This document provides an overview of value-based selling strategies for small business owners. It discusses the importance of sales and marketing in driving business success. Some key points covered include identifying customers' needs and pains in order to create value, developing strong value propositions and messaging focused on customer benefits, and utilizing various prospecting and sales techniques such as networking, cold calling, trade shows, and referrals to generate leads and close sales. Effective sales processes, questioning techniques, and strategies for building rapport with prospects are also summarized.

1. Value Based Selling for the
Small Business Owner

2. Who is @MichaelBowers?
District Center Manager for Ohio
SBDC at Columbus State since 2002
SBDC State Star for Ohio in 2007
Won the SBA Innovation and Service
Center of the Year for Ohio and SBA
Region Five in 2007
Striving to accelerate the growth of
entrepreneurship and small business
innovation. #RunNerds Marathoner.
What's worth doing is worth doing for
26.2!

3. Who is the Ohio SBDC at
Columbus State?
An experienced & award winning team
providing no-cost, one-on-one business
management advice with four centers to serve
you at one location:
Core SBDC
Manufacturing & Technology SBDC
International Trade Assistance Center
Latino SBDC

4. Who is the SBDC at Columbus State?
A team who serves nine
counties including:
•Delaware •Logan
•Fairfield •Madison
•Fayette •Pickaway
•Franklin •Union
•Licking

5. Visit my small business blog at Ideas2Deals.com

6. Why Sales?
Nothing happens in a
business until someone sells
something.

7. Why Sales?
7

8. Ground Rules
No Stupid Questions
You need to participate and do the
work between sessions.

9. It’s All About The
Story…
What’s Your
Story?

10. Pitch Us
Introduce Yourself / Pitch
Me
What do you do?
Why are you here?

11. Getting Your
Ideas To Spread

12. Traditional Advertising Won’t Work
There are so many options and
media now that are competing for
consumers’ attention that it is easy
for them to ignore traditional
“Push” advertising

15. Key To Success…
Be Remarkable

16. Being Good Is Easy To Ignore

17. Being Safe Is Bad

18. Work The Edges
Want To Ignore You
Want To Hear From You

19. Key To Success…
Earn Attention Of People That
Want To Talk To You
Build Trust With Them
They Will Share With Their Friends

20. Everybody Sells
Either you are selling them on buying
from you or your are selling them on
buying from your competitor

21. Why Sales?
Nothing happens in a
business until someone sells
something.

22. It’s All About Customers

23. Key to Sales
 Create Value For The Customer
 Find the customers’ pain and solve it!

24. Steve Kloyda
The Prospecting Expert
HTTP://WWW.THEPROSPECTINGEXPERT.COM
24

25. Message Builder
Pain
Pleasure
Reduce
Eliminate
Avoid
Remove
Diminish
Increase
Expand
Maximize
Strengthen
Build-Up
25

26. Keys to Sales
Come up with 5 things that are great about
dealing with you and your company
Come up with 5 typical objections you get
and how you should respond

27. Keys to Sales
Identify 10 Fans, Ask For One Referral
Identify 100 Fans you can contact
Identify 1 Center of Influence and take
them to lunch

28. For Information on SBDC Activities
The Ohio SBDC at Columbus State
p. 614-287-5294
www.SBDCColumbus.com

29. Value Based Selling for the
Small Business Owner

30. S. Anthony Iannarino
http://thesalesblog.com
30

31. I could get more sales
If Only……..
31

32. The Sales Process
32

33. Effective Sales Process
Suspects
Prospects
Qualified
&
Interested
Presentation
Close
$ Sale $

34. Key to Sales
Nobody cares about what you do
They care about what you can do for them

35. Keys to Sales
 Create Value For The Customer
 Find the customer’s pain and solve it!

36. Value of building rapport
80% of all sales are based on the customer
Liking and Trusting
the sales person

37. Key to Sales
 Sales Presentations
 Build Rapport = Trust
 Probe / Question
 Prescribe a Solution

38. Getting Your
Ideas To Spread

39. It’s All About Customers

40. Everybody Sells
Either you are selling them on buying
from you or your are selling them on
buying from your competitor

41. Why Sales?
Nothing happens in a
business until someone sells
something.

42. Key to Sales
 Create Value For The Customer
 Find the customers’ pain and solve it!

43. Keys to Sales
Develop selling questions that
get to the right results
Develop closing questions

44. What Makes a Sales Person?

45. Why Sales?
If you have a product or
service that helps people you
have an obligation to sell
it to them.

46. Key to Sales
 Sales Presentations
 Build Rapport = Trust
 Probe / Question
 Prescribe a Solution

47. Biggest Key to Sales
CLOSING ~
Ask for the sale
Logical conclusion to the sales process

48. Everyone is NOT your Target
You need to “target” and “focus” on what
will be most successful
You can not focus your attention on
“Everyone” and “Everything”

49. Vision / Mission
vision statement ~ a picture of your
company in the future. Your vision statement is
your inspiration, the framework for all your
strategic planning.
mission statement ~ articulates the
company's purpose. It is why you do what you do

50. Marketing Analysis
 Who is your Target Customer?
 What do you know about your customer?
 What markets are you competing in?
 How are you positioned?
 What is your competitive edge?
 How does price affect your positioning?

51. Market Research
Prove or Disprove
There is someone out there to buy your
product?
There is someone out there to buy my product
at my price

52. Market Research
WHO:
Demographics: the statistical data of a
population, especially those showing average
age, income, education, etc.
WHY:
Psychographics: the “hot button” words of
your customers that reflect their reason for
buying. This is the basis of your overall
messaging.

53. Where Are My Customers?
Reference USA
• Demographics USA
• US Census Bureau
• Direct Marketing List Source

54. Who Are My Competitiors?
Industry Information
• Reference USA
• County Business Patterns
www.census.gov/econ/cbp/index.html
•D&B Regional Business Directory
• Harris Ohio Industrial
and Services Directories

55. Special Directories
• Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
http://www.thomasnet.com
• Food & Beverage Market Place
• American Wholesalers & Distributors Directory
• Directory of Chain Restaurant Operators

56. Source of Research Information
Main Library
96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, OH 43215
645-2ASK • columbuslibrary.org
Science, Business and News
is located on the 3rd floor.
Hours are:
Mon.-Thu. 10-8, Fri. & Sat. 10-4, Sun. 1-5.

57. Are You Marketing
Or Selling?

58. Marketing and Sales
You need to do both but
remember they are separate
activities connected by your
brand and your messaging.

59. What is Marketing?
Everything you do to promote
your business to get
customers to buy your
product/services on a regular
basis.

60. What is Sales?
The exchange of goods or
services for an amount of
money or equivalent

61. Why Sales?
Marketing costs money
~
Sales makes money

62. What is Marketing?
Everything you do to
promote your business to get
customers to buy your product /
services on a regular basis

63. Marketing Your Business
 Set Goals
 Identify your target market
 Establish Your Objectives
 Map out your tactics
 Construct your budget
 Build your timeline
 Execute - Evaluate - Execute

64. Marketing Is…
Building Activity Above Your
Sales Funnel

65. Are You Marketing
Or Selling?

66. Why Sales?
Nothing happens in a
business until someone sells
something.

67. Why Sales?
If you have a product or
service that helps people you
have an obligation to sell
it to them.

68. Set The Stage
Prospecting

69. Make Your Own Game
More now than ever before you are able to
change the rules of the game through use
of social media tools. These game
changing tools can allow you to bring your
message to more people than ever before
for less money than ever before.

70. Make Your Own Game
Just having the tools will not make you
successful. It is the strategy in employing
the tools that will make you successful.
By understanding where you want to go
you can come up with innovative ways to
promote your concepts, ideas and brand.

71. Effective Sales Process
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Define Target Market
Generate Sales Leads
Quantify Sales Leads
Approach Prospects
Make Sales Presentation
Handle Objections
Close the Sale
Create Relationship
Service after the Sale
• Repeat

72. Sales Steps
• Have an objective for the meeting
• Build Rapport
• Ask “Great” questions
• Affirm the prospects needs (find 3)
• Tell your story (What is important to the them)
• Propose Next Steps
• Ask to go to the Next Step
• Affirm and thank for their time

73. Prospecting
How Full is Your Funnel?

74. The Power of Digital
Know Your Prospect
Build Fans
Convert

75. Why Participate?
Marketing is changing
The need to spend money on push
advertising is diminishing
“Word Of Mouth” is a click away

76. Your Website Is Critical
This is where the magic
happens and by magic I
mean SEO and
CONVERSION.

77. Your Website Is Critical

78. OhioGrowthSummit.com

79. Prospecting
Networking:
Cold calling:
Trade Shows:
Direct mail:
Referrals:
Prospecting clubs:
On-line sourcing:
Your website:
Social Media:
Combine pleasure and business.
Calling people with no known interest.
Have a strategy to convert
Send flyers and information.
Get people to give you leads.
Collaborating with other sales people.
Finding useful detail online.
Is a very powerful tool.
On-Line Networking.

80. Networking
• It’s not about you
•
•
•
•
•
Build a relationship
Have to keep moving
Don’t be that Guy/Girl
There is no prize for collecting business cards
Be expected to be there

81. Cold Calling
• Be respectful: You have entered their territory uninvited
and must show that you are worthy of their time.
• Go for yes: Getting agreement sets a pattern whereby
they are more likely to agree.
• Ask for time: If you ask them for a few minutes and they
say yes, they will feel obliged to give you that time.
• Get to benefits quickly: You need to sustain their attention
by showing “what's in it for them”.
• Get to next meeting: Success in cold calling often means
getting permission to continue the conversation later
• Expect No ~ Keep Moving, It’s a numbers game

82. Cold Calling
• 80% of all new sales people fail because of call
reluctance.
• The telephone as your stage.
• What is the purpose of your call?
• Is your message clear, concise and consistent?
• The entire purpose of your approach is to get
invited into the conversation.

83. Cold Calling
• If you had the cure for cancer, how many
cancer patients would you approach each day?
• We ask questions to identify or create an
opportunity.
• In every call something is being revealed to
you. Are you listening for the opportunity?
• Don’t overcome objections. Work with them.
• What action do you want this person to take?

84. Trade Shows
• Go to the conferences and exhibitions where your
potential customers go.
• Make presentations that will impress them with your
products and services. Give out copies of your
paper and other material.
• Hold 'clinics' where customers can come and discuss
their difficulties and issues.
• Man the stands and talk to as many people as possible.
and draw them into sufficient conversation to
discover their potential as a customer
• Give out your card, of course. Also get their cards.

85. Direct Mail
• Develop and write marketing material that will appeal to your
audience.
• Provide clear and easy contact information, such as:
• Web address
• Email address
• Free phone number
• Pre-paid postcard
• Send it through the mail or otherwise deliver it to their door.
• Make sure that all calls and messages go to a specialized
location that can respond rapidly and knowledgeably.
• Quickly follow up on all responses.

86. Referrals
Getting referrals is a preferred method of getting leads.
After refusal: After you have been turned away or not made the sale
is a great time to ask for a referral. But why should a person
give you a referral when they could easily just blow you off?
We generally dislike refusing and turning away other people,
so when we say no, we are more likely to agree to give a
referral to the sales person.
• After the close: After people have bought from you, they are feeling
the post-close warmth and are thus more ready to help you.
• After great service: If you sell someone a great product or give
them great service, they will help you in return by referring
• Any other time: People are often giving you referrals and don’t
know it, pay attention.

87. Prospecting Clubs
• Work together with other sales people to share the
burden of prospecting.
• You can even do this with sales people from other
companies where they are selling
complementary products.
• You can either work very closely together on a daily
basis or meet up every now and again to discuss
how the business and general prospecting is
going. As well as sharing leads, also share
methods and ways of converting prospects into
customers.

88. On-Line Sources
• Find information about individuals and organizations who
might buy from available information such as their
blogs and information on company officers.
• Companies often have web pages on their sites that
describe their history, organization and products.
• There are also many useful websites and firms that
provide company information, such as Hoover's and
Dun and Bradstreet.
• Look also for articles by and other information about the
person you are investigating. You might even find
their blog.

89. Message Builder
Pain
Pleasure
Reduce
Eliminate
Avoid
Remove
Diminish
Increase
Expand
Maximize
Strengthen
Build-Up
89

90. Keys to Sales
Come up with 5 things that are great about
dealing with you and your company
Come up with 5 typical objections you get
and how you should respond

91. Keys to Sales
Identify 10 Fans, Ask For One Referral
Identify 100 Fans you can contact
Identify 1 Center of Influence and take
them to lunch

92. For Information on SBDC Activities
The Ohio SBDC at Columbus State
p. 614-287-5294
www.SBDCColumbus.com

93. Value Based Selling for the
Small Business Owner

94. The Sales Approach
94

95. What Is Your Message
Pain
Pleasure
Reduce
Eliminate
Avoid
Remove
Diminish
Increase
Expand
Maximize
Strengthen
Build-Up
95

96. Keys to Sales
Develop selling questions that
get to the right results
Develop closing questions

97. Keys to Sales
Come up with 5 things that are great about
dealing with you and your company
Come up with 5 typical objections you get
and how you should respond

98. Keys to Sales
Identify 10 Fans, Ask For One Referral
Identify 100 Fans you can contact
Identify 1 Center of Influence and take
them to lunch

99. The Sales Discussion
99

100. 7 Things Tommy
Boy Can Teach You
About Sales
100

101. 7 Things Tommy Boy Can
Teach You About Sales
1. Sell Yourself (People buy from people they like)
2. Reading People (Identify verbal and non-verbal
signals. Listen and pay attention)
3. Use stories to tell a story (Put people in the moment
and show them how they will benefit)
4. Have Confidence (Success builds confidence)
5. Strangling the sale (Don’t be desperate)
6.You always have a meat lovers pizza in the trunk
(Build Your Pipeline so you can relax)
7. Chicken Wings (Treat People right and they will treat
you right)
101

102. Yvette Alexander-Slate
WWW.CARRIEDTHEBAG.COM
102

103. More Keys To Sales
 Each Stage of the sales process is about Customer
Commitment.
 It’s not a problem until the customer says it is.
 Define an economic consequence to the problem.
If not customer may choose to live with the problem.
 Is there Committed Funding? Note…Budgeted and
committed are not the same thing.
 Who makes the final decision?

104. Sales Techniques and Tips
To sell you need to align yourself with
the other person then “lead” them
where you want them to go.

105. Sales Techniques and Tips
One word rapport buster…”But”
Tells the prospect they are wrong. Use
“and’ instead.
“I understand “and”…; I agree “and”…;
I can appreciate that “and” many of my
happiest clients felt the same way and
here is what they found…

106. Sales Techniques and Tips
Get clients into a “Yes” mindset.
Get them to say “yes” 3 to 5 times at the
beginning of the conversation even if it
is in the initial small talk.

107. Sales Techniques and Tips
Everybody Sells
Either you are selling them on buying
from you or your are selling them on
buying from your competitor

108. Biggest Key to Sales
CLOSING ~
Ask for the sale
Logical conclusion to the sales process

109. Sales Pipeline
109

110. Sales Pipeline
Mark Sellers
http://funnelprinciple.com

111. Sales Pipeline
1. Generate Lead (Preparation and
Planning)
2. Do Initial Qualification by making the
first contact (Approach)
3. Do detailed discovery (Fact Finding)
4. Make solution definition (Proving
Value)
5. Make a proposal
(Recommendation)
6. Do negotiation and make a closure
(Close)
111

112. Sales Pipeline
112

113. Sales Pipeline and Social Media

114. Sales Process/Pipeline
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Define Target Market
Generate Sales Leads
Quantify Sales Leads
Approach Prospects
Make Sales Presentation
Handle Objections
Close the Sale
Create Relationship
Service after the Sale
• Repeat

115. Sales Pipeline
At each stage of the pipeline
create value for the
prospect/customer

116. Customer Relationship
Management
116

117. Customer Relationship Management
Everything
Everything about your customer
and your interactions with that
customer.

118. Move Prospects through the Funnel
1. Generate Lead
(Preparation and Planning )
2. Do Initial Qualification by making
the first contact (Approach)
3. Do detailed discovery (Fact Finding )
4. Make solution definition (Proving
Value)
5. Make a proposal (Recommendation)
6. Do negotiation and make a closure (Close)

119. Customer Relationship
Management Software
Choose a system that’s easy to use: All solutions are not created
equal. Some vendors offer more user-friendly applications than
others, and simplicity should be as important a decision factor as
functionality.
Choose the right capabilities: Employees need to know that time
invested in learning and usage will yield personal advantages. If
not, they will work around or ignore the system.
Provide training: Changing the way people work is no small task,
and help is usually a requirement. Even with today’s more usable
systems, many staffers still need assistance with learning and
adoption.
119

120. Final Thoughts (Almost Done)

121. So What Is Your
Answer?
121

122. I could get more sales
If Only……..
122

123. Do or Do Not…
There Is No Try!

124. Share Your Passion
Create Value For
Others

125. Everything is always
impossible before it works.
That is what entrepreneurs
are all about –
doing what people have
told them is impossible.

126. You’re Ready!!!

127. Where Am I?
E-mail
Ohio SBDC
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Google +
Pinterest
LinkedIn
mbowers3@cscc.edu
http://www.sbdccolumbus.com/
http://www.ideas2deals.com/
@MichaelBowers and @Ohio_SBDC
https://www.facebook.com/michael.bowers
https://www.facebook.com/SBDC.Columbus
https://www.facebook.com/Ideas2Deals
http://gplus.to/MichaelBowers
http://pinterest.com/michaelbowers/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mbowers030

128. For Information on SBDC Activities
The Ohio SBDC at Columbus State
p. 614-287-5294
www.SBDCColumbus.com