Posted by David Bennett
Wed, 07 Jun 2006 15:24:00 GMT
The Most Important Questions You Can Ask Your Customer!
How do you craft a "Specific Value Proposition"? It all comes down to KNOWLEDGE: how much you really know about your prospect or customer. Here are some questions you should be asking:
1. Mr/Ms Customer, of all the professionals you’ve work with (not just my service), who is your favorite or the one whose relationship you most value?
2. What is it that they do that makes them so valuable?"
These questions can help you answer the following questions:
Do you really understand their needs and why those needs exist?
Do you understand their personal or business issues and challenges?
Their future plans and directions?
Do you know your customer as well as you know your company’s products and services?
If you want to become a most valuable service provider to you customers you need to find out how to do that. Chances are your customers have plenty of experience with sales people and know what they like and what they don’t. By asking the "value questions" you’ll get an honest answer from your customer that won’t feel like a customer demand or part of the sale negotiation.
And then you can work on becoming your customer’s new favorite sales associate!
Posted in Important Questions to Ask, Interviews with customers/clients, Do Your Own Research
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Posted by David Bennett
Wed, 07 Jun 2006 15:18:00 GMT
The Power of KNOW: It’s All About the Value Proposition
Yes, you CAN win any listing or sale … or at least get out of the unwinnable ones before you’ve invested too much selling time!
In a sense selling is so simple. Any customer who is even considering a purchase of a product or service has a value proposition in their mind, i.e., more than "need", a vision of the results they will gain from making a purchase. You sell successfully when you meet or exceed the customer’s expected value proposition. You fail when you come up short (your value proposition doesn’t align with or meet the customer’s) or the competition creates a better value proposition.
The key to offering a compelling value proposition is in knowing the customer’s expected value proposition, not just their stated needs. Too often as sales reps we ask a few need-type questions then take our value propositions (list of product benefits?) and pitch them to the customer, looking for a fit. We do it because it’s easy, quick, and doesn’t require us to do a lot of "knowing", i.e., exploring to find the customer’s expected value proposition.
Posted in Do Your Own Research, Consumer Research, Interviews with customers/clients, Know what the Customer Values
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Posted by David Bennett
Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:01:00 GMT
If value is in the ear of the beholder, then listen to your own words from the customer’s perspective and realize it’s all about what they are buying, not what you are selling. The following guidelines will help you ease the transition into their world.
1. Start with Needs – Why do clients/customers engage your services? It is not because they want services such as a CMA or Internet advertising or contract negotiations. It is because they need to be assured the price they ask for their home is in the correct range; they need negotiating skills which, in turn, give them reassurance they are getting a fair deal, if not an excellent one; they need to sleep better at night knowing their risks are reduced through your expertise.
Think in terms of what client needs you can fill, not what services you can offer. Clients/customers may not always understand what your services are all about, but they certainly will understand how relieving their stress and worry or reaching their target return on investment impacts their lives.
2. Ask Your Clients – If you already have customers, then ask them why they decided to work with you in the first place. What is it that made you distinct in their minds when they chose you? What benefits did they gain from the work you have done? How would they describe your work to a colleague if they were to recommend you? (If you don’t yet have customers, find prospects and ask why they use your type of services.)
Listen carefully to your their answers. Listen for key words or phrases that are used frequently. Listen for the real hot button needs that evoke strong emotion or conviction. Suspend any preconceived idea of what you are about to hear. By listening with an open mind, you will most likely be surprised, and will discover the real value you provide.
Posted in Listen to what people say, Interviews with customers/clients, Consumer Research
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