More business English para Dummies Read Free

he’ll forget them quickly. But if I tell him that this product is suited for a number of purposes and that it saves him time and costs – then the customer really knows what benefit he gets if he buys.”
     
Palabras para recordar
to fear: to worry about, to dread, to be afraid of
that may all be fine and dandy: that may be quite alright, satisfactory, or acceptable
what do I get out of it: how do I profit or benefit from it
the truth dawned on him: reality struck or occurred to him
to disregard: to ignore, to forget about, to overlook, to turn a blind eye to
crucial: important, essential, decisive, key
to prompt: to induce, to motivate, to cause, to encourage
to reassess: to re-examine, to re-evaluate, to reconsider, to have another look at
to no longer be content: to not be satisfied or comfortable any longer
to encounter: to come across or upon
to consist of: to be made up of, to contain, to include, to comprise
paper: treatise, study, report, analysis
to figure something out: to understand or comprehend something
to approach: to come up to, to talk to, to speak to
to put someone off: to discourage, dissuade, dishearten, or repel someone
to be determined: to be resolved, set, or intent
obvious: apparent, visible, noticeable
to be suited for something: to be appropriate, apt, or fitting for something
purpose: use, function, task
to emphasise: to call attention to, to highlight, to accentuate, to underline
trap: snare, net, deception
to be applied: to be used, employed, utilised, or operated
to derive: to get, to gain, to obtain
device: tool, utensil, instrument
maintenance: servicing, overhaul, check
to gain: to win, to acquire, to obtain, to build up
     

    Emphasise
the customer benefit
    According to Dr. Irene Glockner-HoIme, a sales expert from Stadtbergen,
“It’s easy to walk into the ‘benefit trap ’ and talk about the product advantages instead of the benefit it provides to the customer.”
She explains that a product is not beneficial
per se
. Only if the product is applied correctly, the customer derives an advantage from it. This advantage is the customer benefit and it should be emphasised clearly. Here are some examples:
    The product benefit of an innovative measuring device for production lies in even more precise measuring. The customer benefit, however, lies in the decrease of the production costs.
    The product benefit of a navigation system lies in being guided automatically to your destination. The customer benefit lies in arriving relaxed and safe at your destination.
    The product benefit of automatic machine maintenance lies in not having to take care of anything. The customer benefit lies in, for example, increased safety and time gained .
The magic word is value
    Always
mention
the value. Only talk about the price if you really have to. Always focus your presentation on the value of your product or service.
Keep in mind
that the
perceived
value may be completely different from one customer to the next.
    The following examples serve
to make you aware of
a product’s
varied
values and to have the
appropriate
argumentation ready when you need it.
Emotional value
    Even though emotional value is subjective, it does play a
vital
role in the buying decision.
    Emotional value may
consist of
:
    owning something that not everyone has or
is able to afford
    rewarding oneself for something
    giving
recognition
to oneself
    taking a liking to something
    expressing
one’s individuality and personality.
    In this
instance
, the added value lies, above all, in a personal, subjective
gain
. Positive self-image, prestige, recognition, and greater
self-esteem
are also part of this gain.
Material value
    In some cases, material value can be
substantiated
by numbers. For example, a
slight
decrease in value or a high
resale value
of machines or
durable consumer goods
can be documented.
Preservation of value
because of a product’s
low tendency to break down
or very little
wear and tear
is also considered a material