So what is an intangible sale? Well to me, intangible sales refers to the offering of value, benefits and the collected upside to a purchase of a system, service, style or experience. In short if you are an intangible sales professional you are offering a opportunity for many positive results.
For over thirty years that style of selling is all I ever knew. Let me briefly take you down my career experiences with intangible sales. It started in the late 1970's my first sales position was offering the educational experience of becoming a professional tractor-trailer driver. We were not "selling" the chance to drive a huge truck. The glamor of being behind the wheel of a vehicle worth $50,000! Please remember we are talking about the cost of goods in the 1970's. So what were we offering? Easy, we offered the opportunity for a man or woman to expand their knowledge and employment skill sets. It was their chance in life to learn, do and become someone who they always wanted to be. It was the value of the experience of being a professional driver, not driving a truck.
From there I was part of a team that developed and open the first privately owned, New York State Education Dept. approved machine shop training school. It was in the early 1980's and was an amazing experience for me. This was an opportunity to start something from scratch and make a difference in peoples lives through education. One of my responsibilities was to recruit students and to place them in employment upon their graduation of the program. My sales tactics were the same as with the trucking education. What were we selling; the chance to work with machine grease, have burrs of metal caught in their clothes from the lathe machine? No, not even close, we were looking for people who were patient, dependable and disciplined. These attitude's would offer them (the students) the way to a sound and fruitful career as a tool and die maker.
After the first class graduated, it was my responsibility to find the graduates employment. I remember the first time I sat down with a plant manager of an aeronautical company in Buffalo, NY. The first thing the plant manager told me was he not interested in anybody with less than five years machine shop experience. I asked him, what was more important to him and his company, unproven experience or proven intelligence, a desire for success and a disciplined attitude? Here was the time for me to use my intangible sales talents. I explained to the plant manager how these students came to shop class like a job for over four months. And yes like a job we took attendance and recorded it. We could validate all the machines they were trained on. These were all proven practices that could be validated. But, why should he hire them as a young machinist? I explained that all the students paid for their tuition in full with no government loans, grants or scholarships. As a matter of fact, a few students actually sold some of their personal items such as their motorcycles or recreational vehicles to pay for school. Here is where I explained the real value of these students to the plant manager; He was investing in people who had a desire for success, mental discipline, developed a talent and a willingness to learn. Men and women that invested time and money in themselves! And most importantly, he would have loyalty from these people, because he gave them a chance to live their dream! This was selling the plant manager through using experiences, value and a positive outcome. As a side note our school had an 97% placement ratio during the recession of the early 1980's.
It was in the mid 1980's I had a falling out with my group of business associates. OK, let me admit it, I was fired from my job due to a personality clash. I found myself unemployed, not knowing what to do for work. I knew I enjoyed talking to people and making a positive impact on their lives. And yes I certainly do enjoy making money, so what do I do?
I remember it was in the late summer and I applied to a blind ad in the Buffalo, NY newspaper. It read something like this; "Sales Manager needed for long - established company, must be strong a communicator and have the ability to close a sale. Lead by example and motivate others." Heck I thought, that is me I can sell and lead people! So I mailed in my resumé, a few weeks later I received a call asking me to come in for a personal interview with the owner. I remember all they offered to me was the address of the company, not the name of the company.
The next week I drove to the appointment for my personal interview. To my amazement, the address was to a large cemetery. I could not believe it, all I could think of was; what did I get myself into! Well I was unemployed, had plenty of time on my hands. So I went in to the meeting with the owner. Two hours later I was the next sales manager of one of the largest cemeteries in Western New York State.
As I went through the very brief sales training, again I asked myself what I am selling? Is it a ten by thirty square foot plot of dirt? No, not even close, we were offering peace of mind to our families. And the value of keeping difficult decisions away from people during the difficult time of death. My experiences with pre-need selling of memorial property was one of the best professional experiences in my career!
After eight years of working late nights, countless hours of talking to people over the kitchen tables in their homes. I became tired of the "consumer" sale and yearned for the business to business experience. My formal education was in business and human resources. I was ready to use my intangible sales experience in business. But I did not know what to look into or how to move forward on this quest.
Then as fate would have it, I received a telephone call from a old- time friend, He explained to me that he and his family were opening up a new company with a unique and new business. I said that was nice, but he explained to me that I was the perfect guy to sell the business service. By now it was in the early 1990's the economy was again a little slow. I asked him what the new service was. My friend explained to me that it was called employee leasing. And of course I said oh ya, like a temporary employment agency. Well this was my first real taste of business to business sales that is all about value!
For those of you that never heard of employee leasing, it is one of the largest business services in this county dedicated to outsourcing employee administration. The industry has evolved to be known as the Professional Employer Organization. Yes again I found myself on the ground floor of selling an unknown business system. For over ten years I successfully sold and help build a strong PEO. A lot of my sales success was due to my understanding of how to sell an intangible!
Now is time to list a few skills not only needed in selling, but they are paramount in selling intangibles.
1) Evaluate and read your audience get to know their expectations of your service
2) Listen to their words, so, so carefully - these are indicators to their needs
3) Use descriptive words or phrases in your presentation e.g. opportunity, value, wonderful situation, peace of mind, comfort level, required expectations
4) If you really don't believe in your service, leave and find another opportunity.
5) Don't become a walking brochure and tell only facts. Preach the value and tell the experience of your service
6) Become a knowledgeable, comfortable and humorous story- teller. Man always wants a complete story from beginning to end.
7) Know the "Soul of the Sale"; what is the real value of your service, what is the real experience and the collateral experiences your client will come away with from your efforts.
Keith Kuehlewind specializes in New Business Development, HR Outsourcing Sales & Sales Training, Human Resource Consulting. He trains Human Resource Managers and Sales professionals. Mr. Kuehlewind is available for consulting, coaching and public speaking. Contact him at keith@keithkuehlewind.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Kuehlewind
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7864465
For over thirty years that style of selling is all I ever knew. Let me briefly take you down my career experiences with intangible sales. It started in the late 1970's my first sales position was offering the educational experience of becoming a professional tractor-trailer driver. We were not "selling" the chance to drive a huge truck. The glamor of being behind the wheel of a vehicle worth $50,000! Please remember we are talking about the cost of goods in the 1970's. So what were we offering? Easy, we offered the opportunity for a man or woman to expand their knowledge and employment skill sets. It was their chance in life to learn, do and become someone who they always wanted to be. It was the value of the experience of being a professional driver, not driving a truck.
From there I was part of a team that developed and open the first privately owned, New York State Education Dept. approved machine shop training school. It was in the early 1980's and was an amazing experience for me. This was an opportunity to start something from scratch and make a difference in peoples lives through education. One of my responsibilities was to recruit students and to place them in employment upon their graduation of the program. My sales tactics were the same as with the trucking education. What were we selling; the chance to work with machine grease, have burrs of metal caught in their clothes from the lathe machine? No, not even close, we were looking for people who were patient, dependable and disciplined. These attitude's would offer them (the students) the way to a sound and fruitful career as a tool and die maker.
After the first class graduated, it was my responsibility to find the graduates employment. I remember the first time I sat down with a plant manager of an aeronautical company in Buffalo, NY. The first thing the plant manager told me was he not interested in anybody with less than five years machine shop experience. I asked him, what was more important to him and his company, unproven experience or proven intelligence, a desire for success and a disciplined attitude? Here was the time for me to use my intangible sales talents. I explained to the plant manager how these students came to shop class like a job for over four months. And yes like a job we took attendance and recorded it. We could validate all the machines they were trained on. These were all proven practices that could be validated. But, why should he hire them as a young machinist? I explained that all the students paid for their tuition in full with no government loans, grants or scholarships. As a matter of fact, a few students actually sold some of their personal items such as their motorcycles or recreational vehicles to pay for school. Here is where I explained the real value of these students to the plant manager; He was investing in people who had a desire for success, mental discipline, developed a talent and a willingness to learn. Men and women that invested time and money in themselves! And most importantly, he would have loyalty from these people, because he gave them a chance to live their dream! This was selling the plant manager through using experiences, value and a positive outcome. As a side note our school had an 97% placement ratio during the recession of the early 1980's.
It was in the mid 1980's I had a falling out with my group of business associates. OK, let me admit it, I was fired from my job due to a personality clash. I found myself unemployed, not knowing what to do for work. I knew I enjoyed talking to people and making a positive impact on their lives. And yes I certainly do enjoy making money, so what do I do?
I remember it was in the late summer and I applied to a blind ad in the Buffalo, NY newspaper. It read something like this; "Sales Manager needed for long - established company, must be strong a communicator and have the ability to close a sale. Lead by example and motivate others." Heck I thought, that is me I can sell and lead people! So I mailed in my resumé, a few weeks later I received a call asking me to come in for a personal interview with the owner. I remember all they offered to me was the address of the company, not the name of the company.
The next week I drove to the appointment for my personal interview. To my amazement, the address was to a large cemetery. I could not believe it, all I could think of was; what did I get myself into! Well I was unemployed, had plenty of time on my hands. So I went in to the meeting with the owner. Two hours later I was the next sales manager of one of the largest cemeteries in Western New York State.
As I went through the very brief sales training, again I asked myself what I am selling? Is it a ten by thirty square foot plot of dirt? No, not even close, we were offering peace of mind to our families. And the value of keeping difficult decisions away from people during the difficult time of death. My experiences with pre-need selling of memorial property was one of the best professional experiences in my career!
After eight years of working late nights, countless hours of talking to people over the kitchen tables in their homes. I became tired of the "consumer" sale and yearned for the business to business experience. My formal education was in business and human resources. I was ready to use my intangible sales experience in business. But I did not know what to look into or how to move forward on this quest.
Then as fate would have it, I received a telephone call from a old- time friend, He explained to me that he and his family were opening up a new company with a unique and new business. I said that was nice, but he explained to me that I was the perfect guy to sell the business service. By now it was in the early 1990's the economy was again a little slow. I asked him what the new service was. My friend explained to me that it was called employee leasing. And of course I said oh ya, like a temporary employment agency. Well this was my first real taste of business to business sales that is all about value!
For those of you that never heard of employee leasing, it is one of the largest business services in this county dedicated to outsourcing employee administration. The industry has evolved to be known as the Professional Employer Organization. Yes again I found myself on the ground floor of selling an unknown business system. For over ten years I successfully sold and help build a strong PEO. A lot of my sales success was due to my understanding of how to sell an intangible!
Now is time to list a few skills not only needed in selling, but they are paramount in selling intangibles.
1) Evaluate and read your audience get to know their expectations of your service
2) Listen to their words, so, so carefully - these are indicators to their needs
3) Use descriptive words or phrases in your presentation e.g. opportunity, value, wonderful situation, peace of mind, comfort level, required expectations
4) If you really don't believe in your service, leave and find another opportunity.
5) Don't become a walking brochure and tell only facts. Preach the value and tell the experience of your service
6) Become a knowledgeable, comfortable and humorous story- teller. Man always wants a complete story from beginning to end.
7) Know the "Soul of the Sale"; what is the real value of your service, what is the real experience and the collateral experiences your client will come away with from your efforts.
Keith Kuehlewind specializes in New Business Development, HR Outsourcing Sales & Sales Training, Human Resource Consulting. He trains Human Resource Managers and Sales professionals. Mr. Kuehlewind is available for consulting, coaching and public speaking. Contact him at keith@keithkuehlewind.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Kuehlewind
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7864465
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