SNAP Selling

About the Author

Jill Konrath is a renowned sales strategist and speaker whose clients include major corporations like IBM, GE, and Hilton. She is also the author of Selling to Big Companies and writes a popular blog and newsletter at SellingtoBigCompanies.com. With extensive experience in sales and a deep understanding of customer behavior, Jill Konrath has dedicated her career to helping sales professionals succeed in today's challenging business environment.

Main Idea

In SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today's Frazzled Customers, Jill Konrath addresses the challenges of selling to overwhelmed and busy customers. She introduces four SNAP Rules: Keep It Simple, Be iNvaluable, Always Align, and Raise Priorities. These rules provide a framework for sales professionals to connect with potential clients, streamline the decision-making process, and ultimately win more business by being more relevant, valuable, and aligned with their customers' priorities.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The SNAP Factors
• SNAP Decisions
• Doing a SNAP Check
• What's Going On Inside Your Customer's Head
• The First Decision: Allow Access
• The Second Decision: Initiate Change
• The Third Decision: Select Resources
• Wrapping It Up

Introduction

Jill Konrath introduces readers to a new age in selling, where traditional sales strategies no longer suffice. Today's sales professionals face customers who are under immense pressure, short on time, and wary of change. Konrath emphasizes that success in this environment requires a shift in approach: focusing on fewer, high-quality interactions and bringing real value to every customer engagement.

The SNAP Factors

Konrath outlines four critical factors for dealing with frazzled customers:

1. Simple: Eliminate complexity and make it easy for customers to understand and act on your proposals.
2. iNvaluable: Become an essential resource by providing unique insights and solutions.
3. Aligned: Stay relevant to your clients' goals and needs.
4. Priority: Focus on the most important issues for your customers to ensure your solutions are seen as urgent and necessary.

SNAP Decisions

Konrath identifies three key decisions that prospects make before choosing a vendor:

1. Allow Access: Decide if it's worth their time to meet with you.
2. Initiate Change: Determine if the change you propose is worth the disruption.
3. Select Resources: Choose the best option for their company.

Understanding these decisions helps sales professionals tailor their approach to meet the needs and priorities of their prospects at each stage.

Doing a SNAP Check

Konrath advises sales professionals to regularly evaluate their interactions with prospects using the SNAP Rules. By ensuring that each communication is simple, invaluable, aligned, and prioritized, salespeople can avoid common pitfalls and improve their chances of success.

What's Going On Inside Your Customer's Head

Konrath delves into the mindset of today's frazzled customers, who are overwhelmed by excessive workloads, information overload, and constant stress. These customers prioritize simplicity and relevance, and they only engage with solutions that clearly address their urgent needs.

The First Decision: Allow Access

To gain access to busy customers, sales professionals must pique their curiosity and provide relevant information in short, impactful messages. Konrath emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and aligning your value proposition with their priorities.

"Frazzled customers don't want to hear about your products or services. They will grant you access only if you pique their curiosity or provoke their thinking with relevant information." – Jill Konrath

Simple

Keeping messages concise and to the point is crucial. This means packing just the right amount of information into brief phone messages, emails, or letters.

iNvaluable

Demonstrating your understanding of the customer's business and priorities differentiates you from competitors.

Aligned

Relevance is key. If your message is not aligned with the customer's needs, you will not be granted access.

Priority

Tie your offering to the organization's or individual's priorities to increase your chances of gaining access.