The Mind of the Customer
The Mind of the Customer
To gain sufficient credibility and mindshare (not to mention business), they must get inside their customers’ minds to understand the bigger picture. The bond must be one of mutual respect and value contribution.
Picture if you will this typical face to face engagement between a supplier of business critical solutions and a prospective customer. Then consider the implications of what is at the forefront of each individual’s mind:
“This deal could make all the difference and get my sales manager off my back! Can’t wait to do my pitch - I need to close this guy down as quickly as I can. If needs be I can move on price - we’re too expensive anyway ..”
“I need a supplier to understand our specific situation and come up with a viable solution. I hope this guy isn’t going to start selling like the others - if he jumps into his pitch or offers discount, it will be a very short meeting ..“
If this engagement is to prove successful, one party is going to have to change their mindset and approach in order to understand things from the others point of view. This is pretty unlikely to be the prospective customer.
The client will care little about the salespersons’ vested interest and the salesperson must therefore move to understand theirs. It is only through this in-depth understanding that a winning proposition can be developed.
This does not mean kowtowing to the client, merely understanding where he is coming from and working to facilitate this appropriately into the sales strategy. A mutually beneficial outcome must remain the prime objective.
Successful salespeople leave their egos, targets, commission plans and personal challenges outside of every customer engagement. They retain total focus on winning good business by addressing customer’s needs.
Their objective is always to find the best “mutually beneficial” solution to the business challenge their customer faces. They must create a win / win situation or withdraw from what would likely prove to be bad business.
There is a time and a place for everything and premature pitching is the Achilles heel of too many salespeople. How can you possibly pitch a valid solution, before fully understanding the problem and all its dependencies?
Serious business people do not want “selling to”, they want “contributor suppliers” that really understand them and their requirements, providing constructive input and proposing relevant solutions to meet their needs.
The power of a well timed and considered pitch that takes the customers' big picture into account, whilst addressing the primary business issues should not be underestimated. It puts others in the shade to secure the business.
At this point you are not “selling” to the prospect but bringing specific answers to address their considered needs. This is far more effective than the scattergun of a premature pitch that could be perceived as desperate.
The concepts outlined may appear to be common sense. Yet the reality is that most key business solution providers find it impossible to achieve or sustain such an approach in the absence of suitable external guidance.
The Mind of the Customer - To learn more about this author, visit Harry Hayden's Website.
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Providers of key business or mission critical solutions must engage and connect with their customers on a higher level. A standard supplier relationship will simply not generate or sustain that vital degree of trust.
To gain sufficient credibility and mindshare (not to mention business), they must get inside their customers’ minds to understand the bigger picture. The bond must be one of mutual respect and value contribution.
Picture if you will this typical face to face engagement between a supplier of business critical solutions and a prospective customer. Then consider the implications of what is at the forefront of each individual’s mind:
“This deal could make all the difference and get my sales manager off my back! Can’t wait to do my pitch - I need to close this guy down as quickly as I can. If needs be I can move on price - we’re too expensive anyway ..”
“I need a supplier to understand our specific situation and come up with a viable solution. I hope this guy isn’t going to start selling like the others - if he jumps into his pitch or offers discount, it will be a very short meeting ..“
If this engagement is to prove successful, one party is going to have to change their mindset and approach in order to understand things from the others point of view. This is pretty unlikely to be the prospective customer.
The client will care little about the salespersons’ vested interest and the salesperson must therefore move to understand theirs. It is only through this in-depth understanding that a winning proposition can be developed.
This does not mean kowtowing to the client, merely understanding where he is coming from and working to facilitate this appropriately into the sales strategy. A mutually beneficial outcome must remain the prime objective.
Successful salespeople leave their egos, targets, commission plans and personal challenges outside of every customer engagement. They retain total focus on winning good business by addressing customer’s needs.
Their objective is always to find the best “mutually beneficial” solution to the business challenge their customer faces. They must create a win / win situation or withdraw from what would likely prove to be bad business.
There is a time and a place for everything and premature pitching is the Achilles heel of too many salespeople. How can you possibly pitch a valid solution, before fully understanding the problem and all its dependencies?
Serious business people do not want “selling to”, they want “contributor suppliers” that really understand them and their requirements, providing constructive input and proposing relevant solutions to meet their needs.
The power of a well timed and considered pitch that takes the customers' big picture into account, whilst addressing the primary business issues should not be underestimated. It puts others in the shade to secure the business.
At this point you are not “selling” to the prospect but bringing specific answers to address their considered needs. This is far more effective than the scattergun of a premature pitch that could be perceived as desperate.
The concepts outlined may appear to be common sense. Yet the reality is that most key business solution providers find it impossible to achieve or sustain such an approach in the absence of suitable external guidance.
The Mind of the Customer - To learn more about this author, visit Harry Hayden's Website.
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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