So what are these whys and why are they so important?
When you are talking to a prospect the whys that you want answered are:
1. The real 'reason why' they want this problem solved or they want to
obtain this outcome.
You want to find the 'reason why' because you need to discover the
ultimate outcome they want. If you know the ultimate outcome they want, you
will not only increase your chances of gaining a client but you will also
probably make an even larger sale. Also, if you think about it, you need to
know the ultimate outcome your prospect is looking for before you can
propose the solution that is going to give them this ultimate outcome.
Let me clarify this with a very simple example. If someone wants to buy a
drill, they are wanting to buy an outcome which is the hole. If you go one
step further and you find out the 'reason why' they want the hole, you will
find the ultimate outcome. If they said they want holes so they can put up
shelves, you could now focus the conversation on a solution which will give
them the ultimate outcome they are looking for: shelves. You have now
increased your chances of making a sale as you are now focusing on giving
them what they really want: shelves. Plus by focusing on a solution that
gives them shelves, you could probably include additional components and
make an even larger sale.
2. Why they want this ultimate outcome NOW.
You want to find out why they want this ultimate outcome now as you need
to know if there is a compelling reason to take action now. If there is no
compelling reason to take action now, chances are high that they will not
make a decision now. If there is no compelling reason you will probably be
wasting your time, money and resources in pursuing a sale that is not going
to happen now.
So just as you have whys you want answered so too does your prospect. The
whys your prospect wants answered are:
1. Why should I buy this product or service?
Your prospect wants to know what's in it for me (WIIFM) if I buy your
product or service? What problem does your product or service solve and what
outcome is it going to deliver? What difference is your product or services
going to make for me? Is there a justification for buying your product or
service? Why is it important for me to buy your product or service now
instead of later?
2. Why should I buy this product or service from you?
Once your prospect has made the decision that they want to buy a product
or service like yours to solve a problem or achieve an outcome, they will
probably also think they can buy this product or service from other
companies as well. It is at this point they start asking themselves all
sorts of questions about you. Are you capable of solving this problem and
delivering the outcome? Will you do what you say you will do? Can I trust
you? What risk am I exposing myself to if I buy from you? Will I get the
outcome I want if I buy from you? Why should I buy from you instead of your
competitors?
If you look at your sales conversations and all your steps in the sales
process, they really are about finding out and answering these whys. In
essence you want to find out why they want a problem solved now so you can
know if they are really a prospect. In essence your prospect wants to know
why they should even be interested in your products and services and if they
are, why they should buy from you. Selling really is all about the whys.
(c) 2008, Tessa Stowe, Sales Conversation.
Tessa Stowe teaches small business owners and recovering
salespeople simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being
sales-y or pushy. Her FREE monthly Sales Conversation newsletter is full of
tips on how to sell your services by just being yourself. Sign up now at
http://www.salesconversation.com
