How to Learn Your Prospect's Needs
Before you can sell
anything to anyone, you must first understand what it is they need. Here are
some ways to do that:
Do your homework
Prior to your meeting with the customer, do your homework to find out as much
as you can about his business. Read relevant trade journals, do a periodicals
search for articles about his product or industry at the library, read the Wall
Street Journal. Find out who your customer's competitors are, what changes are
coming in his business and what his chief concerns are likely to be. But always
keep in mind that you will gain the most valuable information and insight into
your customer's business concerns by talking directly with him.
Open your mind, not your sample case
Don't walk into a customer meeting with a pre-conceived idea of what you're
going to sell them and how you will sell it. You'll sell more in the long run
by finding out what aspect of the transaction matters most to your customer.
For example, even if you and your competitors are each selling the same widget
at the same price, your customer may be most concerned about payment terms,
another might be focused on the reliability of shipments, while yet another may
care most about product warranties. If you walk in and flip open your widget
case before you find any of this out, you'll have missed an opportunity to
distinguish yourself from your competitors.
Listen closely
When you're on a sales call, you're there to gather at least as much
information as you communicate. This means asking questions and then keeping
quiet until your customer has finished with his answers. Don't start answering
objections before your prospect has finished talking. The more you can get your
customers to talk, the better you will understand what matters to them. Once
you know that, you can make sure your presentation addresses their concerns --
and eventually get their business.
Ask questions that provoke dialogue
Avoid asking closed ended questions that will get you "yes" or
"no" answers. Such questions typically start with words like
"Is," "Do," "Are". Instead, try to ask questions
that begin "what" "when" "where" "how"
"tell me" and "why," because they almost force the person
to elaborate. You will get replies that start conversations. For example, "Do
you have problems with vendors?" won't get you as far as "Tell me
what you would like your vendors to do better." Your goal is to get your
prospect talking about his problems and concerns so that you can determine ways
your business can solve them.
Beware of questions that will slam the door shut
Instead, ask questions that will solicit key information. If you ask a customer
"Can I give you a proposal on that project?" you'll get a
"yes" or "no" answer and that's that. But if you start the
process by saying "Tell me the criteria you look for in a
proposal...," you are learning critical information instead of ending the
discussion.
Survey your customers and prospects
Use written questionnaires or telephone surveys to learn more about your
customers and prospects. Solicit comments from current customers about their
level of satisfaction with your product or service. Or you might design a
survey that will educate you about your prospects' business needs. When a
customer or a prospect takes the trouble to complete a questionnaire, you've
achieved something more than just learning from the responses. The fact that
he's made even the minimal effort tells you something about his level of
interest in your product or service. You now have a qualified lead to follow
up.
Ken Roys, CEO
BTF Management Consultants Inc
866-385-1900 Toll Free 713-983-7904 Fax
Ken.Roys@btfmanagement.com
www.btfmanagement.com