Advertising
Sales Assessment Results by Ryan Healy
54
Needs Improvement
10 questions
Maximum score: 100
Completed in
Your recent performance shows potential, but there’s a clear need for improvement. You demonstrated a solid understanding of empathy and solution-oriented responses, which is commendable. However, there’s a pattern of missing deeper engagement with prospects. You often acknowledge concerns but fail to dig into the specifics of their fears, needs, and challenges. This leaves you with a somewhat superficial connection. Your consultative selling approach is underutilized; integrating deeper questions and exploring their unique situations would elevate your conversations significantly.
To sharpen your skills, I suggest focusing on the Consultative Selling technique. This will help you build stronger relationships and understand your prospects on a deeper level. Additionally, immerse yourself in the Value Proposition Selling method. Highlighting the unique benefits of your offering compared to competitors will not only justify your pricing but also differentiate you in a crowded market.
Remember, selling is not just about the features or services; it’s about understanding your prospect’s story and how you can be part of their solution. Dive deeper, ask more questions, and don’t shy away from exploring their pain points. Transform these conversations into meaningful dialogues. This shift can turn your average performances into standout successes.
Question Breakdown
1.
5
/ 10Question:
"Given the current economic climate, I’m concerned about allocating a significant portion of our budget to a new advertising solution."
Answer:
I’m not asking you to allocate anything more than you’re already spending. I’m going ensure that your current budget is fully optimized to support your goals and show you a better way to spend while eliminating waste. In some cases, clients actually wind up spending less than they expected. Our goal is to ensure you get the most out of your budget. How soon would you like to get started?
Feedback:
The response effectively addresses the concern by reassuring the prospect that no additional budget is needed and focuses on optimizing existing spending. However, it lacks a deeper exploration of the prospect's specific fears regarding the economic climate and doesn't ask follow-up questions to engage the prospect further. A consultative approach that emphasizes understanding the prospect's unique situation and concerns would be beneficial. The closing question is somewhat premature without first fully understanding their hesitations.
2.
7
/ 10Question:
"How can I justify the ROI of this advertising strategy when our previous campaigns haven't met expectations?"
Answer:
I understand your concern. Especially if you haven’t had success in the past, it can be difficult to embrace a new strategy. I’d love to show you some case studies from clients with similar budgets and goals that can help you understand what you can expect with our strategy.
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the prospect's concern effectively, demonstrating empathy towards their previous challenges. By offering to show case studies, the salesperson introduces a solution-focused approach that could help build trust and credibility. However, the response could be strengthened by incorporating specific metrics or insights that highlight the expected ROI and address the prospect's historical issues more directly. Additionally, asking questions to further explore the prospect's past experiences and specific expectations for ROI would enhance the consultative aspect and show deeper engagement.
3.
4
/ 10Question:
"Your pricing seems to exceed other proposals I've received; can you confirm the unique value justifying that cost?"
Answer:
Our pricing is based on your budget. I’m not asking you to spend anything more than you already have allocated. If it makes sense to increase or even decrease your budget in the future, we’ll work together to determine what the best course of action would be.
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the prospect's concern about pricing but does not effectively justify the unique value of your offering in comparison to competitors. Simply stating that the pricing is based on their budget does not address their need for differentiation. Incorporating specific value propositions, features, or benefits that justify the cost would enhance the response. Additionally, asking questions to delve deeper into the prospect's existing proposals and what specifically they value about them could foster a more consultative dialogue. Overall, while the response attempts to reassure the prospect, it lacks a strong value exploration and does not adequately address the competitive aspect of the objection.
4.
5
/ 10Question:
"We’re in the middle of our fiscal year, and I’m unsure if we can pivot our budget for this project right now."
Answer:
Well I’m sure that putting a pause on your advertising efforts isn’t something you’re willing to do so you don’t lose any market momentum, right? Why don’t we take a small portion of your current budget and remove it from your most underperforming campaign and instead, allocate it towards a small investment into one of our strategies. Then, after we have a full review, we can determine if it makes sense for you to reallocate the rest of your budget towards a more effective strategy.
Feedback:
The response begins by acknowledging the prospect's hesitation regarding budget allocation during the fiscal year, yet it doesn't directly address their specific concerns about pivoting the budget. While the suggestion to reallocate funds from underperforming campaigns is a pragmatic approach, it lacks a thorough exploration of the prospect's current budget constraints and priorities. Additionally, the question about maintaining market momentum could have been better framed to invite dialogue rather than sound presumptive. A more effective response would have included open-ended questions to further explore the prospect's current budget situation and needs, as well as a clearer explanation of the potential benefits of reallocating their budget. Overall, the response shows some solution-oriented thinking but misses a deeper consultative engagement with the prospect.
5.
6
/ 10Question:
"I've seen companies face implementation challenges with new advertising technologies; how do we avoid those pitfalls?"
Answer:
I can understand that concern and have certainly seen that happen in our industry. Especially with the rapid advancement of technology. Our company is fortunate to be on the cutting edge of what’s happening in the advertising world and are able to test new advancements with our own money before rolling out to our clients. Let me show you some examples of how we have adapted changing technology in the past.
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the prospect's concern about implementation challenges, which is a good start. However, it lacks a proactive approach to directly address how those pitfalls can be avoided. While mentioning that your company is on the cutting edge of technology adds credibility, it would be more effective to provide specific strategies or support systems your company has in place to ensure a smooth implementation. Sharing case studies or examples of successful implementations could further alleviate the prospect's fears. Additionally, asking open-ended questions to explore their specific concerns or previous experiences would enhance the consultative aspect of your approach.
6.
4
/ 10Question:
"Can you guarantee that your service will deliver the efficiency and compliance improvements we need without hidden costs?"
Answer:
The number 1 thing we can guarantee you is that we will always be completely transparent with you and how your budget is being spent. If any future costs arise for any reason, we’ll work together to determine if it’s necessary help you make the most informed decision.
Feedback:
While the response attempts to address the prospect's concerns about transparency and hidden costs, it falls short of providing a concrete guarantee of efficiency and compliance improvements. Simply stating that your company will be transparent does not assure the prospect of the outcomes they are seeking. It would be beneficial to include specific examples or metrics that demonstrate how your service has led to efficiency and compliance improvements for other clients. Additionally, an open-ended question could engage the prospect further regarding their specific efficiency and compliance goals, fostering a more collaborative conversation. Overall, the response lacks a strong solution-focused approach and does not fully explore the prospect's needs.
7.
6
/ 10Question:
"With our current vendor, we’re seeing satisfactory results, so why should we consider switching now?"
Answer:
Well I’d hate to have to stop doing something that’s working for you and I think it’s fantastic that you have a vendor that is delivering results you are looking for. I’d love to offer you a complimentary review to help ensure there are no holes in their strategy. It’s always great to get a second opinion. Afterwards, if it makes sense for us to move forward together, we can help you with a seamless transition. Or, if you’re happy with the results you’re receiving, then perhaps continuing with that vendor is the best move for your business.
Feedback:
The response effectively acknowledges the prospect's satisfaction with their current vendor, which is a good way to establish rapport. Offering a complimentary review is a strong way to provide value and demonstrate confidence in your solutions. However, the response could be enhanced by emphasizing unique benefits or differentiators that your service provides compared to the current vendor. Additionally, while the suggestion of a second opinion is valuable, it would be more effective to pose questions that explore the prospect's specific goals or challenges further. This would help create a more engaging and consultative dialogue, rather than leaving the conversation somewhat open-ended. Overall, the response is positive but could benefit from a deeper exploration of the prospect's pain points and how your solution uniquely addresses them.
8.
6
/ 10Question:
"How will this new advertising approach integrate with our existing platforms and what’s the expected learning curve for our team?"
Answer:
That’s a great question! Our company operates with complete transparency while working directly in your systems. There’s no need for additional learning from your team as we’ll have a hands on approach that frees up their time to focus on other business necessities. That being said, every month when we have our review, any of your team members can participate and see exactly how we are maximizing the performance of your campaigns.
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the prospect's question positively, indicating a willingness to assist. However, it lacks specificity regarding how the new advertising approach will integrate with existing platforms and does not provide concrete details on the expected learning curve. While stating that there will be no need for additional learning from the team is reassuring, it would be more effective to describe the integration process, any necessary training, or support offered. Furthermore, it could benefit from inviting the prospect to share their existing platform challenges or concerns, thereby fostering a more consultative dialogue. Overall, while the tone is friendly and supportive, the response could be improved with more detailed information and engagement.
9.
6
/ 10Question:
"What assurance do I have that this solution will remain scalable with our projected growth over the next few years?"
Answer:
While the future can be unpredictable, as the advertising landscape changes over time, our company remains dialed into the latest trends and continues to be on the forefront of emerging technologies to help businesses both small and large, scale their advertising solutions to remain relevant and able to maximize their advertising efforts. Can you tell me more about the goals for growth and scaling your company has?
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the unpredictability of the future, which is a good way to relate to the prospect's concern. However, it lacks specific assurances or examples of how your solution has successfully scaled for other clients, particularly in similar growth scenarios. While mentioning your company's focus on emerging technologies demonstrates adaptability, it doesn't provide concrete evidence of scalability. The closing question invites further discussion on the prospect's goals, which is a positive aspect, but more emphasis on the proven scalability of your solutions would strengthen the response significantly.
10.
5
/ 10Question:
"I'm worried about the approval process with my stakeholders; how can we ensure they see the value in this offering?"
Answer:
That’s a great question. Sometimes things can get lot in translation so we’d love to be a part of the next stakeholders meeting to help everyone understand how we’ll working together moving forward. This way, if any questions or concerns come up, we can answer them directly.
Feedback:
The response acknowledges the prospect's concern about the approval process, which is a good start. However, it could be strengthened by providing specific strategies on how to present the value of your offering to stakeholders, such as sharing success stories or data-driven insights. Offering to attend the stakeholders' meeting is a proactive step, but ensuring that you outline clear value propositions ahead of time would better prepare the prospect for that discussion. Additionally, asking questions about the stakeholders' specific concerns or what aspects they value most could enhance the consultative nature of the conversation.