1. BMGT 204: Sales Strategies and Techniques
Chapter 3: The Psychology of Selling: Why People Buy

2. Why did you buy Point
Park University?

3. The Golden Rule: Benefits
•
Communication Skills
•
Ability to unselfishly help a
person make the correct
buying decision

4. Exhibit 3.1: Why People Buy–
The Black Box Approach
•
Internalization process is referred to as a
black box
•
•
We cannot see into the buyer’s mind
Stimulus-response model
Sales Presentation
Sale/No Sale
Buyer’s Hidden
Mental Process
Stimulus
Black box
Exhibit 4-1: Stimulus-response model of buyer behavior
Response

5. What’s Known About Mental Process
•
People buy for practical (rational) and psychological
(emotional) reasons
•
Some of a person’s thoughts can be determined
•
Buyers consider certain factors in making purchase
decisions

6. A FAB Approach to Buyer
Need Satisfaction
•
Stressing benefits is a very powerful selling technique
•
FAB selling technique helps emphasize benefit
•
Feature
•
Advantage
•
Benefit

7. The Product’s
Features: So What?
•
Feature – a physical
characteristic
•
Many salespeople emphasize
features
•
Examples:
•
Size
•
Color
•
Price
•
Shape

8. The Product’s
Advantages: Prove It!
•
Advantage - a performance
characteristic
•
The chances of making a sale are
increased by describing the
product’s advantages
•
How a product can be used
•
How a product will help the buyer
•
Examples:
•
Fastest-selling
•
Store more information
•
Copy on both sides of the paper

9. The Product’s Benefits:
What’s in it for Me?
•
Benefit – a result of
advantage
•
People are interested in what
the product will do for them
•
Benefits can be both practical
and psychological
•
Benefits should be specific
statements, not generalizations
•
Emphasizing benefits increases
sales

11. Example: Sporting Goods
Salesperson to Customer:
•
“With this ball, you’ll get an
extra 10 to 20 yards on
your drives ( 1.
)
helping to reduce your
score ( 2.
) because
of its new solid core (
3).”

12. Use Your FABs
•
Feature – Physical Characteristic
•
•
Advantage – Performance Characteristic
•
•
Buyer thinks “So What?”
Buyer thinks “Prove It!”
Benefit – Favorable result from advantage
•
Benefits are what people buy!
•
You can have a benefit of a benefit or a FABB

13. Use the FAB Sequence
•
The standardized FAB Sequence can be used as follows:
•
The…(feature)…means you…(advantage)…with the real
benefit to you being…(benefit)….
•
Note how a benefit is emphasized
•
Pick a product. Insert a FAB of the product into the above
sequence
•
Put in your own words
•
Let’s try it…….going back to Point Park University

14. FAB for Point Park
University

15. Let’s Review FABs
•
Which of the following is a feature, advantage, or benefit?
•
Made of kevlar
•
20% more MPG
•
New
•
Lasts twice as long
•
Saves time, work, and money

16. Exhibit 3.4: Match Buyer’s Needs to Product’s Benefits
and Emphasize Them in the Sales Presentation
Important
Seller
(emphasize)
Important
Needs
Benefits
Unimportant
(de-emphasize)
Unimportant
Buyer

17. The Trial Close–a Great Way to Uncover Needs
and Sell
•
The trial close asks for an opinion, not a decision to buy
•
It gives feedback
•
The trial close is one of the best communication
techniques in the sales presentation

18. The Trial Close Helps You to Determine:
•
Whether the prospect likes your product’s features,
advantages, or benefits
•
Whether you have successfully answered any objections
•
Whether any objections remain
•
Whether the prospect is ready for you to close the sale

19. In These Examples of Trial Closes, Notice They Do
NOT Ask Someone to Buy Directly
•
“How does that sound to you?”
•
•
….that example of my work experience
“Is this important to you?”
•
……in the open role for xxxxxxxxx
•
“That’s great - isn’t it?”
•
“I notice your smile. What do you think about…?”

20. Exhibit 3.5: The SELL Sequence: Use It
Throughout Your Presentation
S
Show
feature
E
Explain
advantage
L
Lead
into benefit
L
Let
customer talk

21. Industrial Salesperson to
Industrial Purchasing Agent:
•
“This equipment is made of
stainless steel
( 1.
), which means it
won’t rust
(
2.
). The real
benefit is that it reduces your
replacement costs, thus saving
you money (
3.
)! That’s
what you’re interested in – right
(
4
)?”

22. Review: When Are the Times to Use a Trial Close?
•
After making a strong selling point in the presentation
(FABs)
•
After the presentation but before the close
•
After answering an objection
•
Immediately before you move to close the sale

23. Exhibit 3.6: Examples of Features, Advantages,
Benefits, and Trial Closes that Form the SELL Sequence

24. You Can Classify Buying Situations
•
Some decisions are routine
•
Some decisions are limited
•
Some decisions are extensive

25. View Buyers as Decision Makers
•
Five basic steps in the buying decision
•
Need arousal
•
Collection of information
•
Information evaluation
•
Purchase decision
•
Postpurchase:
•
Satisfaction

26. Exhibit 3.9: Personal, Psychological, and Social
Forces that Influence Consumers’ Buying Behavior

27. Satisfied Customers Are Easier to Sell
•
It is easier to sell to a customer than to a stranger
•
Building a relationship is important to a salesperson’s
success

28. How does this relate to a job search….
•
Are employers looking for a Feature?
•
Are they looking for an Advantage?
•
Are they looking for a benefit?
•
What will you do to help them succeed?