Timothy OBrien, Author at The Person to See

Do you ever wonder why you are not closing more sales? You feel like you are trying your best but nothing seems to be working? The solution to your problem may be simpler than you think. With my Feature, Bridge, Benefit formula, you will be closing big deals in no time. I will explain what this formula is and give a simple example as to how to implement it.

So, you are in front of a prospect, you have discovered their needs and it is now your turn to solve their problem. Are you prepared? What do you say?

Few salespeople understand how important it is to have the solutions to your customer's problems prepared before the meeting or sales call. “It's a lot easier to just wing it!” and that’s okay, then just continue to accept your “winging-it” results.

The elite performers always have six to eight razor-sharp features and benefits of their product or service ready to go. These features and benefits can focus on the product/service, you personally and the team. The key is to have them rehearsed and ready to go. You must prepare these benefits for each call you have in order to appeal directly to your specific customer's needs.

My best sales closing technique is the Feature-Bridge-Benefit formula. This formula is similar to a boxer's one-two punch combination- a guaranteed power-house. Sometimes all it takes is a jab or tow to win. But other times, it takes the magic of a one-two combination to close out the sale. Why not always lead with your best punch?

The Feature-Bridge-Benefit Closing Formula is simple and easy to master. It can be just adding one simple sentence to your sales pitch. I have broken it down very simply for you below:

What’s a Feature?

A feature is an element, component or quality of your service/product. It is something that sets you apart. Suppose you sell office furniture and you are pitching the sale of a new chair. One of the features maybe it has wheels or a reclining back or goes up and down smoothly. These are the key features of the product/service. Identify all of the special features of the product or service you are selling.

What’s a Bridge?

The Bridge connects the Feature to the Benefit. To make it simple, have your Bridge be the same every time. My go-to Bridge is, “And what this means to you is…”

What’s a Benefit?

The Benefit is the payoff to the customer. The value the customer gains because of the specific, unique features of your product/service. If one of the features of the chair is it has wheels, the benefit may be, “it is easy to push away from the desk to stand up” or “it is easy to pull the chair out from my desk to sit down” or “it is much easier to move around in your personal office space”. The key is to match the Feature to the specific need of the customer as much as possible. You have to alter your benefits to whom you are selling your product/service to. Not every customer will benefit from every feature in the same way. This is why preparation is key to this technique.

Putting it All Together

Here’s is an example of how it looks…

You ask, “Now that I understand a little bit more about your needs may I share a little bit more about how our product can help solve your concerns?”

Assuming they say “yes” you respond as follows:

“One of the features of our product is it's rolling wheels. What this means to you is, our chair make it easy to move around your personal office space.”

You can go on to repeat variations of that sentence to explain more benefits of your product or service, but sometimes, sharing just one will do!

See? I told you it was simple. This technique can be utilized by adding just a single sentence to your closing. The power of this tool is behind the execution. Know who you are selling to, be prepared for the meeting, identify the needs of your customer, and target those needs. Many may know this sales closing technique, but I am here to tell you, only few will do the work to set themselves up to succeed. Which one are you? Be prepared and close more sales.

Click here to learn more about our high impact Creating Million-Dollar Messages program!

Do You Ever Wonder, “Do I Have It?”

Maybe you are saying to yourself, “I have so much talent, but I cannot seem to harness it.” I am here to tell you it is a lot easier than you think. And the good news is I am going to show you how to do it.

I once had a girlfriend who said to me, “You have so many ideas, but you never seem to finish implementing them.” It made me so mad, but once I settled down I realized she was 100 percent right. Years later, as I began to feel more and more that time was passing me by, I had finally had enough. I had to come to grips with the fact that I was a talker and not a finisher.

Below are the five things I did that got me on track in my business career. And once I did, I exploded as a person and a businessman! I accomplished more in five years than I had in my whole life before.

1. I Found Purpose

Until then, I had been doing a lot of dreaming that wasn’t tied to any specific purpose. Without purpose, I had no leverage. No leverage translated into no progress.

Purpose (or leverage) comes in two forms: “I want to produce an outcome “or “I want to prevent an outcome.” For example, to produce an outcome, we say, “If I do X, I will get Y.” To put it in terms of preventing an outcome, “If I do X, Y will not happen.”

Here’s how it might work in the context of paying bills. If I pay my bills, I will feel peace of mind and take the worry off my shoulders. Conversely, the reason I paid my bill is so the creditors won’t ding my credit. The effect is the same, and one is not better than the other. Just figure out your leverage strategy.

Mine was, I was 35 years old and time was passing me by. I saw all my friends buying houses, having families, etc. I got scared. I took massive action to prevent my stagnant reality from continuing. When my purpose kicked in, I turned into an execution machine.

2. I Made A Plan

By plan, I mean concrete, written goals- annual, quarterly, and monthly. I remember clear as day sitting in my apartment in Hollywood, California creating my first written plan.

First, I laid out the five annual goals I wanted to achieve and I wrote them down. Writing down your goals makes them a reality.

For each annual goal, I wrote out a part of that annual goal I would execute for each quarter. I did the same for monthly goals. For each quarterly goal, I wrote out the part of the quarterly goal I would execute that month.

Create this plan with a strong intent and depth of thought.

3. I Held Myself Accountable

Without accountability, I was destined to be the same old idea guy.

My strategy was the Priority Worksheet. This simple yet powerful tool was what catapulted me forwards every day. Every night before I went to sleep, I would fill out my Priority Worksheet. I would brain dump. Everything that was on my mind would go on that sheet, regardless if it was going to get done the next day. I wanted one visual snapshot of everything that I was thinking.

The next day I would go to work, check my Priority Worksheet from the day prior, and execute like a machine. As ideas popped into my head, I would record them on today's Priority Worksheet. By the end of the day, my worksheet was a mess with cross-outs, check marks, and scribbles. It truly energized me. I was getting s#it done! At the end of the day, I would fill out a new Priority Worksheet for tomorrow. I would begin by carrying over everything that I did not get done today to tomorrow's worksheet. Then I would add the new action items that had come to mind during the day.

4. I Stepped Outside My Comfort Zone

Tony Robbins said it well: “Life begins at the edge of our comfort zone.” I personally found that my number-one obstacle to being the kind of finisher that I wanted to be was fear of failure. I got every good idea right to the precipice of commitment, and then I would pull back. Until I acknowledged this limitation, all my hopes and dreams would remain hidden away in my mind.

I had to face up to this truth. Once I did, all my fears did not fade away. But I did commit to finding ways to confront my barriers. I read books, listened to tapes, went to seminars, underwent hypnosis. You name it, I have tried it. Some worked, and some didn’t.

Little by little I began to get more comfortable stepping outside my comfort zone. And you know what? My life began to change dramatically.

You need to have a similar conversation with yourself. Know this: no one is 100 percent confident all the time. The key is to muster up just enough courage to act in the moment. When you realize you won’t die, taking action becomes rewarding. Trust me.

5. I Took Time To Enjoy My Successes

In my opinion, life is about the experience, not accumulation. I was on the accumulation path for much of my earlier life. Don’t get me wrong, I like nice material things- suits, shoes, a nice car. But now I take time to enjoy my accomplishments. This includes relaxing with my family, going to the movies, exercising, vacationing, watching sports, and so on.

What’s the purpose of it all if you don’t enjoy it? Life is a journey. Not a sprint. Pace yourself. Take time to recharge your batteries. If you do, you will be so much more productive when you re-engage. Execution will be more fun and less of a chore.