I Don't Have a Key Feature My Customer Wants--
Now What?


September 2016                            Issue #115




I Don't Have Key Feature My Customer Wants. 
Now What?

Dan:
 
I could use your help. Next week I have a presentation to executives at a major account. They have made it clear to all three competing vendors that their priorities are:
  1. Ease of Use
  2. Interface to Current Technology
  3. Upgrade-ability
Unfortunately, we do not interface to their current solution. One of our top competitors, who also happens to be the existing service provider, has all of these key features.
 
What should I do? Should I just present what we have and hope that they like our solution? Should I tell the customer that we don't offer "B"? If I should tell them we don't offer "B", then when and how should I tell them? It may cost me the deal.
 
Anthony
Greensboro, NC
 
 
 
 
Anthony:

GREAT question. Many reps face this question daily.
 
Here is another summary of the facts that you shared with me:
Your customer needs:
  • A
  • B
  • C
Your solution only provides:
  • A
  • C
Do you tell them?
  • If No, Why?
  • If Yes, Why & How & When?
 
You have been set up expertly by the sales representative for the existing service provider. The customer is now convinced that he needs what you don't have.
 
You have two options. You can either say nothing, or say something.
Let's take a look at each option.

1.  Don't say anything. Let them find out on their own.   

Your silence would indicate your use of a "Frontal Attack" strategy, and would be a quick recipe for a LOSS! Making matters worse, given that you failed to admit your shortcoming right away, you may have jeopardized all future business with this key account. Remember the observation of Johan Rudolf Thorbecke:

"Trust Arrives On Foot But Leaves on Horseback."  
  
You have to step back for a second.  Remind yourself of your goal. Do you want to be like many others in the sales profession? If so, your goal may be to hide your weakness and hope your customer does not find out about it until AFTER you have the order. Some people would characterize such reps as hucksters, charlatans, and swindlers. Yes, it is harsh, but reps like this have tarnished the sales profession.
 
So, without question, you must say something about your inability to offer "B".
 
2.  Say something. But When? How?

Sales superstars realize that their goal is simple: gain TRUST!!! Trust is the lubricant that fosters long-term customer relationships.
 
In order to gain trust you can teach, guide, and provide insight. Only then can you help your customer value the benefits of YOUR uniqueness!
 
What is one of the very best ways to gain trust? Be open and honest about the "Tradeoffs" of all of the solutions being offered to your client. YES, that means telling your clients that you cannot offer one of the features that they have requested.
 
Let's think strategically.
If you fail to apply strategy here I guarantee you will lose. You will lose not only this opportunity, but potentially all future opportunities at this key account. You must be a professional and consider all possibilities for major opportunity sales strategies. In this case, if you consult the Sales Strategizer, you will most likely select a Change the Game/New Criteria strategy. While the Strategizer does discuss eleven other Major Opportunity Strategies, the Change the Game/New Criteria strategy appears to be the best one for this circumstance. 
 
WHEN:
You will gain plenty of trust if you present this issue early rather than later. If you wait for clients to ask you, you will lose trust and they will be asking themselves, "What else has this sales rep failed to tell us?" If you wait, you also invite your competitor to highlight your weakness. That's bad because your competitor gains trust and will over-emphasize the negative impact of your shortcoming.
 
HOW:
Here is an example of the powerful phrase to use when discussing your limitation:
 
"Ms. Customer, you know, at the end of the day, after you take an exhaustive look at the three solutions, you will find that there really is no perfect solution. Each has trade offs."
 
Next, you initiate a discussion of your trade offs and the trade offs of other solutions beginning with the fact that your solution does not interface to the existing offering. Why do you start by discussing this negative? Because you will gain more trust.

Once you gain trust, you can then help customers understand the value of your distinctive offering.

Let's say for example, your solution offers the following two unique competitive advantages:
  • Speed
  • ROI (Return on Investment)
Your customer either does not know about these benefits and/or does not value them.
 
Once the customer trusts you and is open-minded, he may end up valuing Speed and ROI even more than "B," the one feature you do not have.
 
So in short, when your customer wants feature A, B and C, and you don't offer "B," you may wish to select and deploy a Change the Game/New Criteria strategy. You will:

1.  Work to gain trust.
2.  Once you have trust, impart the value of your uniqueness, including attributes "D" and "F".
At decision time your client will want:
  • A
  • C
  • D
  • F
Good Selling!

Sincerely,


FOR INSPIRATION: 
 
 
"A dream written down with a date becomes a

GOAL.  
A goal broken down into steps becomes a
CRITICAL EVENT TIMELINE.
A critical event timeline backed by action drives SUCCESS!"
 
-Daniel Adams
Adapted from Greg S. Reid 




"True leadership only exists if people follow when they have the freedom not to."
-Jim Collins 



 
"By the time you begin to interact with your customer they have already completed 50% of their buying process."
-Corporate Executive Board Study





"If customer centricity is a buzzword as opposed to the foundation of your corporate culture then you have some work to do. The reality is until I know that you care more about meeting my needs than yours, you'll remain on the outside looking in. By the way, in order to understand my needs you have to actually know something about me..."
 
-Mike Myatt

 
Adams and Associates
630-215-5090
[email protected]
http://www.trusttriangleselling.com