Implementation, Case studies and Testimonials
Implementation, Case Studies, Testimonials. This is a short section with thoughts on implementation, case studies and testimonials.
Implementation and follow up
If we’re interested in our customers getting value from what we do, we’re interested in how our customers implement whatever we offer. One of the reasons that coaching often gives a higher return than training is that we follow up results over time and therefore learn what works and what doesn’t.
Companies often spend a great deal on an actual training course, but very little on the follow-up to determine the results.
This is can be because the actual results are inconvenient for all involved. The original buyer, the supplier and the managers involved don’t want to address the ‘difficult questions’ that need to be asked and answered for the customer to get a genuine return from the programme.
It is therefore an interesting question for any supplier. Is our job to sell what we have regardless? Or is it our job to ensure our customers get value from what we sell. Two different approaches emerge.
Case Studies
Case studies can be useful to promote ourselves an our customers. When well written they encourage a genuine review of what’s worked and what we all did to make it work. They also rehearse our customer to tell a story which encourages further sales.
While the final case study wants to be written in such a way to be appealing to its intended audience it should cover the basic questions:
- Situation: What basic problem did the programme address? What would have happened if those problems weren’t addressed?
- Objective: What was intended objective of the programme?
- Action: What did we do to make the programme work?
- Results: What results did we get?
- And so: What will these results let us achieve in the future, which wouldn’t have been able to achieve otherwise
Testimonials
Testimonials can be very useful for future sales initiatives
I’ve found the best time to ask for testimonials is right at the beginning of the buying process using such words as “Assuming we do a really job for you, will you give us a testimonial at the end of the programme. It seeds the idea and sets the frame that we looking for our customer to be successful.
In the next sub-section we’re looking at the impact of New Media
NLP Sales Section Index
Recommended Sales Books
- NLP Sales Introduction
- Customers’ buying cycle
- Questions to identify your initial problem and value statements
- Getting appointments (framework script)
- Handling classic and specific objections when getting appointments
- Handling other objections when getting appointments
- Advancing the sale
- Closing
- Value, proposals and negotiation
- Implementation, case studies, referrals and testimonials
- New Media
- NLP approaches that make the difference.
