Are you making these mistakes in selling?
Imagine the scene. Your new prospect is talk, talk, talking. And you’ve heard it all before. Straight off the bat you know you’ve got just the thing for them.
Stop!
This is how most salespeople sell. In fact, 80-90% of salespeople are making this same mistake. Why is it a mistake? Because you’re sending all the wrong messages.
What’s your customer really hearing?
When you just know what the customer needs, here’s what they’re really thinking:
That you're not interested in their needs.
That you don't want to build a relationship with them.
That you're trying to flog them something.
That you know everything, and they should listen to you.
That you’re just in it for the money.
But ask yourself this – and answer honestly – do you really know everything?
An Introduction to Needs-Based Selling
In fact, when it comes to specific prospects, someone you’ve only just met, you probably know very little. And even the bits you think you know might be wrong.
So, what do you do?
It's simple, you ask questions.
Not one or two questions, but as many as it takes to fully understand your prospect and their business.
It’s like digging a hole. You might dig a hole 3 feet deep and think job done. But it’s not. Needs-based selling is about digging holes that are 30 or 40 feet deep. It's about fully understanding your prospect. It’s about getting way beneath the surface, getting to the foundation of the business and understanding the challenges it’s facing.
And here's the rub. The more questions you ask –the deeper you dig - the better you’ll understand the prospect and their business. Remember, most salespeople don’t operate this way. When you do, your prospects will love you for it.
And here's the real rub - the better you explore their needs, the easier it is to close the sale. Why wouldn't it be easier? You've understood their needs and matched the benefits of your solution to meet their specific needs.
Needs-based selling is not hard selling.
Needs-based selling is about uncovering the needs of your clients and creating bespoke solutions based on those needs.
It’s not about selling people something they don’t want; it’s not about hard selling and it’s not about being pushy. Needs-based selling is about suggesting practical solutions to meet real needs.
Conventional sales wisdom says that to be a great salesperson you need to be a flamboyant extrovert. Dazzling your prospects with your brilliance, just like Del Boy selling cheap second-hand clocks (that don’t work) to unsuspecting punters at the market. If you don’t know who Del Boy is you can check out his ‘best sells’ here:
Are you a Del Boy, or do you want to do better?
No matter how much we love characters like Del Boy we now know that their way is not the most effective way of selling our products and services. The hard sell approach of many salespeople has long been proven to be ineffective, although research suggests that 80% of salespeople still do it.
When you want to do the best thing for your customer, you’ll hold off discussing your products and services until you understand their needs. Really understand their needs.
The only way to uncover needs is by asking questions. A critical part of every relationship you build - and every piece of new business - lies in your ability to ask questions. Asking questions is the only way to understand the customer’s situation and how you can help them.
Questions. Questions. Questions.
Questions keep the customer involved in the sales process. Questions let your customers feel they’re in control. Questions also give you the opportunity to dig deeper for further needs.
So, you’re working with a prospect and they come right out and tell you exactly what they need. This is called the High-Level Need – it’s high level because it’s urgent and pressing.
However, by asking more well-structured needs-oriented questions, you may uncover a number of other needs. Needs that the customer might not ask about but still relate to the original need. These are called Target Level Needs.
Like an iceberg, where most of the ice can’t be seen because it’s underwater. Target Level Needs need to be sought out, explored and prioritised.
This is why it’s so important to spend time on exploring needs – and at the risk of mixing my metaphors - start digging and don’t stop until you know all you need to know about your prospect or client.
By now you might be wondering how all this talk of needs turns into action. Read on for a five-point plan for needs-based selling.
5-point plan for needs-based selling:
1. Establish Rapport
Complete introductions, swap business cards, shake hands, create personal bond.
Agree agenda and meeting timeframe.
Agree on call purpose and objectives.
Seek permission to explore needs.
2. Explore Needs
Ask needs-oriented questions to explore needs.
‘Park’ any uncovered needs.
Listen for need cues and explore further.
Summarise needs and confirm joint understanding.
3. Present Solutions
Present proposed solution.
Detail benefits of solution relevant to uncovered needs.
Provide additional information as required.
Resolve objections as appropriate.
4. Close the Sale
Ask closing question.
Resolve objections as appropriate.
Provide further information.
Check for satisfaction.
5. Build the Relationship
Agree action plan.
Agree responsibilities and timeframes.
Plan activities to build relationship.
Stay in touch!
You’ll notice that you explore needs before you offer solutions. When you’re exploring needs you shouldn’t even be thinking about solutions, let alone what they might cost your client. How can you possibly start thinking about solutions when you’re still exploring the needs of your clients?
You now have your 5-point needs-based selling plan – what do you do next?
Put it into action!
But you’re right, putting needs-based selling into action is easier said than done.
And remember, 80% of salespeople don’t sell this way, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. But effort is always rewarded and the reward here is sales that are easier to close.