Grant Leboff Snipes from the Weeds re. Selling Benefits

OUTSource Sales

I just sat thru the clip by Grant Leboff, "Benefits Don't Work". The impression was if you analyse what has worked, identify some interesting/contrary catch phrases, then, write a sales training book which supports your stance ... you can call yourself an "author"!

Grant states unequivocally that "benefits are platitudes" and that selling the benefits puts the SR in with the masses. On this point, his theme seems to be that all of the competition is harping on the same benefits! How can a SR speak to benefits, if he hasn't uncovered specific needs (to which the features of his offering relate) ... so if they're genuinely "benefits" how can they be the same for your competition?

He states that seeking "needs" is an concern. He goes on to say that selling benefits takes the SR away from the root of what motivates the buyer.

He seems to finish the clip with "understanding the buyer's motivation" as the path. I hope this isn't another sales training book about emotions ruling the mind of decision-makers!

I really must dig my heels in and ask, "what colour is the sky where this guy has been selling?"

I'm Xerox bred and my 30+ years of selling benefits is in direct conflict with everything in the clip.

In every instance where I've probed for needs with a B2B prospect, then, matched those needs to a feature, I'm presented with a "benefit" which appeals to this specific decision-maker.

By the way, I don't look for "pain" (or other emotions). Rather, I'm seeking genuine business needs which apply to the specific prospect. These can be future directions which have not as yet been tabled internally.

It's this sort of misleading grandstanding illustrated in Grant's approach that has fundamentally kept me away from reading sales training tripe. In my years of sales management, I have NOT placed a single sales training book "under the tree". I'd rather give out AMEX coupons for a free lunch!

Good luck & Good (benefits) selling!
Pat

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OUTSource Sales Consulting

Mikey

I listened to the clip again and it still sounded like he was talking about selling generic benefits --- "If I don't know you and I tell you all these promises, all these things that you've heard a million times before they're just water off a ducks back..."

Liberty

How often would you say salespeople launch into a presentation without first uncovering a prospect's specific needs?

Marcus

Where in the video does he say "benefits are platitudes".

OUTSource Sales

Marcus, at the 3:23:34 point ... sorry I couldn't resist it. If you listened to the clip, you hear it clearly. Grab a piece of paper and run through the sound byte writing down each instance of Grant's put-downs.

To someone with my background, it's somewhat insulting. It's especially galling when you consider how successful companies like Xerox have been selling benefits since the mid-50's!!!

I understand that he is selling something. I also understand that he's trying to grab peoples' attention. Once again, though, it's the newbies will suffer from such grandstanding ...

Good luck & Good selling!
Pat

Houston

Uncovering a prospect's specific need isn't a requirement in all sales situations. In some, definitely not all, sales situations working from a prospect's probable interest or problem works just fine.

Mikey

I'd say it happens all the time. I think presenting before understanding the needs of the prospect is one of the biggest and most common sales mistakes. This is probably what Grant Leboff is talking about.

Skip Anderson

"Telling you all these promises" has nothing to do with "selling benefits." Therefore, Leboff's argument doesn't hold water. Since when does a person who "sells benefits" not make any effort to "know" the prospect? It's a ridiculous video with a ridiculous premise.

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Selling to Consumers
B2C Sales Training

Skip Anderson

"Selling benefits" doesn't have anything to do with NOT uncovering needs. A top performing salesperson must do both...it's not an either/or proposition.

Skip Anderson

Totally agree, Pat.

Skip