Understanding The Buyer

Every sale happens because buyer comes to believe that the product or service will make a positive impact in self, life or business and even the smallest transaction relies on relationship between the seller and the buyer.

Creating great business relationships required an understanding of the motivations people have for buying your product and services.

There is no formula or science of selling which will always work for everyone but there are some techniques and methods that you can learn. Selling is an art and it is always about people first.

Buyers are people just like us and they need your help in purchasing from you. They will only buy from you if they think it will bring some positive change to their life, business or company. Start with understanding their needs and wants.

 

Needs vs. wants

Needs are the things which customers must have to achieve a positive change which they are looking for. If we can understand what are their needs and how much they need it to bring positive change or improvement in their life or business then we can work on the value proposition to help them achieving that positive change. Wants are nice to have things; those are not completely necessary needs from the customers. Make sure you differentiate needs and wants from the customer’s requirements and make sure you are selling needs along with nice to have things. Never try to sell wants alone.

 

Customer’s customer

Know your customer’s customer. It will solve your difficulties in identifying the valuable needs of your customer. Find out what your customers wants to improve in delivering better solutions their customers and how your product or service can fulfill the needs of that improvement. Know their customer’s demands to better understand the actual needs of your customers.

 

Identify the pain

Positive change is always needed because of some pain in work, life or company. Identify the pain from which your customer seeks relief. Depending on the impact of pain, the value and need of your solution will increase and that will be the opportunity for you to help your customer by offering your product or service. It is always an impact of that pain which develops an opportunity for you. Make sure you have identified it.

 

Keep track of your progress

Sales always includes many activities and stages, it is important for you to keep track of those activity and stage you are at with customers. You can keep track by grouping the potential buyers by their stages. These could be:

Suspects - who are new leads?

• Prospects - with whom you have already made a contact
• Opportunities – when you have identified their pain, needs, wants and building a stronger relationship with them to offer a solution
• Proposals & negotiation – This is the stage when you have approached to a customer with a proposal of your product or services and negotiating on features, price, customization and implementation
• Closures – Customers has accepted your proposal including negotiated price, taken a decision to buy your product or services and given you a commitment to do so.
• Closed deals– These are the customers, you can ask for referrals and take some details from them regarding their experience with your product or service as references.

 

Build strong relationships

It is always people first, people buy from people. Strong relationship is very big advantage you can have against your competitor. Take an interest in solving their problem other than speaking about features of your product or service. Help them with references, expert advice and helpful materials to make them see more value in working with you. Be open, helpful, honest and interested in customer’s pain points to build trust.

Your product or service features can be copied but the approach you take in building relationship with customer makes a big difference