1. Think what you want to sell
When sellers are asked what they are selling, the answer is usually a specific product or service.
Few vendors know how to answer by selling a solution to a customer’s problem. However, this is what the customer actually buys.
In the case of shoes, the customer's benefit can be, for example, the well-being of the feet, while the time saved by drilling machines while working.
Flowers, in turn, can serve as a beautiful decorative element, and training can help participants be more productive in their own work.
So there is a big difference in how you talk about your own offering.
While being able to define a solution to a customer’s problem, you also get a good story. It’s always a lot easier to identify with stories.
After that, you can also return to your own product and service when the customer wants to know how you are going to solve his problem in practice.
2. Select the target group according to the customer's problem
Customers can be grouped in many different ways. Many use different demographic factors, ABC breakdowns, industry-specific definitions, etc.
One very good way is to group customers from the perspective of the problem they are experiencing or the benefit they are getting.
It’s good to remember that the solution to a customer’s problem is always the same as the benefit the customer experiences, no matter how small.
In this way, it is often possible to offer a solution more widely than just, for example, according to a specific industry.
So the good question at this point is: Who has this problem? Here is your clear target audience.
From this target group, you can then select the 10-20 most potential customers at a time to contact.
3. The products you offer into a clear whole
Now that you know who you want to approach, you should also commercialize your offerings by target group and often even by customer.
In this case, the customer finds the product or service interesting to him. This way, as a seller, you can sell more easily and, above all, make it easier for the customer to buy.
With a well-productized offer, you can also catch up with the store itself more quickly.
Productization opens up to the customer, among other things, what problem you are solving, how you do it in practice, and what real benefits the customer gets from the cooperation.
One company selling business gifts was thinking about how to make its offerings more interesting for the customer and get rid of the so-called product sales.
Business gifts when you are known for every departure. When the idea was put together, story threads such as the “court procurer” and the customer’s “brand guard” were found.
In this way, the business gift company found a way to package different business gift and service packages on a customer-by-customer basis, and the trade began to take place in a completely new way.
4. Identify the spearhead of your sales
Many times the spearhead is lost in the sale, which is what really sets you apart from the competition.
Prepare in advance to respond to a customer who asks why he or she should buy from you when you are happy with your current suppliers.
In a metal industry company, the idea of a spearhead was conceived. The result was a list of 20 items, of which 18 items were the same as the competitors.
The remaining 2 points set the company apart from its competitors: a service concept tailored to the customer's needs and thus the ease of purchasing for the customer.
When this concept was further commercialized, customers were even more satisfied with their fast-reacting and agile supplier.
5. Make an action plan
Next, it is time to make a short-term action plan. Therefore, specify the goal for the week according to point 1 and plan practical measures:
how you will contact the customer of your choice (by phone, e - mail, letter, some, etc.)
think about how you present the matter to the customer in an interesting way
Recall what is the spearhead of your sales
This will make it easy for you to start implementing the plan, get a clear division of labor between the different vendors, and make it easier for you all to move forward.
When making an action plan, make sure it becomes realistic enough. For example, measure the number of contacts so that you can also take care of them at the agreed time.
If the workload is too high and things are left behind, they may start to be anxious. It, in turn, affects everything else you do.
It’s better to do less and do it properly than to bite too much of a cake at once.
In these ways, you refine what you are doing and focus your attention on the right things. If even one point is lame, the whole is lame.
The results speak for themselves, both good and bad. So think about your own situation and grab the point that needs the most attention.
It immediately helps other parts work as well, making you much more productive and deliver better results.
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