No one likes to be sold, but everyone would like their problems solved. And every customer has a problem to be solved. These problems may be the need for a new car, financing for a house, a new residence, a cake for a special occasion, a new suit, a new TV, a computer that works or a hair product. However, customers in each of these categories have their own special requirements. They are not all the same.
So, do you and your salespeople sell to your customers or help them solve their unique problem? Do you get to know them? Do you find out how they came to be in the market for what they are looking for and what problem their purchase will solve? Even commodity products solve different specific problems for different customers.
Is your business getting these 8 essentials right?
Take the Assessment to Find OutBecome a partner with your customers to find the best solutions to the problems they are presenting to you. To do this, you must ask detailed questions to get to know your customers and their requirements. Get details about the specifics of their situation. Find out what your customers are trying to accomplish and what a successful solution to their problems would look like. Then fashion solutions that best fit their specific needs.
This will accomplish several things. Because you are offering real value, price will become less of an issue. As I have said before, if you don’t establish value, the only thing to talk about is price. Also, because you took the time to understand what your customers need, they are more likely to become repeat customers and you may uncover other requirements they have that you can fulfill. We’ve all experienced a great salesperson who took the time to get to know our needs and know how much we liked the experience, and we were more likely to return as a repeat customer because of that experience. Finally, because your customers received such a good experience dealing with you, they will tell friends about their experience, and in today’s digital world, that could be a LOT of friends. All these people could become good referral sources.
The above sales process is a recipe for profitability. Here's why:
- Customers are more likely to buy if you are presenting to them the exact answer to their problem. This will improve revenue.
- Customers will be less price sensitive if they are presented the exact answer to their problem. This will allow you to price better and will improve margins.
- You may uncover other needs, creating additional sales and revenue.
- These satisfied customers will be more likely to return to you and less likely to defect to a competitor. Returning customers represent additional sales and revenue, but also decrease marketing costs. Selling to your existing customer base is almost always less expensive than trying to find new customers.
- Finally, highly satisfied customers refer people in their circle of influence. As with returning customers, these referred customers represent additional sales and revenue, and also decrease marketing expense since you had little or no marketing expense to attract them.
Good sales processes can be a game changer for any business. Getting the process right garners outsized benefits. Take some time and make sure you and your salespeople are partnering with your customers to make consultative sales that solve your customers’ real problems. Your bottom line will be the better for it.
