What you need to know? This stage of the sale is about listening to you customer and using questioning skills in order to define the needs of the customer. This is a complete stage, do not be tempted to start selling at the first sign of a need. Remember it could be an implied need and you may not have enough information to sell successfully.
Too many sales people enter the exploration stage with questions about the clients need / opinion / desire for the product or service they're selling. They then get surprised when the buyer switches off or challenges them.
E.g. "Are you tying to sell me something?"
There should be no surprise - the client's reaction is perfectly understandable. The salesperson has interrupted the client's day to ask them to essentially discuss how likely they are to spend money on the salespersons product. This is reminiscent of the famous Groucho Marx line :-
"Well - that's enough about me.……… What do you think of me?"
Remember buying you product or service is simply a consequence. It is a solution to a need. In order for you to convince the client that you are the solution, you have to trace their steps back through that need. A client doesn't sit mulling over the question "Who should I use?", he / she attempts to answer the question "How do I meet the needs of my business?"
The answers to this question lie in a thorough understanding and analysis of the clients business situation in relation to the services you have to offer, and it is precisely on these areas that you must base your questions.
Think about asking what kind of needs you client has. How much do they use a product or service, where do they buy it from at the moment, what are the most important selection criteria for a supplier, what payment terms do the need etc?
Make sure you have fully understood one area before you leave it. Summarise constantly to keep the whole picture in mind.
Do not jump in a haphazard way from one topic of questioning to another. It confuses the client and destroys the flow of the conversation, let each answer inspire your next question, and go with the flow.
i.e. Q > A > Q > A > Q > A
The success of your exploration depends on the quality of your LISTENING.
Remember you have two ears and one mouth, use them with this in mind!
Now we have the answers to our questions, what are we going to do with them? I hope you have written the down, it is time for Needs Analysis.
Areas within the skills section;