Most salespeople are trained to think two-thirds of their selling takes place when they have the chance to describe their product features and benefits. The marketing department has prepared them with presentation slides filled with informative bullet points and they’re ready to deliver… until the prospect’s eyes glaze over, of course.

When you use the Action Selling approach, the majority of your selling has already taken place at this point. You did it back in Act 3 when you asked the back questions and used back-tracking benefits to uncover high-yield needs. Now, in Act 6, when you’re responsible for selling your product or service, you can move forward with laser-like focus.

Instead of boring the customer with a data dump, you need to aim at the needs already agreed upon and explain how specific features and benefits will best serve those needs. You’re selling a solution, not just a product. How do you do that? By demonstrating the tie between the needs you agreed upon in Act 4 and the results the customer will achieve with your product using a straightforward process called TFBR.

What is the TFBR process?

The TFBR process stands for Tie-back, Feature, Benefit and Reaction. Here’s a breakdown of what TFBR entails:

  • Tie-back. Remind the customer of a need they agreed upon earlier in the sales process. This reinforces the importance of addressing their specific concerns.
  • Feature. Present a product feature that directly relates to the identified need. This feature should have been considered during the Back-Tracking Benefits process that uncovered the need initially.
  • Benefit. Explain how the feature addresses the customer’s needs and how it will benefit them. This step emphasizes the value proposition of your solution in meeting their requirements and showing how the customer will be better off by owning the feature.
  • Reaction. Ask a question that prompts the customer to provide feedback or confirm the alignment between their needs and the proposed solution. This ensures mutual understanding and engagement in the sales conversation.

Here are some key things to keep in mind when using the TFBR process:

  • Repeat TFBR for each identified need, focusing on the most important need last
  • Address any new questions or concerns raised by the customer by reverting to Act 3, when you ask open-ended questions to uncover underlying needs or objections
  • Keep a product feature in reserve for potential stalls or objections in later stages of the sales process
  • If the customer doesn’t ask about price, proactively address it using positive language such as “investment” instead of “cost”
  • End Act 6 with a close-ended question, such as “Do you have any questions?” to prompt a transition to discussing pricing or further concerns

Following the TFBR process, sales professionals can effectively demonstrate their product’s value while keeping the customer engaged and addressing their specific needs. 

At this point, you’ve studied and worked hard and are now ready. The next Act is your final one: gaining commitment.

Interested in seeing how skilled your sales team is with TFBR?

Try our FREE sales skills assessment to see where they excel during the selling process — and where they could use a little help.

With 90% of senior executives failing to reach strategic goals due to poor execution, the advantage of better techniques through strategic training is undeniable.

Stay tuned to learn more about the other Acts of selling — and see how they all fit together to create a training program that delivers long-lasting success for your entire team.