TFT: Your Sales Process Is Not About You
Why putting the buyer first is your biggest sales advantage
In today’s dynamic sales environment, understanding and aligning with the buyer’s journey is more crucial than ever. Recent insights from Gartner reveal that 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free experience. This is why you need to emphasize flexibility and buyer-centricity is your sales process. That’s what we are looking at today. We need to build a process that is flexible and open to new inputs.
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Are You Defining the Problem?
Traditional sales approaches often focus on the seller’s objectives, leading with product features and company goals. However, this method overlooks the buyer’s needs and can result in disengagement. In contrast, a buyer-first mindset emphasizes understanding the customer’s problems, timelines, and internal dynamics, leading to more meaningful engagements. Remember the problem you set out to tackle in the first place. You wanted to solve a problem you had. In the process you realized others had that same problem. You realized they would pay you for it so you developed products and services to help them solve that problem. now that you have the products and services you are focusing more and more on them. You want to talk about all these great features you created. But do not do that.
Stick to defining the problem and why it needs to be solved.
Your customers will connect with you and you will grow more because you remember the problem you are working to eliminate from the world.
What’s Wrong with Talking About my Product?
Startups and small businesses, particularly those led by technical founders, may find it challenging to shift from a product-centric to a customer-centric approach. Embracing a buyer-first sales process involves:
Asking insightful questions before presenting solutions.
Listening actively to understand the buyer’s challenges.
Tailoring presentations to address specific customer needs.
This approach not only builds trust but also aligns the sales process with the buyer’s journey, enhancing the likelihood of a successful sale.
There is nothing wrong with talking through the products and services that you have created and the value it will bring to a customer. This is an issue of timing. You want to ensure that your customer is on the same page as you and vice versa. You have to understand the goals of your customer as well. Starting with the customers problems and ensuring those are the ones you can solve, i.e. the customer-centric approach ensures alignment and increases your chances of closing the sell.
When We are on the Same Page We Both Win
Neglecting the buyer’s priorities can lead to missed opportunities and lost sales. However, by centering the sales process around the customer’s needs, businesses can transform from mere vendors to trusted partners. This trusted advisor role will be key to not only this sell but future success with this client and their colleagues. In an era where attention is scarce, a buyer-first approach not only resonates more with potential clients but also drives better conversion rates. This continues to be key as AI enters the scene. Sure, AI is revolutionizing the sales landscape by enabling more personalized and efficient buyer interactions. AI tools can analyze customer data to provide insights into buyer behavior, preferences, and pain points, allowing sales teams to tailor their approach effectively. For instance, AI-driven platforms can suggest optimal times for follow-ups, recommend content that aligns with the buyer’s interests, and even predict potential objections, facilitating a more proactive and responsive sales strategy.
All of these features are great for customer engagement and efficient communication, but they mean nothing if you are not solving a problem!
Action Step
Review your current sales materials and processes:
Does your sales deck begin by addressing the buyer’s problem?
How many questions do you ask before introducing your product?
Where can you incorporate more opportunities to listen and understand the buyer’s needs?
Select one change to implement this week. Review that change one week from now and determine if it led to more meaningful conversations and successful sales outcomes.
Additional Reading
Are you looking to improve your sales process or hire your first sales professional?
Are you a technical expert ready to transition into sales and need guidance?
If so, we’re here to help! Reach out to us with your specific challenges, and we’ll schedule a time to discuss how we can develop a customized plan to meet your goals.
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I love this paragraph because engineers typically hate to sell when the connotation of selling is tied to that old car salesman mentality. But engineers LOVE to solve problems. This paragraph breaks that down in a simple way. Selling sucks when you just sell features. It’s awesome when you solve problems, and engineers can be great at it when they embrace that switch.
Remember the problem you set out to tackle in the first place. You wanted to solve a problem you had. In the process you realized others had that same problem. You realized they would pay you for it so you developed products and services to help them solve that problem. now that you have the products and services you are focusing more and more on them. You want to talk about all these great features you created. But do not do that.
Good post!