Feature and benefit selling was initially introduced in 1887 over a century ago. It was a groundbreaking sales strategy at the time. However, regrettably, there has been minimal progress since that time. It is time to recognise that this approach is antiquated, and successful sellers now use a case study presentation.
A features and benefits presentation indicates that your primary objective is to promote your product or service and secure a sale. As buyers control more of the buying journey, salespeople who rely on features and benefits find themselves redundant due to the abundance of information available on the internet.
In the present day, your best selling strategy is to use case studies or case study presentations to establish a connection between the prospect’s current situation and the destination to which you are directing them. Customers prefer stories of other companies you have dealt with over the features and benefits listed on a tech sheet.
Your responsibility is to bridge the divide by assisting prospects in visualising the transition from their current situation to their desired destination. The following are key steps you must consider when applying for a case study presentation.
1. Providing customers with an insight into the potential journey.
Each case study should commence with a customer confronted with a problem or challenge and consequently experiencing difficulty achieving success. A successful case study presentation demonstrates the customer’s voyage from the point of origin to the end of completion with your company’s assistance. Sharing that case study with a potential prospect effectively illustrates how their journey could be analogous to your customer’s journey to success.
2. It is not about you.
Most case studies and customer examples focus on the salesperson and the organisation providing or selling the services. The presentation that focuses on your company. However, your primary objective is to concentrate the case study presentation entirely on the challenges faced by the customer.
You can make your case studies genuinely impactful when presenting them by concentrating exclusively on the customer’s challenges and the state of their affairs you can assist. Otherwise, even a fantastic case study will appear to be a thinly veiled sales pitch if you concentrate on yourself. And that is the last thing that any prospective customer wants to hear.
3. Understand the obstacles they face.
This is less about the case studies themselves and more about the context in which the case study presentation is integrated into the sales process. For your case study presentation to be effective, you must have a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by your prospect. The greater your comprehension of your prospect’s obstacles, the more effectively you can utilise your case studies to illustrate the differences between the prospect’s current situation and their desired end state.
Therefore, it is imperative to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the objectives and results that your prospect is seeking. Attempt to comprehend their objectives, the specific obstacles preventing them from achieving them, and the reasons for these obstacles. The more you understand these facets of your prospect’s world, the more effectively you can demonstrate that you possess the requisite expertise to address their challenges through the case studies you present.
4. Possess an extensive collection of case studies.
Case studies are essentially the narratives of current customers you have assisted. When you deliver a case study presentation, you merely discuss their voyage, from the obstacles they encountered to the actions you took to assist them and the accomplishments they ultimately achieved.
A collection of these narratives will provide you with the necessary diversity to select the most pertinent and effective case study for each prospect based on their level of engagement. The prospect’s circumstance is never entirely predictable until you initiate communication with them. Therefore, maintain an arsenal of case studies and select the appropriate one when it is time to deliver the presentation.
5. Engage them.
There are still numerous salespeople who present in a highly one-sided manner, akin to a monologue. Nonetheless, the presentation stage of the deal must involve authentic communication and an interactive exchange between parties. It is imperative to consistently engage the prospect in the discourse during a case study presentation.
By encouraging the prospect to participate in your case study presentation, you can facilitate a two-way dialogue regarding the substance of the matter. The more you engage your prospects, the more advantageous it will be.
6. Individuals prioritise outcomes and narratives over features and advantages.
To obtain feedback during the meeting, asking questions frequently during your sales presentation is important. If you have not been informed, listening to a presentation discussing the features and benefits is as thrilling as reading a high school textbook. It is impersonal, dull, and fails to captivate potential customers.
Prospects are not interested in hearing about the features and benefits of your offering. Rather, the most effective sales presentations illustrate the outcomes that your customers have experienced. Once they have observed how you have successfully resolved issues for other customers, they will be more inclined to investigate how you can do the same for them.
7. Make certain to concentrate on the outcomes and obstacles.
It is important to remember that the prospect’s primary concern is themselves and their obstacles. The inventory of challenges your previous customers have encountered is critical to any case study presentation.
Provide a concise account of the services you rendered to those customers and the outcomes they achieved due to your collaboration.
By deconstructing each case study in this manner, you have a captivating narrative to share during your presentation. Include a maximum of two case studies in any case study presentation. A potent flow that guides the prospect through your presentation and leads to a successful conclusion can be achieved with just two case studies. Please bear in mind that the results you disclose must be precise.
In your case study presentation, provide tangible metrics, such as “24% increase in revenue,” “31% decrease in employee turnover,” or “11% increase in customer retention.”
By incorporating these specific statistics into a relatable narrative, you will effectively communicate the significance of the results you have achieved and maintain the attention of your prospects.
8. Connect the case studies presentation to the circumstances of your prospect.
After selecting a few customer stories to include in your sales presentation, it is time to incorporate them into your case study presentation. It is crucial to approach this in a manner relevant to your prospect’s current circumstances.
This could be expressed as, “George, I would like to provide you with an example of a customer who faced similar challenges to you.” They addressed X, Y, and Z. Like the conversation we are currently having with you, we entered and created A, B, and C. They were able to increase profits by 18% and top-line revenues by 12% in the first year as a consequence of that work
Ensure you provide case studies of customers who encountered the same obstacles as your prospect.
According to 69% of buyers, salespeople can establish a positive selling experience by attentively listening to their requirements. Therefore, it is recommended that you commence your case study presentation with a comprehensive discovery conversation that emphasises listening over speaking.
Nonetheless, the presentation stage of the deal must involve authentic dialogue, fostering a reciprocal conversation.This will present you as the expert you are without subjecting your prospects to yet another features and benefits presentation.
Revamping your sales presentation by incorporating a case study presentation to achieve your sales objectives.
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