Most people who are selling something whether it be an idea, a product or a service know that they have to find the pain that their prospect or customer is experiencing first. They are to ‘give them a headache and hand them a panadol’ as the old metaphor goes.
Instead what many do is hand them a panadol as soon as they think a ‘I have a headache’ might even be touted. They cut them off at the pass with the product first and hope, wish and wait that the outcome is a product based conversation and an advancement of the sale.
Instead, the client never had a headache. A slight twinge at best.
So how does a salesperson, or a sales leader or a business owner learn how to GO DEEP and really diagnose before prescribing.
Well, we all have been told over the years that we have one (1) mouth and two (2) ears and for us touse each accordingly, haven’t we? What I think is missing though, is the use of our third (3) eye. A third eye, straight from Wikipedia, is a mystical and esoteric concept referring to a speculative invisible eye which provides perception beyond ordinary sight. And that is what salespeople nowneed to realise is crucial for them to tap into. They need to be aware that no matter how weak thatinsight is they may have, they still have it to build upon and it will allow them to drive those value based conversations even deeper to get to the real pain point.
So how does that look?
Well, the problem that’s usually put on the table is an intellectual, logical problem isn’t it? Kind of like; my printer has stopped working and I need to use the person’s next door.
The internal problem is that it is a pain in the butt to walk next door and so it makes sense to ade to a new one. One that’s not going to cause so much distraction and provide a heap more
convenience.
The real problem to solve is the identity of that decision maker. What the simple act of buying a new printer is going to mean to him personally. Is it so he can print things quicker and be able to go home earlier and be a good dad? Is it to make the right decision and be seen in the organisation as someone who makes good judgements? Is it so he can get his work done in a timely fashion and be perceived as professional and responsible?
Know what it is your buyer, prospect or customer is really buying and the only way to do that is by speaking, listening and being perceptive in relative proportions.
You see, deep down we all buy ourselves.