| You have asked great questions and uncovered | | | | the products that you stock with the unique |
| at least three important customer needs that | | | | needs of each region." |
| your offerings can address, and you're ready | | | | |
| to begin your product presentation. Know | | | | F - Feature: Describe a product feature that |
| what you're going to do now? If you're like | | | | meets that need: |
| most salespeople, you're going to lose all of | | | | |
| the momentum you've built-and maybe the sale, | | | | "Our regional purchases history reporting |
| as well-by launching a long, boring, and | | | | will show you exactly what the most popular |
| standardized recitation of product features. | | | | products are in each region." |
| Your sales presentation won't even focus | | | | |
| directly on the key needs you took such pains | | | | B - Benefit: Explain how that feature will |
| to identify. | | | | serve this customer's specific need: |
| | | | |
| People don't buy product features. They buy | | | | "What this means to you is that you will |
| solutions to their own needs. | | | | improve service to your customers while |
| | | | minimizing the inventory needed at each |
| Customers don't care about your product | | | | location." |
| features or even about the benefits those | | | | |
| features offer to the world at large. | | | | R - Reaction: Ask for the customer's own view |
| Customers care about one thing only: How can | | | | of how the benefit would serve the need. This |
| you help me solve problems or seize | | | | confirms that you correctly understand the |
| opportunities that matter to me? | | | | need. Also, importantly, it turns the |
| | | | product presentation into a dialogue with the |
| What you need is a simple, structured method | | | | customer instead of a monologue by you: |
| for product presentations that lets you stop | | | | |
| rambling about features that may be | | | | "How will this information help you improve |
| irrelevant to this customer and start | | | | your business?" |
| presenting solutions to specific needs | | | | |
| instead-solutions that are crisp, clear, | | | | Cast each product feature or capability you |
| brief, and to the point. | | | | present in the TFBR format. And present only |
| | | | features that represent solutions to needs |
| There is such a method. It's called TFBR. | | | | you have already uncovered and agreed upon. |
| Here is how it works. | | | | |
| | | | The TFBR method will shorten your product |
| T - Tie-Back: Tie the conversation back to a | | | | presentations dramatically and make them far |
| need you identified with your earlier | | | | more powerful. Why put your customers to |
| questions: | | | | sleep when you can instead engage them in a |
| | | | problem-solving dialogue that makes them very |
| "You told me earlier that you want to match | | | | happy they agreed to meet with you? |