Force Success!
Ask most company managers and they’ll tell you the key to satisfying customers is to “do what the customer wants.” Although this is a reasonable answer, I believe in embracing the philosophy of “doing what the customer needs” instead. Although it takes extra time to educate a customer and merge their wants with newly learned needs, it leads to a more satisfied customer and it’s the right thing to do.
You are an expert in your field and your customer is not. You’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. How you discover what your customer wants and how you make recommendations on what your customer really needs can be the difference between success and failure. Here are three steps to get buy-in on realistic customer needs:
HOW TO PUSH FOR REAL NEEDS – “Force Success”
- Frame the Terms: Use the words “wants” and “needs” and gain agreement with your potential customer on their meaning in regards to your services.
- Discover Their Wants: Take notes as you ask a lot of questions to determine your potential customer’s wants. With each response, ask, “Why do you want that?” Then, verbally summarize their responses and gain confirmation on both their stated wants and their reasons. Your customer will be more willing to buy in to your recommendations if she feels you fully heard and understood her reasons behind her stated desires.
- Make Your Case Using Their Reasons as a Basis: As you make your recommendations on what you believe will best satisfy your potential customer’s true needs, bring up the reasons they stated for their list of wants. Align your narrative with their reasons as you recommend your best solutions.
