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Discuss your feature selling techniques

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Posted by: shorty28

Ok i'm on a roll with threads today.
this thread is opened for anyone is needs to get on their A game and increase their feature sales. Everyone is encouraged to chime in and discuss your most effective feature selling techniques.

(p.s. i don't like the mail-in rebate technique because it feels like an ultimatum for the customer: its either the feature and rebate or no feature and no rebate)


Posted by: ATnt-RSC

The rebate is a reward/subsidy for trying out the feature. If the cust. chooses the not get it, they have full right to do that. They can also cancel when they get the rebate back, but 50% get hooked on the feature and keep it. Informing the customer of their options is just that, it is not an ultimatum. It's not even a yes or no question.

Basically, they can:
1) Get the feature and the rebate.
2) Not get the feature and forfeit the rebate (key word is forfeit)
3) Find another phone that is more suited to their liking and pricing. Something without all the bells and whistles.

When presented with all 3 options, 75% of the time they get the feature, the other 25% mostly go for another phone. My guess is that you're saying "get the feature or no rebate." That comes off as blackmail. My way makes the cust. think they have the power and choice. In reality, they're dead-set on that blackjack, or V3xx.


Posted by: ivwshane

Quote:
Originally Posted by ATnt-RSC
The rebate is a reward/subsidy for trying out the feature. If the cust. chooses the not get it, they have full right to do that. They can also cancel when they get the rebate back, but 50% get hooked on the feature and keep it. Informing the customer of their options is just that, it is not an ultimatum. It's not even a yes or no question.

Basically, they can:
1) Get the feature and the rebate.
2) Not get the feature and forfeit the rebate (key word is forfeit)
3) Find another phone that is more suited to their liking and pricing. Something without all the bells and whistles.

When presented with all 3 options, 75% of the time they get the feature, the other 25% mostly go for another phone. My guess is that you're saying "get the feature or no rebate." That comes off as blackmail. My way makes the cust. think they have the power and choice. In reality, they're dead-set on that blackjack, or V3xx.



It sucks no matter what. Especially when your particular market is supposed to have a buy one get one. Customers for the most part are ok with rebates but then add another stipulation to the offer and it really no longer becomes a free phone.


Posted by: suthurnlatino

LOL even our 2610 is after a $20 Media Bundle discount. The Samsung C417/A537 had a BUY ONE GET FOUR FREE* in small print of course: AFTER $30 MIR AND $20 MEDIA BUNDLE DISCOUNT. I guess if you get family text or something some stores will be lenient but the way AT&T advertises it really hurts you.

What works best is probably demonstrating the stuff you are selling. Showing something that is relevant of course.


Posted by: PulsarFire

I start out by asking questions, every sales person should start with asking questions.
"Do you travel much?"
"How are you getting your pictures off your phone?"
"Do you have email?" (this is also a good way to bring up HSI)

I know they tell you to "let the customer drive"; meaning to guide them to use these features. That's a great way to spend a half hour on a text message and I don't recommend it.

First flip the phone open and ask them the zip code where they live. Ask them if they like pizza, then look up the pizza joints in their neighborhood using google sms. Show them they can call the numbers contained in the message really quickly. Remind them how ridiculously over priced 411 is ($1.79?!? that's insane!).

Next, go over picture messaging. People hate getting their picture taken, so put the phone in camera mode, and hand it to them. Ask them to take a picture of you, disarm the customer by making a goofy pose. I usually throw up the sign of the beast, cause I'm a rock and roll kinda guy. Email the picture to your email address on your computer. Tell them that you're going to go back to it later.

Demonstrate Cingular, er, I mean, Cellular video. Look at what they're wearing and make a spot judgement about what they like. If they're in a suit they want CNN.A kid in t-shirt and jeans wants Comedy Central and a soccer mom wants some kid shows. Remind the soccer moms that nothing shuts up the little ones like some good old TV. She probably already knows this.

Ask about email. If they're with Comcast or some other cable based provider you now have your foot in the door for HSI (that's another thread). If they have any of our supported providers then tell them about it. Don't log them into mobile email on a store phone! it's too easy to screw it up and leave their personal information in the phone, just remind that it's not safe on a public device.

About this time walk back to your computer, open up outlook and double click on your multimedia message. Open up your totally sexy/funny/awesome picture, turn the monitor around and say "Damn, I'm good looking" with a smile. They should be suitably impressed.

Now, last ditch effort. Tell them about the pricing structure and how they need feats to get the $20 off. Nobody likes this program, but what are you going to do? Tell them to try media max 200 for one month, if they don't like it they break even. If they do like it, then hang on to it.

Activate the phone, offer insurance, and all the other wonderful things we sell. Set up their mobile email on their shiny new phone. I call this chargeback insurance, because if they get hooked on this program theirs no way they'll be cancelling your feature, their bill will just be too big.


Posted by: classylady78

I would try and find out what features suit the customer best. If that doesn't work (they shoot it down) everyone should get insurance, roadside (free for 30 days) and voice dial (free for 30 days). I tell them it is a free gift with purchase. And you can always use the $20 off the phone. But like I said, try and find out what they need first.....mention features and accessories "early and often" and try not to be an order taker.

Do you want fries....er I mean features with that?


Posted by: cingman66

Quote:
Originally Posted by PulsarFire
I start out by asking questions, every sales person should start with asking questions.
"Do you travel much?"
"How are you getting your pictures off your phone?"
"Do you have email?" (this is also a good way to bring up HSI)

I know they tell you to "let the customer drive"; meaning to guide them to use these features. That's a great way to spend a half hour on a text message and I don't recommend it.

First flip the phone open and ask them the zip code where they live. Ask them if they like pizza, then look up the pizza joints in their neighborhood using google sms. Show them they can call the numbers contained in the message really quickly. Remind them how ridiculously over priced 411 is ($1.79?!? that's insane!).

Next, go over picture messaging. People hate getting their picture taken, so put the phone in camera mode, and hand it to them. Ask them to take a picture of you, disarm the customer by making a goofy pose. I usually throw up the sign of the beast, cause I'm a rock and roll kinda guy. Email the picture to your email address on your computer. Tell them that you're going to go back to it later.

Demonstrate Cingular, er, I mean, Cellular video. Look at what they're wearing and make a spot judgement about what they like. If they're in a suit they want CNN.A kid in t-shirt and jeans wants Comedy Central and a soccer mom wants some kid shows. Remind the soccer moms that nothing shuts up the little ones like some good old TV. She probably already knows this.

Ask about email. If they're with Comcast or some other cable based provider you now have your foot in the door for HSI (that's another thread). If they have any of our supported providers then tell them about it. Don't log them into mobile email on a store phone! it's too easy to screw it up and leave their personal information in the phone, just remind that it's not safe on a public device.

About this time walk back to your computer, open up outlook and double click on your multimedia message. Open up your totally sexy/funny/awesome picture, turn the monitor around and say "Damn, I'm good looking" with a smile. They should be suitably impressed.

Now, last ditch effort. Tell them about the pricing structure and how they need feats to get the $20 off. Nobody likes this program, but what are you going to do? Tell them to try media max 200 for one month, if they don't like it they break even. If they do like it, then hang on to it.

Activate the phone, offer insurance, and all the other wonderful things we sell. Set up their mobile email on their shiny new phone. I call this chargeback insurance, because if they get hooked on this program theirs no way they'll be cancelling your feature, their bill will just be too big.



All of that is great info...unfortunately, I don't have 30 minutes to spend with the customer just to get them to add features. I just focus on one particular element...usually MMS or SMS...and tell the customer that in order to get the advertised pricing they must have a media bundle. Make AT&T the bad guy...tell them they don't have to add any features as long as they pay more for the phone. I don't sweat each individual deal...many of my upgrades go out with no features...because there are always TONS of other opp's to add features on non-phone deals. It's all numbers, and at the end of the month it always averages out.


Posted by: ATnt-RSC

^What he said. I tried the gimmick approach and it takes too much time. Sometimes I'll throw one thing like the camera test or CV at them if they're considering it.

I average $20 per op, so my method can't be horribly flawed.


Posted by: PulsarFire

Sometimes you swing for the bleachers and sometimes you bunt. I don't always go through that whole thing with every customer, but sometimes we're slow and sometimes we're packed. When we're slow it easy to just get in em and then kick em out, but I try to make as much money as possible per day.

The best things for your features is selling data devices, I can't think of a faster way to do that.

Also I was talking about "selling" features. Which to me means using persuasion to demonstate a need that the customer didn't know they had. There are other methods of improving your feature attach rates than selling and no I'm not suggesting doing anything unethical like flipping.

Look at the bill for every customer that comes in, you'll be shocked how many have huge usage charges. Use that as a way to find people who need some features, it's 100 times more effective than ROCCS. Also keep your eyes open for older features that aren't as nice as our new ones (yes they do exist).

If a customer isn't using a blackberry server they should be on the blackberry personal plan. A lot of people are still on the server plan because that used to be all that was available. Change them into the less expensive plan, it's good for the customer, it's good for your feats, and you'll make a new friend. ;-)

The same principle applies for the PDA plans that don't have text included, check if it's more than 6 months old and give the customer the plan with better value.


Posted by: ATnt-RSC

Quote:
Originally Posted by PulsarFire
If a customer isn't using a blackberry server they should be on the blackberry personal plan. A lot of people are still on the server plan because that used to be all that was available. Change them into the less expensive plan, it's good for the customer, it's good for your feats, and you'll make a new friend.


I'll one up that one. Check to make sure they're on the right BES plan. Had a guy who upgraded from a non-RIM BES device to a Curve, switched the plan and got the feature.




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