Have you ever been in a conversation with someone trying to figure out what is wrong? You can tell something is wrong because they are not acting as their normal self. You ask question after question trying to figure out what is actually wrong. They will bring up a problem but you can tell that it is not the root problem. You continue to peel them away like an onion until finally they tell you what is actually bothering them, and then you go on the offensive of trying to help them with that problem.
A sales situation can be exactly like this. You talk to your client and they tell you what the issue is but you can tell that is just not it, there is more than what is being shown on the surface. More questions are asked until you finally get it out of them. They might not even be aware that they disclosed the true issue, but as an experienced salesperson you can figure out. Once you find this root pain, it is your time to take action in helping the client find what it is they need.
The issue is not always clear to the client and it can make a sales situation very complex. Sure you can scratch at the surface and give them a band aid solution, but that is not what they want. They might not know what they want or need but the surface level problem is just the face of the whole beast sometimes. These probing questions that keep getting you deeper and deeper into what the actual problem may be is so important. Not only is it showing the client that you do care about them and their needs, but that you are knowledgeable in what you do. Once that root pain is found, there is a good chance you found a long term client.
BoweryJE22
We have all been there. This is a good point but I think there is more opportunity for questions in this situation. Once a person opens up to what they are bothered by ask them why they are bothered by rather than just offering a solution. This could be a great opportunity to show that you are truly interested in helping them. Especially if you ask them what solutions they think might work before offering a solution.
Digging to the root of the problem is one of the many jobs of a good salesperson. In fact, “Band-Aid” solutions can actually do more harm than good. For instance, if a client comes to you and says that their basement is flooding, draining the water from the most recent flood may be a start, but finding the source of the leak is what matters most. If you were to just drain the water and walk away, the next time their basement floods, they will blame it on your company for claiming to solve a problem that you just covered up.
Caden, this is a great point. I think finding the true pain is so important as it gives the clarity needed to really solve the clients problem and not to unload useless services or products on them. This can increase retention which is so helpful to us and to them. A win/win!
I completely agree with you, as salespeople you have to continue to dig and get to the root cause of the pain that is affecting the customer. If you don’t dig then you won’t be able to find the right product/service that ultimately addresses the pain that the customer is going through.