Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    The Story Behind the Stone: Ancient Provenance
    King Jewelers staying in the ‘loupe’ since 1912
    The Story Behind the Stone: Ancient Provenance
    Sell jewelry the way you cook
    Quality Gold previewing new HERCO products at JCK Las Vegas
    Pretty much perfect retailing for Wyoming couple
    Pretty much perfect retailing for Wyoming couple
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    Quality Gold previewing new HERCO products at JCK Las Vegas
    ChatGPT. Your secret edge?
    IGI certifies largest lab grown diamond to date: 35.00 carats
    Hoover & Strong welcomes two new members to National Sales Team
    Hoover & Strong welcomes two new members to National Sales Team
  • Podcast
    How Star Gem Inc. Defines Jewelry Innovation
    Episode 33 – Anish Desai, Beyond Trends: How Star Gem Inc. Defines Jewelry Innovation 
    Inspiring Tales of Mentorship and Growth
    Episode 32 – Matthew Gross, Inspiring Tales of Mentorship and Growth 
    Behind the Success of running a jewelry trade shop
    Episode 31 – Ross Wesdorp, Behind the Success of Running a Jewelry Trade Shop
    Downsizing positioned Butler Diamonds for success
    Episode 30 – Doris Butler, Downsizing positioned Butler Diamonds for success
    Inside the United Precious Metal Refining
    Episode 29 – David Siminski, Inside the United Precious Metal Refining
    Episode 28 – John Bruggemann, Secure Your Financial Future by Diversifying
    Episode 28 – John Bruggemann, Secure Your Financial Future by Diversifying
    Darling of the Industry Konrad Darling of Darling Imports
    Episode 27 – The Darling of the Industry: Konrad Darling of Darling Imports
    Success in Jewelry and Writing
    Episode 26 – Success in Jewelry and Writing. Chuck Koehler of Anthony Jewelers
    Permanent Jewelry How Sunstone is Changing the Game
    Episode 25 – David Holloway, Permanent Jewelry: How Sunstone is Changing the Game
  • Columnists
    Image of Chuck Koehler
    The Retailer’s Perspective: Things That Haven’t Changed
    2,000 year old Roman intaglio ring. Photo Fellows Auctioneers
    The Story Behind the Stone: Ancient Provenance
    ChatGPT. Your secret edge?
    Applied Marketing 101: The Next Big Thing
    Applied Marketing 101: The View from Surat
    International School of Gemology Education Series: The Story of Anthill Garnets
    Making decisions work for you
    Making decisions work for you
    3 digital marketing lessons from great jewelry radio ads
    Joel McFadden Fine Jewelry
    Successful Custom: The Silent Selling Tool
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
  • Digital Magazine
    • Southern Jewelry News
    • Mid-America Jewelry News
    • Archive
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    The Story Behind the Stone: Ancient Provenance
    King Jewelers staying in the ‘loupe’ since 1912
    The Story Behind the Stone: Ancient Provenance
    Sell jewelry the way you cook
    Quality Gold previewing new HERCO products at JCK Las Vegas
    Pretty much perfect retailing for Wyoming couple
    Pretty much perfect retailing for Wyoming couple
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    Quality Gold previewing new HERCO products at JCK Las Vegas
    ChatGPT. Your secret edge?
    IGI certifies largest lab grown diamond to date: 35.00 carats
    Hoover & Strong welcomes two new members to National Sales Team
    Hoover & Strong welcomes two new members to National Sales Team
  • Podcast
    How Star Gem Inc. Defines Jewelry Innovation
    Episode 33 – Anish Desai, Beyond Trends: How Star Gem Inc. Defines Jewelry Innovation 
    Inspiring Tales of Mentorship and Growth
    Episode 32 – Matthew Gross, Inspiring Tales of Mentorship and Growth 
    Behind the Success of running a jewelry trade shop
    Episode 31 – Ross Wesdorp, Behind the Success of Running a Jewelry Trade Shop
    Downsizing positioned Butler Diamonds for success
    Episode 30 – Doris Butler, Downsizing positioned Butler Diamonds for success
    Inside the United Precious Metal Refining
    Episode 29 – David Siminski, Inside the United Precious Metal Refining
    Episode 28 – John Bruggemann, Secure Your Financial Future by Diversifying
    Episode 28 – John Bruggemann, Secure Your Financial Future by Diversifying
    Darling of the Industry Konrad Darling of Darling Imports
    Episode 27 – The Darling of the Industry: Konrad Darling of Darling Imports
    Success in Jewelry and Writing
    Episode 26 – Success in Jewelry and Writing. Chuck Koehler of Anthony Jewelers
    Permanent Jewelry How Sunstone is Changing the Game
    Episode 25 – David Holloway, Permanent Jewelry: How Sunstone is Changing the Game
  • Columnists
    Image of Chuck Koehler
    The Retailer’s Perspective: Things That Haven’t Changed
    2,000 year old Roman intaglio ring. Photo Fellows Auctioneers
    The Story Behind the Stone: Ancient Provenance
    ChatGPT. Your secret edge?
    Applied Marketing 101: The Next Big Thing
    Applied Marketing 101: The View from Surat
    International School of Gemology Education Series: The Story of Anthill Garnets
    Making decisions work for you
    Making decisions work for you
    3 digital marketing lessons from great jewelry radio ads
    Joel McFadden Fine Jewelry
    Successful Custom: The Silent Selling Tool
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
  • Digital Magazine
    • Southern Jewelry News
    • Mid-America Jewelry News
    • Archive
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
No Result
View All Result
Home Columnists

Sales Growth Expert The # 1 most important word in Selling

Bob Janet by Bob Janet
February 1, 2009
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Reading Time: 6 minutes

For decades the most important words in marketing have been:

  1. Free
  2. Sale
  3. Guarantee

Want to get someone’s attention in an advertisement? Show them the words Free or Sale. Want to increase your closing rate? Increase the value of your Guarantee.

But selling and marketing, although the successful sales professionals do both well, are different. Marketing is getting the customer/prospect into your store or getting an appointment with them at their chosen location.

Selling is closing the deal, making the sale, convincing the customer/prospect that your products and services are worth more to them than their money. The top sales producers know it is much, much more. They know that selling is ‘solving the customers problems, needs and wants.’

So the # 1 most important word in selling is SOLUTIONS.

The next time you want an appointment with a customer/prospect first find out the problems, needs and wants your products and services will solve for them. For example, if you sell forklifts it is fair to think the solutions the buyer is looking for includes the need to move materials/products around a warehouse setting in a safe, efficient cost effective manner.

The sales professional that shows the buyer how the benefits of the forklift will accomplish this, and the company’s benefits will make the sale faster and usually at higher profits than the order taker who wastes the buyer’s time telling him about all the features the machine has. When you show the buyer the solutions to their problems, needs and wants by selling your benefits, not features, you will also close the sale faster.

Move one step further and discover the buyer’s individual problems, needs and wants and provide the solutions for them. All you have to do is ask them what they are. “Mr. Smith, what material handling problems are you looking to solve with a new forklift?” “Mr. Smith, what unique needs do you need to solve in your material handling process?”

It does not matter what product or service you sell. If you provide the SOLUTION to the customer’s problems, needs and wants easier for them than your competition, you will be the one who gets the sale.

OK, now I know someone is thinking, “All my customers have the problem of not wanting to pay a fair price for my products and services.” I am the first to agree price is very important, but it’s an obstacle that you can overcome.

You overcome the price objection by increasing the benefits you provide the buyer. I know you have heard that time and time again. But now go one step more. Put a dollar value on your benefits. Now you are not only addressing the customer’s problem (money), you are doing it with the benefits that will solve their other problems, needs and wants.

Here are 4 ways to turn your intangible benefits into a dollar amount that will show the customer/prospect you offer a better value.

  1. Examples of how others have suffered money loss when not using your benefit (horror stories).
  2. Testimonials showing the dollar value others put on your intangibles.
  3. Ask the customer what he/she feels the dollar value of your benefits are.
  4. Tell the customer the dollar value of your benefits. (You are the Expert)

The steps to selling solutions

  1. Determine the buyer’s problems, needs and wants (general and specific).
  2. Determine and create benefits that will solve those problems, needs and wants.
  3. Put a dollar value on your benefits.

All you have to do is combine these steps with the closing technique(s) you like. My favorite of the 23 closing techniques in my book, “How To Take Customers Away From Your Competition” are:

  • Closing Techniques #3 – Pros & Cons Close
  • Closing Techniques #5 – The Choice Close
  • Closing Techniques #7 – Higher Price Agreement Close

Use discount code – PROFITCLUB – for 40% off my book “How To Take Customers Away From Your Competition” and all my other 4 books and audio CD’s:

  • “Join The Profit Club”
  • “99 Of The Greatest Sales Tips Of All Time”
  • “Bad Business Assumptions That Cost You Sales And Profits”
  • “You’re Not Lost Until You Are Out Of Gas”

Go to www.BobJanet.com, click on products or the books at the top, add books and/or CD’s to your cart and use discount code – PROFITCLUB.


Invite Bob Janet to help your sales professionals and sales support staff increase sales and profits. Bob’s selling and marketing skills and techniques are based on 40 plus years of “Been there, Done that” front-line experiences. His long and proven track record of success combined with his unique speaking and teaching ability makes him uniquely qualified to present selling and marketing skills and techniques to business owners, sales professionals and sales support staff. For more information contact Bob at 704-882-6100, Bob@BobJanet.com or www.BobJanet.com.

Bob Janet

Bob Janet

Related Posts

Image of Chuck Koehler

The Retailer’s Perspective: Things That Haven’t Changed

June 1, 2023
2,000 year old Roman intaglio ring. Photo Fellows Auctioneers

The Story Behind the Stone: Ancient Provenance

June 1, 2023

ChatGPT. Your secret edge?

May 31, 2023
Applied Marketing 101: The Next Big Thing

Applied Marketing 101: The View from Surat

May 29, 2023

Latest News

Podcast Episodes

Episode 33 – Anish Desai, Beyond Trends: How Star Gem Inc. Defines Jewelry Innovation 

June 5, 2023
Featured

Sell jewelry the way you cook

June 1, 2023
Featured

King Jewelers staying in the ‘loupe’ since 1912

June 1, 2023

Other News

The Retailer’s Perspective: Things That Haven’t Changed

The Story Behind the Stone: Ancient Provenance

Quality Gold previewing new HERCO products at JCK Las Vegas

ChatGPT. Your secret edge?

IGI certifies largest lab grown diamond to date: 35.00 carats

Hoover & Strong welcomes two new members to National Sales Team

Southern Jewelry News

© 2023 Southern Jewelry News.

Additional Information

  • About
  • 2023 Jewelry Trade Shows & Events
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Sitemap
  • Newsletter Signup

Get Social with Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured Articles
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Sponsored Content
  • Latest News
    • What’s New
    • Industry Events
    • Tradeshow News
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Furry Friends
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
  • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • Southern Jewelry News
    • Mid-America Jewelry News
    • Archives

© 2023 Southern Jewelry News.