Here’s a smart and different approach advocated by Lisa Earle Macleod in “5 Secrets of Superstar Salespeople”.
Mediocre salespeople think “I have this product, how can I sell it to this customer?” Superstars reverse it, they think ‘I have this customer, how might my product be helpful?”
This seemingly backwards way of thinking shows up everywhere from the way superstars prep for their sales calls to the way they present their solutions.
An average rep will tell you, “I’m going to talk about this product and how it compares to what you’re currently using.” However, superstars organize their conversations around the customer’s environment and objectives, not their product benefits.
Average reps tend to say, “My widget does this and this, and here’s how it’s going to solve your problem.” When a superstar makes a presentation, they’re more likely to say, “You told me you have this goal, let’s talk about how we accomplish it.” Again, it’s a seemingly subtle, yet very distinct difference.
This reverse ordering flies on the face of the traditional feature-benefit or feature-advantage-benefit style of selling so many of us were taught. Yet, while it may seem backwards to the average sales person who thinks product first, customer second, it’s not backwards to the customer at all, who thinks goal or problem first, solution second.”
Remember, everyone is a sales person, whether your selling, marketing, interviewing, sharing a point of view, speaking.
O.D.O.o.O.D.B.
