Today I will cover one of the ways we at Anthony Cole Training Group, LLC coach sales managers to help them coach their salespeople to have more and better initial sales calls: Your USA!
USA is the terminology we use at Anthony Cole Training Group as part of our Effective Selling System (ESS). It stands for unique sales approach.
Yes, my staff recognizes me as the king of ACRONYMS. I Googled acronyms this morning and discovered that I may in fact be king of INITIALISM. This is not the point of this article.
The point is that most, if not all sales growth development and training programs, teach something along the lines of the elevator pitch / value proposition as part of the prospecting section of the sales training program. You can download a free copy of "Better Than the Best Prospecting Book Ever Written!"
Next week I will be working with one of our community banking clients on this very issue. Executive leadership is so convinced that this is the key to greater productivity and effectiveness, that they want to have a special session with just their market presidents.
Here are the key things I will convey to them to keep in mind, consider, remember when writing, developing, delivering the USA for their company.
- Everyone of your competitors is attempting to do the same thing as part of their marketing strategy.
- None of the people you compete with will have a USA that includes any of the following:
- Our prices are high
- Our service is just about average
- Our products are out of date
- Our people are kind of dedicated and semi-professional
3. Keeping in mind #2 – your USA SHOULD NOT include any of the items listed above
4. The USA should describe the outcome of what happens when clients choose to work with you, your people, and your company.
- Earn more, keep more, pay less
- Eliminate the frustration, anxiety, madness about…
- Find a relationship that provides solutions consistent with their overall business objectives. (one of my favorite examples for banking is this: We work with companies that want more out of a banking relationship then just a place to put or get money)
5. THIS IS THE BIG: Your USA should result in one of the following three reactions:
- Tell me more about that.
- How do you do that?
- That’s me! (This is something they will be thinking when you say something like, “My clients are those in the ag business that are sick and tired of short term solutions to insuring their operations and on-going negotiations over rates)
In addition to what I just covered, keep the following 3 suggestions in mind:
- Have a very specific target market. i.e. If the go-to market strategy of your company is to be a high value, high price, custom solution provider, then you need to make sure you are talking to people that are looking for and willing to pay for that kind of offering
- Know exactly what the problems and opportunities are within that target market
- Role play your USA with the most critical person you can find, and ask them to be completely honest about one thing: Did my 10 second ad cause you to say or think: Tell me more, how do you do that or that’s me? If it didn’t, start over and get it right.
