Off the Cuff Instant Interview Question: How can asking questions to gain knowledge of your buyer’s process also assist you in establishing a relationship with your buyer?
All too often today we hear about different sales styles: Challenger, Solutions, Target account, Value selling, Whale hunting, the list goes on and on and on. However, there is a time and place for each of those in every sale. None of these is a complete answer and none can be applied without understanding and respect.
In the end, it is the buyer’s criteria and process that will dictate the winner. The styles above are means to that end. Nothing more. Each and every buyer will have their definitions of what “type” of salesperson can meet their specific needs. No sales book will dictate nor teach you about the person sitting across the table at any given moment. The books are valuable, they will offer you knowledge (in some cases knowledge of what not to do), but they cannot and will not address the specific buyer you are selling today.
These styles are built on generalities. They are built on averages and big data. The buyer sitting across from you is not big data nor are they 4,000 sales calls. They are one! No buyer will ever match the average.
You have to understand what your specific buyer wants. What your specific buyer needs. What your specific buyer’s process is for you to have success.
Knowing that none of your buyers will meet the average means you have to ask the questions to know what they will need to see, hear and feel to match their process/needs. You need to understand their process so you know which style will work here and now.
Read. Learn. Grow. Books will help you here. This learning can arm you with the tools needed to work with individual clients and prospects. However, remember that each and every buyer is an independent case. Your sales system, your sales strategy, and your sales execution should include questions. This way your system can handle the natural variation that comes in working with people. There is no person that matches an average. There is no person that matches big data.
The best path to knowledge for the buyer you are currently trying to sell is the buyer. Ask the question. They want to tell you. Or…maybe they don’t. But you will gain valuable information either way. You will learn about this specific buyer. You will learn their specific process and thus be able to better match it.
Pipeliner CRM empowers all possible sales styles. Get your free trial of Pipeliner CRM now.
Comments