Q Mark 3337 Team Selling Project PART II: SELLING PLAN - GUIDELINES The purpose of the selling plan is to prepare your team for a successful sales call. This is to be a 2 or 3 page report, if it is over 3 pages (4 with a cover page) there will be a 5 point deduction. It must include the following, each of which will be described in more detail below. EVERY MEMBER OF THE TEAM MUST CONTRIBUTE TO THE SELLLING PLAN! If one or more members DO NOT contribute to the final plan submission, their names MUST NOT be submitted on the cover page and they will receive a 0… this is not to be debated. Cover Page – Team Number, Names, Class Section Value Proposition Features/Benefits Summary Competitive Advantage Business Proposal/Proposed Contract Value Proposition - 10 points Objective: Has to identify that the product will meet the needs of the Buyer and how. Short concise on how it can help their business. A value proposition is a clear, concise statement (usually 2-4 sentences) of the unique, tangible benefits a customer gains from using your product or service, along with the reason your product or service is superior to available alternatives. The more specific your value proposition is the better. One approach that can work well is to include in the first sentence: For (target customer) who (statement of the need or opportunity), the (product/service name) is a (product/service category) that (statement of benefit). Then the second sentence may include: Unlike (primary competitive alternative), our product or service (statement of primary differentiation). For example: For electronics industry manufacturers who annually experience over $40 billion in losses due to static discharge, the Poly-Tronic Conducive Plastic is a state-of-the-art material that completely and inexpensively eliminates damage from static electricity. Unlike currently used static discharge equipment, our product is an integral part of the electronic assembly that continually drains static charge from the product assembly. Strong value propositions deliver results, e.g., increased revenue, faster time to market, decreased costs, improved operational efficiency, increased market share, decreased employee turnover, improved customer retention levels, higher inventory turnover, stronger productivity, expanded sales, improved retention rates. Developing your value proposition is the first place you should start. However, it is very likely that you will want to refine and improve it after completing the remaining sections of this project, since work in these areas may shed further light on the real value your product/service will provide to your prospective customer. Features/Benefits Summary – 25 Points Objective: Has to adequately identify a unique product/service (Feature) of the product and how will help the Buyer’s business (Benefit) – CLEARLY SHOWS WHAT’s IN IT FOR THE CUSTOMER and HOW DOES IT MEET THEIR NEEDS. Here you should list the key (most important) features of your product/service. For each feature, identify the benefit that this feature provides to the customer/prospect. The recommended format for this section is 2-columns - the left column having a list of key features and the right column showing corresponding benefits. Keep in mind that the benefits are the most crucial part of this. Also, remember that the benefits refer to those derived by your business customer. If you are selling a consumer product, do not focus on consumer benefits. Instead, focus on the benefits that the reseller gains from carrying your product and/or buying from your firm. Competitive Advantage - 20 Points Objective: Has to highlight why the product is a superior choice for the buyer rather than its competitors. What distinguishes your product/service/brand from that of your competitors? In what ways do you deliver superior customer value? In this section, you should demonstrate that you know enough about both your product/service as well as that of the competition to be able to objectively assess the advantages and disadvantages of your product/service from the perspective of the prospect/customer. While it is important to recognize where you might be at a disadvantage and thus vulnerable, be able to pinpoint your product/service’s superiority in areas relating to the customer’s primary concerns and dominant buying urge Business Proposal/Proposed Contract - 20 points Objective: Has to create a unique proposition of solutions. Has to have more than one option, and numbers, associated with it – what will it cost and what will it offer? Break out the numbers, do the math, make it easy for the client to see what it will cost/save them so they want to buy from you. This is simply the deal that you are offering the prospect to purchase your product/service. You will have to have your product/service priced at a certain based priced, (i.e., $3/unit, $250/mo., $65/case). The product should be priced realistically based on factual information. MAKE THIS EASY, do the math for your client, make it easy to see the breakout so it’s easy to assess what it will cost their business. You should have at least two buying options. The objective for the business proposal is to show the prospect the added value of your product/service in real number ($) terms. Make this easy to understand – break out the numbers, price, what they get for the $$$! Make it clear and concise so the buyer easily understands what is involved in the cost and what they receive in return. Note that for any product/service, you may not compete solely on the basis of price!! Low-price gambits are rarely sustainable. IMPORTANT: Like every other project, this should include your team number and participating team members last names in the header section… failed to do so will cause point deduction!!!