As a salesperson, how do you entice potential buyers to make the purchase? Do you go to great lengths to ensure they know all your product’s unique features?

While this selling technique is informative, here’s the reality: product demonstrations and long lists of features aren’t the key to generating sales.

If highlighting the features of a product was enough to close deals, then the entire sales profession would have been replaced by spec sheets!

Think of the mobile phone or computer you are using while reading this article. Do you remember its battery life, operating system, processor, RAM, or even its screen size? Chances are, you don’t.

When you take a few moments to analyze your path to purchase and see what influenced your decisions, you’ll probably realize that what made you buy it was not the product per se but the value it gives you.

When Apple launched the very first iPhone in 2007, it was called “your life in your pocket.” Steve Jobs understood from the onset that customers were looking for something that could help them in their everyday lives, all in one convenient device. More than the phone’s features, this promise, and its value to people were what made heads turn.

Today, the iPhone has certainly become the modern-age Swiss army knife, especially for tech-savvy millennials. It offers endless value—from being a rich source of entertainment to your ride home, easy access to food delivery services, a heartbeat and health tracker, and even your own intelligent voice assistant.

With hundreds of competing devices on the market, Apple was able to differentiate itself by offering people a unique experience.

The same goes for buying cars. When you decide between a Telsa and Audi, what are your key considerations? The “right car” isn’t just about its brand or its horsepower but what it can do for you, right? In other words, its value to you.

If you have a long commute to work then fuel economy will likely be valuable to you. For those with little ones, safety trumps everything, so you’ll probably be looking for a car that allows you to drive your kids safely to school or soccer practice.

If you’re the type who goes on trips often or transports a lot of things, you’ll enjoy the convenience of having a large trunk space.

Ultimately, what makes a truly excellent salesperson is their ability to identify their target market and understand them well. Before you can even begin to meet your client’s needs, you need to know their pains!

You see, each individual is unique. The same product’s value can differ from person to person.

As a sales professional, it’s up to you to find out what that is and then paint the bigger picture for your potential customer. This is your key to closing deals!

If you’re a business owner, you can also use these insights when you’re pitching ideas to potential investors!

How many times have you found yourself just listing off facts about your company and its achievement? Instead of doing that, emphasize the benefits they can get by doing business with you.

Trust me, that would certainly pique their interest more! Don’t just talk numbers; let them know the value they will get in exchange for agreeing with the proposal.

Conclusion

You don’t need an immense marketing or design budget to improve your messaging. Just focus on the ‘whys’—why are your products or services relevant to your target market? Why is the experience valuable? Why should customers pick you instead of the competition? Remember, it’s not the product but its value that matters most.

Put simply, a good interview is a short, structured conversation in which the interviewer asks questions, and the interviewee gives answers. In layman’s terms, the term “interview” literally refers to a “one-on-one” conversation. This one on one is typically conducted by a professional interviewer or business owner in order to see if the interviewee is a strong candidate for a position with a company. Often stakes are high and the interviewee is subjected to extremely high expectations both set by themselves and the interviewer. These events are often highly anticipated and nerve-racking.

Some people inexperienced in the interview process may be confused by what is expected. They may feel uncomfortable in talking about themselves, their lives, and how they’ve made their living up until now. Interviews are usually formatted to challenge the interviewee. However, asking questions to the interviewer is an opportunity to turn the tables and put the power back in the hands of the applicant. That is why it is very important to prepare well and have a good set of questions to ask. The most important thing is that your questions are relevant to the position that you are applying for.

Before going into the interview, get to know the company that you are applying for. Knowing the company’s strengths and weaknesses will help you to prepare well. You can ask other people for references or look online to see what others have written about the company. By knowing what the company does, you will better understand your strengths and weaknesses, which can then make it easier for you to present them to the hiring manager.

Having good communication skills is essential during an interview. When speaking to a potential employer, be sure that you are clear, confident, and polite. This will help to make the conversation flow smoothly and allow you to answer any question that might come up. If you are nervous or uncomfortable, keep your questions short and simple.

Joyce Johnson’s Top 5 Questions to Ask an Interviewer:

1. What are the company’s values? What characteristics do you look for in employees in order to represent those values? This will give you insight into the company’s culture. Asking this question will demonstrate both your intrigue and care in whether you are truly a good fit for the position.
   
   
2. What’s your favorite part about working at the company? People love to talk about themselves. Flipping the interview back on to the interviewee, not only as a representative of the company but as themselves, will make them think and it will make you more memorable.
   
   
3. Are there opportunities for professional development? If so, what do those look like? This is a superb question to ask to demonstrate your motivation and work ethic.
   
   
4. What do you see as the most challenging aspect of this job? Knowing the good is just as important as knowing the less good. You want to understand the whole scale of the problems you’ll be dealing with.
   
   
5. Is there anything about my background or resume that makes you question whether I am a good fit for this role? While it may feel risky, asking this question will displays that you’re highly invested. Plus, it will also allow you an opportunity to address any concerns that may arise.

When you have your questions ready, you should always start your interview asking these questions and then follow up with a follow-up question. The job of the interviewer is to listen to your answers to questions just as much as the questions you chose to ask them. This is often how they determine if you will be a good fit for the job.

Above all, when preparing for an interview it is important to maintain a good attitude. It is crucial you appear confident and professional, especially in an interview setting. If you are not confident in your appearance or you show signs of nervousness or stress, it is very possible that you will not come off as a positive individual during the interview.

If you do this, then chances are that you might not get the job that you were looking for. Practice affirmations and breathing exercises beforehand. You got this!