Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/276079
38 FEDA News & Views communicating a simple and direct message of competitive uniqueness? Or, perhaps the problem lies in the fact that your business has evolved to match your competition, but not exceed it in any significant area. So the real problem could be your sales team does not have enough uniqueness to sell on anything other than low price. If this is the case, maybe your focus should be on improving your customer service and order fill rates so your sales team has a message of uniqueness to com- municate on their sales calls. Question #2 "Where is our customer's pain?"--The majority of identified sales challenges involve your customers and their disinterest or dissatisfaction. Asking how and why this identified chal- lenge is causing your prospect or customer so much pain and discomfort might help you get to the root cause of their dissatisfaction (and your ability to turn this challenge around in your favor). Question #3 "What are the components or pieces of this challenge?" --Walt Disney was famous for his ability to define and teach his creative team the structures and processes of creativity. One of his most effective concepts was to "Five Sense" any new challenge. Instead of looking at the challenge as a single "problem," his team would evaluate how this situation could be improved by strengthening each separate sense: taste, sound, touch, sight and smell. Mike Vance, an original member of Walt's Disney World design team, tells the story of driving their design team around the newly opened Disney World Park in Florida with everything blocked except their hearing. By isolating and evaluating their challenge with only one component sense, they discovered the external sounds in each theme area were much too loud and intrusive in the early mornings and late evenings but disappeared during the peak attendance time of the day. As a result, the team had no idea where they were when the park was full of guests and, thus, identified the symptom was a lack of proper sound levels. However, the real problem in need of their attention was actually tied to park attendance levels. To address it, the solution was to tie the external sound levels to the attendance gates at the entrance. Now the volume controls for all outside theme sounds and music are automatically adjusted based on the number of people entering or exiting the park. Now, apply the concept to sales. Instead of looking for ways to improve your customer service. Break your order- ing, delivery and billing processes down and evaluate them one component at a time. After evaluating their entire "order to billing" process through several different angles or filters, one of my clients identified their customers were most dis- satisfied with the lack of communication and early warning of any delivery delays. Another realized they could improve their company brand presence if they used the same logo art on all of the paperwork, delivery forms and invoices, sent or delivered, to their customers. Question #4 "How can we initiate instead of just responding?"--How can we be more proactive by initiating efforts to avoid a problem from arising instead of just reacting with solutions after a challenge has occurred? Too many sales teams are like sailboats, where their power and even direction are directed by external forces out of their control. Look how many times your team only reacts to problems or complaints initiated by your customers. The goal is to have your sales team performing more like power- boats—under their own power and direction. What can your team do to initiate discussions or actions for your customers before they complain and are dissatisfied? Question #5 "Can we get upstream of this challenge?"--What actions could we have taken or ideas communicated earlier in our selling process so this challenge never occurs? The later the problem is surfacing in your selling process the more likely it is a symptom caused by a hidden problem that occurred earlier in your selling process. Over 80 percent of the success and outcome of a selling process is controlled and determined within the first 20 percent of your selling Sales Challenges continued continued on page 39 ATS Logistics / Restaurant Supply Division 20-years experience shipping equipment & supplies to the foodservice industry Zero administrative expenses or fees Custom Freight Solutions utilizing super-regional & national partners Rate shop the best carriers in N. 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