Salespeople know the importance of building value. But top salespeople actually become the value. According to Alan Leach, in an article for Club Solutions magazine, this is especially true for salespeople in the health club industry. The sales presentation is so much more than just showing off a club’s amenities. “At the end of every sales presentation, I believe a prospect is not buying our club,” he explains. “They are buying the salesperson. And I truly believe, in every sales situation, the salesperson becomes the differentiator when a prospect chooses between our club and a competitor’s club.”

Showing Vs. Being

How can you become the value to potential members? Leach points out the little things that his salespeople do that make them valuable in the eyes of prospects:

• They don’t just view the sales presentation as a sale. They consider the entire presentation to be an experience, like a show, for the prospect. “…their job is to put on a show that gets the least enthusiastic prospect excited about starting to work out,” he writes. “They know the show is always about the prospect and never about the salesperson.”
• The reps have role played multiple times. To prep for stellar presentations, Leach’s reps take role playing seriously and are completely comfortable and prepared when it’s actually showtime. They’ve learned not to interrupt, to listen carefully and to learn all they can about the prospect and his or her goals, concerns and challenges. 
• They are knowledgeable. The salespeople know their stuff and can easily provide valuable advice and information, no matter what they hear from the prospect. They readily offer experienced insight, whether it be fitness tips, specific information about the club or simple encouragement. And, most importantly, the tips and advice are perfectly catered to each and every prospect. This earns both trust and respect.

By implementing these small actions into your own sales presentations, you actually become a valuable aspect of the club. You stand out as something valuable the prospect would be gaining in their life. As Leach notes, when “[you] are doing this, and your competition is not, [you]have become the value.”