Request Previous Sales Hint



SALES HINTS...

Sales Hint 9: Does Your Needs Development Need Development?
One of the important early steps in the sales process is uncovering a prospect’s needs. Unfortunately, some salespeople take that step literally and ask a prospect about his problems and challenges, then put a check mark on that step and move on to the next one. In following this formula they miss the real opportunity and seldom really find out about the customer’s needs.

Needs development is not about asking what the customer needs. It’s about understanding what the customer might need and then bringing it up in the conversation.

Most salespeople develop needs in a similar way. Based on the features and benefits of their products / services they ask customers what is important to them, until the prospect runs out of answers. When they have completed this feature / benefit probing process they figured they understand all of the buyer’s needs.

The approach doesn’t really help and often fails to uncover the real needs of the buyer, for two main reasons…

  • The first is that customers won’t reveal everything to someone they don’t know and trust. They’ll give high-level, superficial answers to questions, but the crux of their issues usually remain hidden.
  • Second, and more important, is that customers don’t see their situation as a need for your product’s or services benefits. They don’t have the experience you, as a salesperson do have about how your offering can help them solve their problems.
As a professional who deals with the topic at hand every day, you know the challenges and issues your customers face and you know, and have probably seen how other customers have used the products to solve their problems. A good salesperson brings that experience to the table to help a prospect understand their needs.

It’s not about guessing what’s important to the customer. It’s about contributing knowledgeable ideas to the conversation. With that in mind, ask yourself this question: What are you contributing to conversations that you have with prospects that help them to understand their needs?

If you would like to receive these sales hints regularly please complete the form below.
There is no charge for this service

Name*
Company
Email Address*
Phone N°
Mobile N°

Home About DaiShõ Contact Us Services Sales Hints Training Sales Advisory

  a web guise development