SELLING SKILLS: How to Support
When you support, you acknowledge the customer’s need and introduce the appropriate benefit(s) that will satisfy the need.
The first step of a support statement is to acknowledge the customer’s need. When you acknowledge, you are showing the customer that you consider the need to be important. You do this by stating your agreement with, or understanding of, the expressed need.
Phrases that begin a statement of acknowledgment include:
- “I agree; you do need to…”
- “You’re absolutely right about…”
- “I can see how that could be a problem…”
- “Exactly…”
- “I can understand your concern…”
Example:
| Need | Customer: “What I want is a contractor that can tell me what type of condition our roofs are in, and to maintain the roofs before they leak. I mean, it doesn’t look very good in our retail stores to have 5-gallon buckets and ‘watch your step’ signs.” |
| Acknowledgement | Salesperson: “You’re right. A comprehensive review of your facilities and a Preventive Maintenance Program can make all the difference in the world.” |
| Benefit | Salesperson: “Our professionals will look at your portfolio and provide comprehensive reports on the type and condition of every roof section. We will create repair estimates during the inspection through our preventive maintenance program. You could provide us with an NTE before we arrive, so our technicians will do emergency repairs and other maintenance work while on site.” |
Example:
| Need | Customer: “Budgets are a lot of trouble. They require constant reworking. I need the ability to create budgets more quickly.” |
| Acknowledgement | Salesperson: “I agree; you need the ability to automate your budgeting process.” |
| Benefit | Salesperson: “Roof Asset Management reports are available online through Centerpoint Connect’s Client Portal. The data is accessible 24/7/365 and is dynamic. Any work done at a facility is captured as history. Any work proposed is captured as a budget amount. The data can be downloaded into Excel for ‘slicing and dicing’.” |