Are You Exhibiting Products or Solving Problems?
The Story of Mary and Sam
Mary and Sam are sales reps for Digi-King Displays. Digi-King manufactures large-scale digital displays for airport terminals and other large venues. Digi-Kind displays are the top-rated displays on the market.
Mary is proud of her company and its products. She can rattle off the specs of a Digi-King display like nobody's business. The majority of her sales presentations are devoted to proving the quality of her displays.
Mary's sales are average.
Sam doesn't understand the technical aspects of Digi-King displays. All he knows is that they solve problems that other displays cannot solve. Sam's presentations begin with documenting the needs of his prospects. Only then does he choose the right Digi-King products and present them.
Sam is the top-selling rep at Digi-King.
The Difference: Solve Customer Problems
Mary asked Sam for the secret of his success. He replied, "I found that buyers don't care about the technical specs as much as they care about solving a problem. If they have an odd-shaped room, our displays are the only ones that give a bright display to every seat in the house. The buyer doesn't care how we do it, just that we can do it. That's what I sell: solutions to customer problems."
It was difficult for her, but Mary began each of her buyer conversations by asking questions. Her product knowledge helped greatly, but only to find the right solution to the buyer's problem.
Now, Mary and Sam take turns winning the "Best Sales Rep" trophy each year.
What About You?
The next time you prepare to show off your product knowledge, stop. Make the conversation about the buyer's needs. Ask more questions. Learn the buyer's pain. Make the pain go away by applying your product. Then watch your sales skyrocket!
