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Beer Styles – Sales Syles (Lager part 2 of 2)

Last week we explored Ale as Relationship Selling, this week it’s all about Lager as Technical Selling!
 
Lager; is produced with bottom fermenting yeast, at colder fermentation temperatures; creating a crisper-tasting product.
 
This reminds me of… Technical Selling
 
Where relationship selling is talked about as an “art”, technical selling is more of a “science”.
 
Looking at all the pieces and parts, figuring out the best way to put them together.
 
Here the service from the salesperson has a deep foundation in what the specifics of their product will do for the client. They have a rock-solid knowledge of their industry and how customers use their products.
 
Using their knowledge to build trust.
 
Can both be successful?
One isn’t better than the other; they are just made and come across your pallet differently.
 
Both build trust.
 
The key is to learn how to spot prospects that enjoy your style the most!
 
Then focus your efforts on people who enjoy your style!
 
We started with the top-level descriptions of ‘relationship’ vs. ‘technical’ salespeople. Like with beer, salespeople come in many different styles under each category.
 

Think of yourself as more technical a salesperson?
Here are some Lagers to sip on:

Doppelbock: The Sales Engineer

Bocks, you may know as beers with goats on the label, are relatively strong German lagers. Doppelbocks are typically even stronger and contain enough malty goodness that they’ve been considered a meal in a glass for centuries.
 
For the prospects and customers who want someone else to do the heavy lifting when it comes to creating the right technical solution, look no further than the Doppelbock.
 
These salespeople are more “engineering inclined” and produce results for their customers by creating solutions that the competition hasn’t even thought of yet.

Pilsner: Industry Expert

Bohemian or Czech Pilsner, is light straw to golden color and crystal clear. Hops are very prevalent usually with a spicy bitterness and or a spicy floral flavor and aroma. Smooth and crisp with a clean malty palate.
 
Smoothing out the bumps in their customer’s road is the sales Pilsner. Bringing crystal clear proposals that make good business sense is the key to their success.
 
A Pilsner salesperson is never over the top when it comes to a solution, making it easy for the customer to make a decision.

Dunkle: Trusted Adviser

An old friend of Bavaria, Munich Dunkels are smooth, rich and complex, but without being heady or heavy. They boast brilliant ruby hues from the large amounts of Munich malts used, and these malts also lend a fuller-bodied beer. The decoction brewing process also lends much depth and richness. Bitterness is often moderate, with just enough to balance out any sweetness. Hop varieties used tend to be of the German noble varieties, like: Tetnang and Hallertau.
 
If a prospect has a complex situation and they are looking for someone to create a straightforward solution, you’ll find a Dunkle salesperson there to help.
 
The depth of their knowledge on product, process, and service allow the Dunkle to create the perfect proposal. Then the Dunkle will use a good balance of anticipated results and detail to make it easy for the prospect to visualize themselves using what is being recommended.

Common/Steam: The Innovator 

The California Common, or Steam Beer, is a unique 100% American-style lager. It’s usually brewed with a special strain of lager yeast that works better at warmer temperatures. This method dates back to the late 1800′s in California when refrigeration was a great luxury. The brewers back then had to improvise to cool the beer down, so shallow fermenters were used. So in a way the lager yeast was trained to ferment quicker at warmer temperatures. Today’s examples are light amber to tawny in color, medium-bodied with a malty character. Mildly fruity with an assertive hop bitterness.
 
The sales phenomenon that is the Steam Beer, has to give a nod to Anchor Brewing Co. who trademarked the term “Steam Beer” and as such all other beers must be legally referred to as “California Common”. The Steam salesperson does exactly the same thing – differentiating themselves in the marketplace by being the first to market with new technology and ideas.
 
Even better many Steam salespeople take concepts and ideas that already exist and mold them into creative new solutions for their customers.

Marzen: Technical Associate

Before refrigeration, it was nearly impossible to brew beer in the summer due to the hot weather and bacterial infections. Brewing ended with the coming of spring, and began again in the fall. Most were brewed in March (Märzen). These brews were kept in cold storage over the spring and summer months, or brewed at a higher gravity, so they’d keep. Märzenbier is full-bodied, rich, toasty, typically dark copper in color with a medium to high alcohol content.
 
Märzen salespeople are distinguished by their ability to take an existing situation and make it a great choice for their prospects. They may not have bleeding-edge technology or top-of-the-line service ~ instead, they find people whose problems are solved by what they have to offer.
 
Fitting perfectly into their customer’s environment – easy, seamlessly, and effortlessly (from the customer’s perspective that is). The salesperson who knows to brew sales in March instead of July to avoid customer dissatisfaction is why the Märzen‘s customers are loyal.

Schwarzbier: Comprehensive Authority

Schwarzbier (“shvahrts-beer”), is simply German for black beer. It doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily heavy or light in body, although they tend to lean towards light. Unlike other dark-colored beer they are NOT heavy – rather they are very refreshing and soul-lifting beers. Perfect when you’re looking for a lighter beer, but one with depth of colour and taste.
 
When turning outside of their organizations to understand all the options most people look to the Schwarzbier salesperson. Their ability to weigh out all of the potential options along with the positives and negatives of each is refreshing.
 
The depth of the Schwarzbier‘s knowledge amazes people because it isn’t heavy and difficult to talk with them, instead the prospect finds themself feeling better – that there is a solution to the problem, and the Schwarzbier will make sure all the details are there to make an informed decision.
 
At this point – many of you are thinking, I never wanted to know this much about beer! EVER….
 
As well as thinking it’s difficult to make your prospects and customers feel like they’re having a beer with you… over the phone.
 
You’re not wrong, the truth is there are two skills you need to build to make this a reality:
 
Question; crafting insightful questions is a skill that many inside salespeople gloss over, believing they’ll ask a great open-ended question that gets people to open up by “winging it.”
 
In training classes where I ask for off-the-cuff questions, we always come up with a twist that makes it better. Don’t leave questions to chance – craft them!
 
Listen; people are most interested in talking about themselves, so let them. Become adept at hearing beyond the words to the heart of the matter.
 
The first step is to get comfortable with silence – allowing people time to think after asking your insightful question. Rember listening is a skill – it requires practice to master.
 
THEN ask questions about their answers… and listen again.
 
Now you can become their virtual bartender or drinking buddy.
 
Cheers,
Lynn

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