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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Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Harry Hayden
(Visit Harry's Website)
Harry is a results driven sales coach and
sales management trainer. He has a very
creative analytical mind and has long
nurtured an intensive interest in the
psychology and human dynamics behind major
buying decisions. He has coached and
mentored many companies, helping them
break through barriers to accelerate their
growth. His approach is consultative,
always working closely with client
management.
Harry has a 24 year history of success in
business solutions sales, working at
senior level for several multinationals
where he led high performing European
teams selling complex solutions at
director level. He has also served on the
boards of smaller companies, introducing
successful selling strategies that
resulted in significant sustained business
growth.
See www.performcoaching.com/bio.asp
for more
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