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What Does Your Customer Really Value?
Guest articles > What Does Your Customer Really Value?
by: Mark Hunter
We've all heard the rule of listening to what the customer has to say, and
there's not a salesperson who thinks they don't listen to the customer. Reality,
however, is quite the opposite. I find time after time when I'm working with
salespeople across any number of industries that the failure to listen is a huge
issue. Too many salespeople believe because they know the products they represent
much better than the client, they know exactly what the customer will see as
real value. Yes, you as the agent are going to have a general indication of what
a typical customer wants. However, when it comes to interacting with a specific
customer, you can't rely on a "general indication" of value. The only way you are going to know what a customer will place value in is by
asking them and getting them to tell you what they're looking for. Sounds simple
enough, and yet so many salespeople don't do it. If you don't believe what I am saying, then let me share about the situation
my wife found herself in while buying a car. The car she was looking at was an
SUV with all the amenities of what people expect when looking for an SUV
(4-wheel drive, ability to handle rugged winter driving, etc). The salesperson
continued to press my wife on the value of these features of the SUV. The
problem was that my wife wasn't particularly interested in those features. Yes,
we wanted an SUV, but my wife -- the primary driver of the vehicle -- was
looking for an amazing sound system and heated, comfortable seats. I can't tell you the number of salespeople who lost the sale because they
failed to understand what my wife's value expectations were with regard to the
car. We could easily have been sold on an SUV other than the one we bought, had
the salesperson listened and put aside their pre-conceived notions of what a
"typical buyer" of an SUV might be most interested in. I share this example so that you can see that it's not just about
"understanding" this dynamic; it's about learning from it and changing how you
interact with customers. The learning is simple: Listen to what the customer is
saying. They will tell you what their needs are when you ask them the right
questions. This means not only do you need to ask the right questions, but you
also need to hear what the customer is telling you and then ask them a follow-up
question on what they just told you. Asking the follow-up question is key,
because the vast majority of time, the customer will share with you much better
insights when you show interest and involvement in what they're telling you. Once a person feels the other person is truly listening, it's only natural for the quality of the conversation to become more real and engaging. By asking the follow-up questions, the salesperson will learn what the customer's value expectations are. The salesperson can then finally work to close the sale to the customer's expectations. When that happens, they will do more than just close the sale. There is a significant likelihood the sale will be closed at a higher profit, because the customer sees more value in what they're buying.
Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter," is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit http://www.TheSalesHunter.com. You can also follow him on http://www.Twitter.com (TheSalesHunter), on http://www.LinkedIn.com (Mark Hunter), and on his Facebook Fan Page, http://www.facebook.com/TheSalesHunter. Contributor: Mark Hunter Published here on: Classification: Sales Website: http://www.TheSalesHunter.com |
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| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings | |
Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories | |
Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help | |
More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes | |
Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate | |
| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links | |
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