Salespeople know that they're supposed to sell to the customer's
needs. Here is the classic--and tragically wrong--way they
usually learn to do it: Uncover the first need. Begin a product
presentation, covering features and benefits, and then attempt
to uncover another need and then give more product talk, etc.
Research shows that sales presentations like this are 25 percent
less effective than those in which a thorough needs assessment
is followed by a summary of all of the customer's needs. You
will be far more successful if you begin by uncovering and
agreeing on at least three relevant needs that the customer
perceives as important. Only then should you begin a product
presentation tailored to address those needs.
Never present your product until you have agreed on at least
three important and relevant needs.
Here's how to do that:
1. Ask sales questions designed to draw out the customer's
needs--specifically, problems or opportunities that can be best
addressed by the unique capabilities of your company or your
products.
2. Take notes while the customer talks. This shows that you're
a good listener and that you actually care.
3. Summarize and reach agreement on needs. When you believe you
have uncovered at least three strong and relevant needs,
summarize them and check your understanding with the customer.
In this way, you reach agreement on the customer's needs. Use
this format to gain agreement:
"As I understand it, you are looking for a way to _____,
______, and ______. Is that correct? If the customer says no,
ask more questions and do more listening. Only after the
customer agrees that you correctly understand those three
important needs should you begin to present the capabilities of
your company and your product. You are now prepared to make that
sales presentation in a far more powerful way by focusing
directly on issues the customer already has agreed upon as vital
problems or opportunities.
In The Field:
Financial consultant Brad Martin describes his experience with
the Action Selling approach to needs identification as a
revelation and a radical departure from the way he was
originally trained.
Martin works for a large financial services company. Like many
salespeople, he was taught to respond to each customer need as
quickly as he was able to uncover it. So he would spot a need,
present a product feature and benefit to address it, and then
fish for another need. "That sales technique worked all right,"
Martin said, "but sometimes I ran into trouble by presenting
capabilities that didn't quite match the prospect's needs when
they were considered as a whole. This meant I later had to deal
with many more sales objections than necessary."
The problem is that customer needs do not exist individually, in
a vacuum. They are interrelated.
Martin learned in Act 4 of the Action Selling Sales Training
Program to uncover and agree on at least three needs before
presenting his solutions. "Now my sales presentations are much
better focused, and fewer objections surface," he said. "I am
closing a significantly higher percentage of my prospects."
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