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Highly successful salespeople don't "sell", they help customers "buy." In the 2012 issues of Sales Bytes, we will introduce the Core Concepts of CustomerCentric Selling® to demonstrate how sellers can become facilitators of the buying cycle...and sell lots of stuff along the way!
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Take the time to diagnose before you offer a prescription.
Imagine that you've had a really bad sore throat for over a week and decide to go to the doctor. Let's say you visit Doctor#1 who says, "So, why are you here today?" You tell him/her about your sore throat. Doctor#1 then says, "I'm not exactly sure what's going on but I've seen 20 patients this week with a sore throat. Take this Z-pack for 5 days and give me a call back if your throat is still sore."
Now let's say you visited Doctor#2 instead. Same opening question, same response. Doctor#2, however, then asks, "How long have you had the sore throat? Do you have any congestion, coughing, or headaches? Have you been around people who have been ill? Have you been on airplanes?" You respond. Doctor#2, then says, "I'm not exactly sure what's going on but I've seen 20 patients this week with a sore throat. Take this Z-pack for 5 days and give me a call back if your throat is still sore."
Two different doctors, same prescription. Which experience did you, the customer, feel better about? Most likely, it was the visit with Doctor#2 because he/she took the time to learn more about your specific condition before prescribing a solution.
How do your salespeople approach your prospects? Do they ask questions or do they talk about their products? When they lead with product, they are missing out on an opportunity to prescribe a more relevant solution and an opportunity to create a more positive (and memorable) experience for the prospect. We suggest that only when the salesperson understands what the prospect is hoping to accomplish and the problems they are facing have they earned the right to talk about their own products/services. (Read more.) If you'd like to learn more about how we help salespeople ask relevant diagnostic questions instead of pitching solutions, let us know when you have time for a 15 minute call.
Best Regards,
Debra Swann, Pat Dougherty, Chris Kavanagh Principals, SDK Sales Alliance
Partner, CustomerCentric Selling®; Your Roadmap to Revenue Growth
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