| |
USING THE SALES SCRIPT
Educational Programs
We said earlier that our sales technique was not an
actual script. It does get practiced like one, except for
the actual proposal and pictures we paint along the way.
If sales is not a step-by-step mechanical procedure, why
so much memorization? The reason is that by learning
the bridges so they can be naturally delivered we
always have focus. We can smoothly go from one step
of the sale to the other, Now, let’s talk reality. Every
prospect will not move from step to step as we have
practiced. We have to know when to skip a step and
when to go back.
Determining what step is needed can be made easier
if we remember the purpose of each step. Recruiters
must be constantly alert to the prospect’s subtle signals
as well as to what he or she says so recruiters know
where they are in the sales presentation. Sales can be
made using as few as two steps, conversation and close.
Conversation must be a part of every interview to make
sure rapport exists, eligibility is determined, and want,
need, and DBM are identified. Even presold prospects
should be blueprinted to include the want, need, and
DBM in case they balk at MEPS or get buyer’s
remorse.
Recruiters may have to return to the
conversation step many times with some prospects
before completing the sales cycle. The close is the other
step of the sale that must always be used. Every
prospect must be aware that he or she has bought
before he or she becomes an applicant. We should tailor
the presentation not only to our prospect’s want, need,
and DBM but also to his or her capacity for absorption.
Move too slow and you could lose the sale to boredom;
move too fast and you could lose the prospect along the
way. It is an art – an art that can be refined through
practice and analysis.
KNOWING YOUR COMPETITION
All professional salespeople take the time to get to
know a little about what the competition is offering. In
recruiting, we should be aware of the programs offered
by other services, vocational and technical schools in
our area, and civilian industry. Keeping up on the
competition is not a lever to use the information to
degrade them, but a method of offering fair comparison
analogies and preventing misconceptions. Supervisors
should be especially conscious of gathering information
on the competition and ensuring it is issued regularly at
zone training. The following are examples of
competition comparison information you should know
about.
Obtain current information on the Army College
Fund, Air Force College, civilian colleges, and
vocational/technical schools. Look into local tuition
fees,
placement guarantees, and any special
considerations made for veterans. This is information
that you should know or at least have available to use
as evidence for prospects wanting to continue their
education. Use the Educational opportunities in the
Navy pamphlet to show Navy programs,
Civilian Industry – the Local Labor Market
Be alert to local labor market shifts, Are they
hiring, laying people off, freezing wages or new hires?
These are all factors you should be aware of in the
civilian industry. Reading the local newspaper financial
section, talking with Chamber of Commerce personnel,
and generally keeping in touch with the area will go a
long way in making sure you are up to date on the local
industry and labor market.
Training Differences
A prime selling point for the Navy has always been
our training programs. The Navy offers more than 60
different jobs. All other services offer more, with both
the Army and Air Force boasting of over 400 different
jobs from which to choose. On the surface this may
seem like an unlikely point to bring to the attention of
our prospects. Let’s look a little deeper to see what that
means to them. The Navy offers a much broader range
of training within the 60-some job fields. If you look at
the job titles for the other services, most end with the
word specialist. They tend to specialize a lot more than
the Navy. Of course, we do have specialty Navy
Enlisted Classification (NEC) codes, but our initial
training covers a broader spectrum in most occupational
fields. Most of this difference is brought about by
necessity. Our ships limit the number of personnel that
can comfortably and safely be assigned. We cannot
afford to take on a team of specialists, when one
thoroughly trained technician can do the job. Let’s take
the Navy’s rating of Aviation Machinist Mate (AD) for
example. Other services may take up to seven different
job titles to cover the same training as a Navy AD. This
gives the Navy trained individual a much broader base
of knowledge and makes him or her more marketable
to civilian employers. It also tends to give the
individual more variety on the job and a sense of
knowing more about the overall occupation.
6-37
|
