Rating Sales Reps Is a Lot Like Rating Restaurants

I enjoy reading the Restaurant Reviews in the local paper. Each review, in addition to a detail evaluation of the reviewer’s dining experience, features an overall “Star” rating for the restaurant— four stars being the highest.

I believe customers enjoy grading sales reps using the same type of rating system— one to four stars. One star being the entry level, order-taking sales person and four stars reserved for the extraordinary professional sales rep.

Study the following Star Rating System and see how many stars you rate.

1. ONE STAR: Rep focuses on taking an order. The order taker’s approach is a simple five word sentence, “Do you need anything, today?” This approach is founded on the idea that the order taker has the product or service the prospect buys and by calling on the prospect and announcing, “I am here,” the prospect will buy. This approach calls for minimal communication between the prospect and order taker. If the customer answers the order taker’s initial question with a,” No,” the sales call is terminated.

2. TWO STARS: Rep focuses on selling the product or service. Here the salesperson must know something about the product. And their job is to tell everything they know about the product in technical terms: size, weight, components or ingredients, and include pricing, terms and shipping information. In using this approach, the second to the bottom-of-the-food-chain salesperson leaves it up to the prospect to discover the benefits of the product and then determine if and how the benefits of the product can solve their problem.

3. THREE STARS: Rep focuses on selling the benefits of the product or service. The salesperson knows the specifications of the product or service and knows in general the benefits of the offering. The salesperson talks about the product and the benefits of the product. The prospect must determine if the product or service can solve his or her problem. Thus, the salesperson adds very little value to the process.

4. FOUR STARS: Rep focus on selling the solution. This is the highly prized value-added ingredient. This professional-level selling requires the salesperson to know the specific problem the prospect is trying to solve. This information is best gotten by using the question and answer method of selling. Each question you ask should bring you closer to solving the prospects problem. The gold in this method is that you communicate to the prospect that you sincerely want to help make their job easier. This is the ultimate approach to adding value. It is easy to persuade if you solve your prospects specific problem.
A sales dialog that begins with a sincere and relevant question is almost always a positive and welcomed one.

Using the Four Star Selling Focus let’s take a popular selling cleaning product and see how it is “sold” using the above approaches.

1. ONE STAR: Focus on taking an order.
The order taker greets the customer. “Hi, I have XYZ Bowl and Restroom Cleaner. Do you need any?” Or, “By the way, I carry cleaning supplies. Can you give me an order?”

2. TWO STARS: Focus on selling the product or service.
The approach goes something like this. “XYZ Bowl and Restroom Cleaner is one of the best selling bowl cleaner. I carry it in the gallon size. It is safe on most bathroom surfaces and easy to use. Do you want to try it? "

3. THREE STARS: Focus on selling the benefits of the product or service.
"This is XYZ Bowl and Bathroom Cleaner. It comes in the economical gallon size. You know, the bigger the container, the less it costs per application. It is a mild acid formula that makes is safe to use on bathroom tile, fixtures and hand rails. Great for chrome and stainless steel too. It is easy to apply, just spray on and wipe off. It fast and easy to use. It doesn’t leave any residue or streaks."

4. FOUR STARS: Focus on selling the solution.
Four-Star Selling Pros focus on the prospects problem(s) with questions like these:
a. “Mr. Prospect, what is your toughest bath or kitchen cleaning problem?”
b. “Mr. Prospect are you finding it hard to control the build-up of hard water scale and soap scum? Many of my customers find XYZ Bowl and Bathroom Cleaner controls the build-up of soap scum and hard water scale. I believe it will do the same for you and solve your problem.”
c. “Mr. Prospect, do you find your cleaning product does the job but, you wish it was less costly? I find that in today’s market many of my customers are working with shrinking budgets and are looking for alternate products that still do the job but cost less. I have a product, XYZ Bowl and Bathroom Cleaner, that may be a great match for you. It is a mild acid, non-corrosive, multi-surface cleaner safe to use on Tub, Tile, Shower Doors and Toilets. It is great for chrome and stainless steel too? In addition, for regular everyday clean up or maintenance, you can dilute it in a trigger spray bottle—50% product and 50% water. You don’t need the full concentrate of mild acid and you’ll save money. But, for those difficult cleaning jobs, just use it straight. It's great!"

Hog Question? Which of the 4-Star Selling Focuses creates an opportunity to build a relationship and a loyal customer?

Hog Thought: Hogs are at their 4-Star professional selling best when they think in terms of problems and solutions. The prospect has a problem that requires a solution. You want to prove your product solves their problem.
Never blame someone else or some other external factor for your inability to sell solutions. Identify problems by asking the prospect how you can help make their job easier. Carefully listen to what they say. Then, and only then, offer a solution to their problem. You persuade best when you are providing solutions to problems not when you are pushing products to prospects.