Questions To Ask, Answers To Tell

I can’t tell them that…



I love coaching new clients. I think I learn as much from them as they do from me. It also gives me a reminder of some of the issues that you may be struggling with. Today, Martha called to say that her manager was refusing to give her pricing for a prospect because she did not know enough about the account. She was blaming me because I had taught them not to give prices until they understood the customer’s real needs and had taken the time to build value. She was right, it was my fault!



Value building must always precede pricing.



I role played with her, asking Martha to play the customer. I said, "Tell me about your internal processes? How are you handling the new regulations? How do you handle your documents?" Finally, she interrupted the role play and said, "I see where you are going with these questions. We are finding the weaknesses in their current system that we can fix. But I can’t tell someone that has done something one way for 30 years that they are doing it wrong!"



Yes you can…



And you must. In today’s market, you must find ways to help your client change for the better. Simply offering the best price may win the order today, but it won’t build the value-based relationship that leads to long-term business. You’ve heard is said that no one wants to change, but everyone wants to improve. Reality says that one can’t happen without the other.



Here are some of the prospect challenges you face:



1. The prospect does not have the power to make changes.

2. The prospect does not see the advantage/value of the change.

3. The prospect does not believe the change will be an improvement.

4. The prospect does not believe you are the right person/company to help them change.



But that’s not the only force you are fighting.



You are also fighting yourself and your knowledge and beliefs. For example:



1. Do you really believe you can deliver the results?

2. Do you know enough about the client’s needs to know it will work?

3. Do you know enough to project the client’s ROI?

4. Are you confident enough to call the CEO and explain the offer?



Your prospects don’t want to buy from you. They don’t want to buy from your competition either. They simply want to build their business in the best way they can. You and I are simply options that they have to choose from. The winner will be the one who offers the prospect the best and most complete solution to the widest array of problems with the best ROI. That’s a long way from simply offering the best price and it may require telling them that there is a better way to do what they are doing.



Build it and they will come.



When you take the time to build value in the minds of your prospects, here is what will happen:



1. You will win more deals.

2. You will win bigger deals.

3. You will have happier customers.

4. You will defend against the competition.

5. You will make more money.



Martha promised to go back and talk with the prospect again. She knows that the personality and skill that got her in the door will give her the opportunity to ask more questions.