Creating Advantage During The Sales Presentation

Use these concepts during a sales presentation to create excitement about the advantages that the shopper might lose if they don’t act quickly to book their event.

·   Price. Price is the most powerful and critical factor when a shopper is thinking about postponing the decision to buy. It is easy to use pricing to encourage a sale if you start creating seasonal pricing—spring prices, summer prices, fall prices and winter prices. When a buyer is talking about an event that will happen next summer, you can offer this year’s spring prices if they make a quick decision.

·   Date. This is especially strong with celebrations like weddings, showers, birthdays, and other social events. Point out that the day the client has selected is a popular one and that most caterers will be getting booked very quickly. Even a one day hesitation to make a decision could lose a venue.

·   Prime space. Banquet facilities use this to create urgency and excitement by offering a special room, on a first reserved basis. If the shoppers wait, they might lose the best room and have to settle for less.

·   Discount. You need to be very careful with this one. Some caterers call it an early bird discount. It is offered to those who make a quick decision so they can close off a date. Explain to them that all caterers like to get their dates filled as early as possible, so they give better prices for those who buy early. If you wait, you usually pay a premium price for catering.

·   Special staff. The caterer explains that by booking quickly, the party can be staffed with the company’s best staff. If they wait, they will get just great staff.

·   Menu. Often caterers offer additional menu items for early booking. The shopper is told that if they come on board now, they can get two more appetizers and a special presentation of their dessert.

·   Equipment. Explain to shoppers that during peak seasons, the best tents, chairs, glassware, etc. are rented early, so waiting too long can have an effect on the appearance of the event.

If these seem negative to you, remember that they are all out of context. You probably would not use them all with the same clients. The point is that the salesperson needs to emphasize reasons for the shoppers to make a positive decision quickly. The only way to break the promise of “not buying today” is to explain that there are wonderful reasons for buying today to gain super advantages!