Sales Clinic: Selling W2P Services Requires a Great Demo

• The Salesperson has adequately researched the customer’s specific requirements and workflow and then applies them to the demo.
• The Salesperson has a thorough knowledge of the software and can flawlessly demo it.
• Effective presentation and sales skills are displayed to adequately create interest, handle objections and close the customer to the next logical step of the sales process.

Nine Suggestions for a Great W2P Selling Demo

During the W2P selling demo, the salespersons job is to create a compelling case and then close the customer to move to the next logical step of the sale. Whether the demo is a planned live demo using a direct connection to the Web or a series of screen shots used early in the sales cycle, here are nine recommendations:

1. Prepare an outstanding opening value proposition. Show confidence, and make sure your value proposition includes you, your W2P service and your company’s unique value.
2. Review what you will talk about and confirm with the customer. Before starting the demo, review what you will be covering and ask the customer is there anything else that they would be interested in seeing.
3. Do more than describe features and advantages. Be sure to share with the customer your specific W2P advantages and how they will benefit them. If you have not already done so, talk with your production or prepress team to become familiar with your company’s W2P specific advantages. Then integrate them into your story.
4. Keep your demo disciplined and crisp. The selling demo is part of the sales process. In addition to it being tailored to your customer, it needs to tell a story that is both interesting and engaging. Endless boring and non consequential features of your software that may interest some customers but does not interest your customer will only minimize your chances of differentiating your solution.
5. Speak using clear, easy to understand language. Clearly explain any jargon, acronyms, or terms that the customer might be unfamiliar. If you are unsure of the customer’s comprehension of what you are saying, test for understanding by asking questions such as, “How do you currently use on line ordering in your organization?” A customer’s non-verbal reactions are often excellent indicators of confusion.
6. Use questions or probes to get your customer talking. The best presentations and demos involve audience participation. You could ask, “Of the areas that I have just discussed, which areas interest you the most?” or “If we conducted a survey of intended W2P users, what information would be most useful to you?”
7. Handle questions and objections as they come up. Don’t put off customer concerns to the end of the demo. Address them immediately. If you don’t, your customer will be less attentive to what you are saying.
8. Summarize. Before you end, review the key points you presented and then ask if there is anything else they want to see.
9. Close for the next step, and remain quiet until the customer responds. An important sales skill is closing. Don’t forget at the end of your presentation to close for the next step of the sale.

For many salespeople, the transition to web-enabled print services has been challenging. Because of the pervasive use of the Web, printing salespeople must adapt to new realities. Providing selling demos to customers has not been the traditional job of a printing salesperson…but it is now. Salespeople can gain an advantage for themselves and their companies by thoroughly knowing their W2P system and then be able to comfortably link the benefits of their system to their customer’s business and workflows.