5 Minute Summary: SNAP Selling by Jill Konrath

Selling may be tougher than ever. Customers are under a lot of stress these days due to increased competition, tight budgets, and less time. They’re wary of anyone who tries to persuade them to buy or modify anything. Today’s sales tactics no longer work in such extreme circumstances. SNAP Selling, by Jill Konrath, is a book that talks about the SNAP selling framework and additional strategies for sales professionals.

Frazzled Buyers: What are they and why are they important?

The key to a successful company is converting skeptics into believers. The prospect buyers are often referred to as the ‘frazzled buyers’. SNAP selling talks about how there are many mediums in which you can reach potential prospects, but retaining the audiences long enough to be able to sell them a product is a difficult task. The book reiterates the importance of understanding the business priorities, preferences, needs, financial capacity and future plans to effectively sell to them. These ‘frazzled buyers’ can be a stream of constant income if targeted accurately.

SNAP Framework

SNAP Selling provides a selling framework for sales leaders. In short, the framework is:

Simple: Make the process easy to understand for prospects. 

• Be more intentional and clear in your messaging – propose fewer but targeted options
• Ask questions like: How can we simplify our messaging? How do we communicate our value in a succinct manner? How can we make the customer journey easier?

iNvaluable: Realise your own personal value and leverage your unique traits. 

• Become more knowledgeable as a sales person – have a very deep understanding of your product, industry and common challenges prospects face 
• Ask questions like: How are others solving the same problem? What is working well in the industry? How can I better help my prospects navigate their issues?

Aligned: Stay relevant to your client at all times by aligning with their core values and business objectives. 

• Ask questions like: What do my clients value and how do I meet their needs? How does my product or service address the needs of my client?

Priority: Align with what your prospect is focused on, so that they need your services urgently. 

• Ask questions like: What are my prospect’s priorities? How do you help your prospects realise their priorities? 

More on improving your selling strategy

Additional points in the selling strategy suggested by Jill:

• In each of the “Three Decisions,” sellers must be aware of the buyer’s position. The “Three Decisions” are periods in which a business has to adapt and modify resources and business strategy according to prospects’ (particularly purchasers’) current demands.
• Keep sellers away from the grey area, otherwise known as the “D Zone.” This is a business spot where prospects are least likely to respond favorably. The longer the seller remains in this location, the less likely it is for consumers to convert into full-time buyers. As a result, there’s a lower potential for profit.
• It’s important to avoid the “frazzled customer syndrome,” where purchasers use up all of a firm’s resources responding to dreaded requests, unreasonable expectations, and nagging demands from customers. With one bad public feedback, consumers have the ability to severely damage a company’s reputation.
• During the early stages of prospecting, plan to make ten contacts spread out over four to six weeks.
• Make fewer calls and visits to improve the quality of your interactions; in order to achieve this, voicemails should be highly customized as well. Every communication must have importance.