Based on the current pandemic and economic landscape, it’s more important than ever that professional sellers rethink the ways they approach and partner with prospects and clients.
Customers determine the value of our sales proposition by evaluating our intentions toward them, our behavior with them and their level of belief that we’ll guide them to successful improvement.
Sales training has traditionally taught sellers to create value by diagnosing, pitching and repairing customer situations. But is that what customers really want, need and appreciate from sellers today? I’d suggest that what customers want from professional sellers is:
- A committed and helpful partner who understands their business and guides them willingly and successfully though their buying decision process.
- Honest and open communication with someone they trust to determine their current situation.
- Guidance to clarify their vision of a more productive future.
- Insightful assistance in understanding all their options so they can make their best possible decisions.
- A business partner who’s available to help them through any changes and solve any problems.
Put simply, professional sellers need to stop trying to push customers toward a decision. Instead, they should guide them down a path of self-discovery so they can determine what they believe is their most valued—and ultimately most beneficial—purchase decision. People most often believe in and act with enthusiasm toward ideas they come up with on their own.
While researching and creating our new continuing sales education and development program, Cooperation Selling, we uncovered powerful but simple strategies for providing customers with what they truly want from sellers. We also learned how to increase the customer’s perception of a seller’s value proposition, as well as how to partner for more successful purchase decisions.
Step 1: Become a Committed and Helpful Partner
Strategy: Show that you understand the customer’s business, and explain your helpful intentions during your first meaningful engagement.
Example: “We’re committed to understanding your business and helping you do what’s best for you. I’d like to share some information about our business and ask a few questions about yours. Would that be OK?”
Customers see more value in your partnership and recommendations if they believe that you have their best interests at heart.
Step 2: Create Honest and Open Communication
Strategy: Diagnose by using DISCovery to uncover your customer’s current situation, learn their hopeful future state and ensure you have common understanding so they trust you.
D: Diagnose by asking questions and using other diagnostic methods or tools to determine their current situation and how they might prefer to improve. Remember, effective selling isn’t simply about telling—it’s about asking questions.
I: Inform customers of your determinations to make sure you agree with their view of their current situation and hopeful future condition. Remember, there’s no point in making purchase decision recommendations if we’re not on the same page with the customer’s perception of their situation and what they want to accomplish.
S: Suggest possible differentiating decision criteria to promote greater value perception and competitive differentiation. Most sellers know that adding differentiators to the customer’s natural decision criteria list is a good idea. But few understand that this should be done early in the engagement. Most sellers still try to accomplish this in their solution recommendations. It’s better to differentiate early and confirm the customer’s increased value perception before offering any final recommendations. Plus, customers say they appreciate this honest, caring and proactive approach.
C: Confirm the customer’s agreement with the natural decision criteria you uncovered. The easiest way to do this is simply reviewing the entire list of decision criteria. Don’t forget to also confirm the customer’s perception of value in your suggested differentiators.
Example: “Why do you think that adding/accomplishing this would be useful or important?”
Step 3: Offer Insightful Assistance
Strategy: Make sure your purchase recommendations are offered as a rational, honest one-to-one solutions so customers can make the best possible purchase decisions.
Example: “You’ve determined what you want and need. (List the customer’s decision criteria.) You’ve also made clear what’s most important to you. (Offer your understanding of their criteria priorities.) Here’s how we intend to deliver on those and ensure you’re completely satisfied.”
If you’ve used DISCovery as part of your diagnostic process, you should be in the best position to create the highest competitively differentiated value. Remember, when customers choose between competitive offerings, their decision is based on the recommendation that best matches their decision criteria and priorities.
Step 4: Be Readily Available to Help
Strategy: Share your intentions, processes and experiences with customers so they understand you’ll provide them a meaningful experience both during and after their purchase.
Example: “If you don’t mind, I’d like to share how we continue to serve and satisfy our customers long after their initial purchase decision.”
If you and your company have procedures and processes that give customers a positive, useful, and satisfying experience, then share that. Many customers have become disillusioned by promises of service that are never delivered, or promises of continued partnering which haven’t occurred.
Remember, today’s customers create the foundation for tomorrows selling and business success.
According to many successful professional sellers, elevating your sales proposition as well as the customer’s perception of you, your company and your offerings isn’t as difficult as you might think. Just realize it requires a measure of introspection and change. If you’re willing to evaluate and improve your selling intentions, strategies and behavior, then more frequent and substantial selling success can be yours.
