What Client’s Expect

Today selling is more competitive than ever.

Clients are more knowledgeable; your competition is more astute at articulating their advantage; and technology changes occur so quickly that no one holds a long-term advantage. Staying current with your clients is imperative.

Imagine visiting a client for your scheduled monthly meeting when they share about a new app from your competitor. It solves a high-priority problem for them. You haven’t heard about it and have no idea what your company is doing to offer a comparable solution. What do you do?

Today, there is likely at least one competitor solution provider in every company you’re prospecting. To win new business, you must take advantage of these opportunities:

• Create a new solution,
• Leverage a major change in ownership or leadership,
• Replace an ineffective solution provider

Client’s change their providers when they’re no longer getting their needs met. They expect solutions and providers that are caring, convincing and compelling. Let’s take a look at these characteristics.

You would think it’s a no-brainer to care for your clients. Unfortunately, some sales professionals only think about their own priorities. They focus on their budget, their commission and the need they have to close the business.

That’s not what your client cares about.

They want to know that you have their best interest at heart; that you are completely objective. They want to know that you put their needs and issues first, and that you’re proactive and flexible. That’s what it means to show you care.

Once they see that you care, then you must be convincing, which is about contrast – or the way you set yourself apart from your competition. Contrast produces clarity that makes your solution more attractive. When it’s obvious that your solution meets all their needs, their decision to buy is much easier.

The last point is that client’s will buy when they see your solution as compelling. It not only is the best approach, but they love to buy from people who don’t sell too hard. You become the obvious partner of choice because they like the expectations you set and the services you provide; they sense an ease of doing business with you and they know you’re flexible. Those are compelling reasons to buy.

When the clients know you care, they’re open to your recommendations and are willing to work with you. You become convincing with the tangibles you offer, which gives them clarity and contrast versus your competition. You become compelling when the client sees the intangibles you offer, which are often just as important as the typical features. They’re confident in your commitment to their success, the expectations you set, the services you offer, the team you have in place and your can-do attitude. You’re now on the road to success.

Good Selling!
Stu Schlackman