Sales Quiz: What's Important to Your Customer?
Here's a quick multiple-choice game that tests your knowledge of how your customers think, when they're considering buying from you. It's a simple sales scenario that has you guess what question is uppermost in the prospect's mind at each stage of the sale.
When you're done, you'll know exactly how to structure a sales engagement, so it's worth the three minutes it takes to complete it. The process is easy. Read the scenario, then pick the question that you think is uppermost in the prospect's mind at that point in the sale. If you guess right, you move to the next stage of the sales cycle. Here goes:
SCENARIO: You're meeting for the first time with a decision-maker for a huge potential customer. You've only got a few minutes to establish yourself as a trusted adviser. The only way to accomplish this is to answer the HUGE question that's foremost in the prospect's mind. Which is it? (Click on the question that you absolutely need to answer first.)
- "Does the value and price of this product meet my expectations?"
- "Is this the right time to make a decision to buy this product?"
- "Do I want to do business with the firm this sales pro represents?"
- "Do I want to do business with this particular sales pro?"
- "Do I want and need the product this sales pro is offering?"
Illustrations by Afiat Sukmaraga
NOPE!
That's not what the prospect is thinking at this point. If your sales approach is trying to address that issue, you're either delaying the sale or (worst case) scuttling it completely.
CORRECT!
The very first decision that every prospect makes is whether they want to do business with you personally. Even if the prospect is dying to buy something, even if the prospect knows and trusts your firm, if you come off as irritating or obnoxious, you'll be fighting an uphill battle through the entire sales cycle. That's why sales trainers keep driving home that first impressions count!
SCENARIO (cont.): You've convinced the prospect that you're worth doing business with. You now must move the discussion to the next level. The only way to do this is to answer the NEXT important question that's uppermost in the prospect's mind. The prospect has decided that he or she can do business with you, which of the following questions is uppermost in the prospect's mind? (Click on the question that you'll need to answer next.)
- "Does the value and price of this product meet my expectations?"
- "Do I want and need the product this sales professional is offering?"
- "Is this the right time to make a decision to buy this product?"
- "Do I want to do business with the firm this sales professional represents?"
UH OH!
That's not what the prospect is thinking at this point. If your sales approach is trying to address that issue, you're either delaying the sale or (worst case) scuttling it completely.
CORRECT!
Whatever you're offering the prospect, it's your firm who will be ultimately responsible for delivering. The prospect wants to make sure that he or she is not taking a risk by hiring you to handle that aspect of their business. If you're fortunate, the prospect may have already heard of your firm, ideally from a colleague. But if not, it's contingent upon you to sell your firm -- not by bragging or making vague claims -- but by showing an example of how you've helped customers similar to this prospect.
SCENARIO (cont.): You've shown the prospect that your firm is worthy of the prospect's attention. But you're not done yet. Which of the following questions is uppermost in the prospect's mind? (Click on the question that you'll need to answer next.)
- "Is this the right time to make a decision to buy this product?"
- "Do I want and need the product this sales professional is offering?"
- "Does the value and price of this product meet my expectations?"
SORRY!
That's not what the prospect is thinking at this point. If your sales approach is trying to address that issue, you're either delaying the sale or (worst case) scuttling it completely.
CORRECT!
Once the prospect has decided that it's OK to work with you (as a general issue), the specifics of the situation become more important. The prospect will want to know whether or not what you're selling will truly be of use. This is the part of the sales cycle where you identify needs, diagnose problems, and map your offerings into solutions that address the prospect's needs and goals.
SCENARIO (cont.): You've had a substantive discussion about needs, and it's clear that there's a reasonable match. Now which question is uppermost in the prospect's mind? (Click on the question that you'll need to answer next.)
- "Does the value and price of this product meet my expectations?"
- "Is this the right time to make a decision to buy this product?"
OOPS!
That's not what the prospect is thinking at this point. If your sales approach is trying to address that issue, you're either delaying the sale or (worst case) scuttling it completely.
CORRECT!
Congratulations! you've completed the quiz!
Prospects tend to look at value and then timing, because if the value isn't there, then the timing is irrelevant. That's why you need, through the sales cycle, to constantly position your product as being worth the investment. It's only after that point that you need to address the timing, which is the very last element that is of interest to the prospect.
To summarize, here is the order of how most customers make a buying decision, when they are contacted by the sales professional:
- #1: Do I want to do business with this particular sales professional?
- #2: Do I want to do business with the firm this sales professional represents?
- #3: Do I want and need the product this sales professional is offering?
- #4: Does the value and price of this product meet my expectations?
- #5: Is this the right time to make a decision to buy this product?
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