When you want to sell your product or service to a customer, you won’t be able to persuade anyone to buy anything from you until you fully understand what it is that your customer wants.
When you’re working in business and you determine what the needs are for your customer, you can then sell to them with the knowledge of what is in their best interest.
Customers will look for a business that offers something for them as they need a reason to buy a product or service. Find out what makes your business unique from the competition and ask yourself “why would this customer want to buy from me.” It’s always good to ask your customer why they purchase from you as you might be thinking they are using your product or service for another reason.
When making sales calls and working with customers, the more you know about them the more effective your presentation can be. Find out who they are, what they buy and why they buy it. Find out who the contact person is that you will need to establish a working relationship with as this is the decision maker. Get to know your customer and find out why they are buying the product or service and what is important to them. Find out what their future needs may be. You want to emphasize the benefits to using your business and offer solutions to any challenges they may have. Anticipating future needs and staying current with the market will make you better able to assist them with future purchases.
Keep in mind that when making a sales call to a potential customer, they are most likely using another company. This is why it’s important to know who they are currently using, are they satisfied with their current supplier and how can they benefit from purchasing from you. You will need to consider your benefit offerings, price and how your business can serve this client.
Getting to know your client can help develop a strong working relationship with repeat business for many years to come. Take time to learn about him or her, their family, pets, hobbies and background. Always follow up and stay in touch with clients, even if they have not purchased from you in a while. This will help them to not forget about you and your business. Place a phone call just to say hello or take them to lunch to catch up if you have not connected in some time. Staying in touch shows you care and can keep you current on their business needs.
This article was originally featured on Teamrunsmart.com.