

4. SKEPTICISM

HOW TO DEAL WITH SKEPTICISM1. Restate what you have just said using strong and

confident words. 2. Voice tone provides you with 50% of success.3. Offer documents such as trials, medical journals….etc.4. Give it to the doctor and ask for commitment and action.

Set a date in which you will deliver the document and Stick accurately to it

5. Provide the requested document and highlight the area of the doctor interest with light marker.

6. Get the doctor agreement and then ask for action

READ THIS

A 2-leg sits on a 3-leg and eats a 1-leg.

Comes a 4-leg and takes away the 1-leg from the 2-leg.

The 2-leg gets angry and takes the 3-leg and beats the 4-leg.

1. You are selling your product not the visual aid.2. Know your visual aid in details3. Use it to support what you say, not to do the selling for

you.4. Make it clean and ready to use.5. Use pen or marker.6. Keep control of the visual aid.

WHY WE USE VISUAL AIDS

1. Attract attention2. Increase retention3. Improve comprehension

1. Make it coincize with what you are saying.2. Rap it unless it is in use.3. Make it seen by your audience not you.4. Use it to illustrate point by point.

THANK YOU

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