In class, Professor Sweet talked about a rule that really struck me. This rule provided insight on how to properly question a prospect and get to the real problem that they are facing. Rule #38 says that the problem the prospect brings you is never the REAL problem. Often times when you are selling to a customer they will bring a problem to surface that is not the core issue they are facing. It it your job to approach this problem at different angles and attempt to dig deeper to understand the REAL problem. Customers can not always see the core the issue that they have, so you must use your questions and techniques to discover what causes them pain. Professor Sweet talked about having a healthy amount of skepticism when talking with a customer. This means that you should be attentive and weary of what a customer is saying because there is usually more to be discovered underneath the surface.
Treating a sales conversation like the medical model of sales that we talked about in class is key. You must understand the symptoms vs. the causes that is making the customer tick, so you can correctly diagnose the problem. Often times we must look beyond the symptoms to discovering what those underlying causes of pain are. This rule also tells us to sell with a bedside manner approach. This means that we must be sympathetic, empathetic, and understanding of what the customer (or patient) is feeling. Using questions, listening, nurturing, and healthy skepticism is crucial to a successful bedside manner sales approach. Lastly, keep in mind that pain and budget are often correlated. Discover what your customer’s REAL pain is and how it correlates to issues of budget.
BoweryJE22
Great blog Mondo! I agree that we have to look beyond the surface and symptoms and discover the underlying pain or issue. Once you discover the real problem, that opens so many opportunities for you.
It is cool how our pain correlates with how much we are willing to spend. Especially that the initial pain a prospect gives you is not usually the root of the problem and how much they are willing to spend at the start might not line up with how much they’re willing to spend when you get to the end of the conversation.
We live in a broken world with broken people. Everyone has their own defense mechanisms, which builds shield around our problems. And we have shielded our problems for so long that we do not even recognizes our problems anymore.