Sales efforts should always focus on presenting benefits and ABC, or always be closing. The question is, how can you, as a business owner or as a product developer continue to work with the sales team to ensure that they are able to convey and demonstrate the perfect message.
Note the two components of product sales involving traveling teams:
- Demonstrating the product
- Conveying the message
I work for a manufacturer, so while I don’t know all that much about conveying the message. I have watched how we make tons of custom cases for sales demonstration purposes. I always think about how so many people are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to showcase their product and their working technology.
1. So why deal with the hassel of a traveling sales team?
The reason demonstration is so important is because in the end, sales is about presenting benefits. But nothing beats a functional product that does impressive things in an impressive way. People want cool stuff. People want to own the best, the most complex. The best products look simple but have a ton of awesome technology on the inside.
Look at Apple for instance:
They have the brand power to get thousands, more likely closer to hundreds of thousands of people to watch a presentation where they do nothing but talk about the underlying development and features behind their simple magical technology. They then push these demonstrations out through videos displayed prominantly on their e-commerce store.
Unless you have really well planned and executed video walk throughs on your product page, you simply cann’t achieve this level of understanding of your product’s value by pushing leads to a website. Especially if you have a physical technology product like many tools and equipment pieces used in industry or medecine.
A traveling sales team isn’t always necessary but it can definately yield optimal results for high end products.
2. Do you really have a ready product for your sales team?
If your product isn’t finished, if it’s not COMPLETELY functional, just remember one thing: the value of your product is always dependent on full functionality.
Think about it. Who would buy a used car without working air conditioning? Air conditioning has nothing to do with getting you to point A and B but as a consumer you’re not thinking about that.
If you’re product isn’t fully functional, you need to hold off on sales efforts. Demonstrating functionality is key to proving value and formulating a convincing arguement. People are skeptical and it’s important to demonstrate capability and capacity. If you can’t deliver working technology for your sales team, why should a potential lead believe that the technology will be ready for him? You need to put him in a position where he can make a decision now, not wait on you. Remember: Always Be Closing.
3. Is the product packaged and presented in the best way possible?
The value of your product wil be instantly conveyed by how you carry it and how you reveal it.
Let me repeat that: The value of your product will be conveyed by how you reveal it.
Again, think about how Apple packages their product. The packaging implies the value. The unfolding procedure and the simple sleekness builds anticipation and then reveals functionality. The plastic case is designed to feature every component, from the headphones to the screen, to the clip. Who knew a clip could be such an awesome feature? It’s all about presentation. It’s the result of a well thought out packaging design. The iPod nano case is an exemplary example of a custom case.
If your product is big and you’re simply carrying in it, you’re demonstrating that you don’t need to protect it. It’s almost like saying you don’t believe in the product. If it’s small and it really does not need to be packaged and protected, well… you wouldn’t show someone a ring by pulling it out of your pocket. You want it coming out of a nice red velvet case. Similarly, if you have a large product, or even a medium sized protect, you wan’t to encase it so that you have a big reveal. You want to feature your technology in nicely colored foam that is still able to reveal underlying functionality. Just remember, everything about the way your product looks makes a statement and helps make that initial impression. Just like one wears a suit to an interview, it would be a shame to have a prospect get distracted by a poorly thoughtout presentation case.
Try searching for custom demonstration cases in Google for larger end industrial equipment. You’ll find powerful case solutions that solve wiring problems, setup problems, and includes compartimentalization solutions.
Search for packaging design to identify consumer product vendors to give you graphic designs and cardboard or low grade plastic material. It’s all about the way it looks.
4. Can your sales force seamlessly demonstrate underlying technology and functionality?
No fumbling. Not even a slight chance for something to come loose. Zero chance of a tiny distracting embrassment. This is the necessary standard.
Let’s say you have this great product with several components. With a sales person always on the road, this product will get its fair share of abuse. Now what happens if the sales person arrives to the location and is fumbling to assemble the product in time before it’s time for the pitch? What happens if certain functionality needs to be revealed and demonstrated or you want to show off underlying technology and because the product isn’t designed for that, the sales person ends up fumbling, wasting time, and CREATING AKWARDNESS. It’s all easily avoidable by thinking through a container, packaging, and foam solution.
5. Are your sales people distracted by needing to practice their interaction with the product / technology rather than their pitch and relationship building?
Similar explanation as number four. When a lot is on the line, every little bit of time to focus on the core mission is helpful. You don’t want your sales team busy with maintance. You want them focused, like a lazer, on communicating the value proposition and connecting to potential clients, turning them into converted leads.
Giving your sales force the wrong traveling equipment is detrimental.
5. Is your product protected with certainty?
Do you have the needed custom cases to protect your equipment through rough travels? For example, are you using protective shipping cases?
You may regret not thinking about foam, hard shell protection, and the right carrying handles and wheels, especially for larger equipment.
More about Sales Presentation Cases
Whether you have one sales team traveling the country, or one hundred agents traveling independantly to pitch your product, INVEST in their equipment so that they can focus on making sales.
This is especially important if your demonstration involves big and bulky technology. You don’t want to be traveling around with prototypes, bumping and scratching them. You don’t want your sales team walking in and fumbling trying to place your product in a favorable way.
You need a demonstration stand that travels with you, a way to showoff functionality, a way to feature highlights, and a way to empower your pitch on the go, nomatter the abuse.
If you are just getting started with a project, or if you need a quick quote for thousands of units, South-Pak is highly acclaimed and is very willing to handle your needs. They manufacture in house, and can provide quick turnaround for of prototypes, samples, and full production runs. They’re trusted by Siemens, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, even an agency in the government. Most importantly, they serve the needs of countless businesses, companies that continue to innovate and push America forward. Everything South-Pak does is American Made.
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