How Clients Buy by Tom McMakin & Doug Fletcher

Author:Tom McMakin & Doug Fletcher
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119434702
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2018-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

Tactics—What Works

Getting the second call or meeting is an important component in building a relationship. It signals that what you have to offer is of value. Here are concrete steps to up the odds of getting a second call.

Communicate clearly. Clearly articulate two key items: Why you are relevant to your customer's world, and how you can have a substantial impact on their agenda.

Research. Communicating clearly presupposes you know your customers' objectives. The truth, however, is that most of the time you don't have any clue what your client is focused on. You might speculate that they should be interested in raising revenues or cutting costs, but you don't know if that is their focus or if they are worried about a downsizing, getting a new boss, the feedback they got on the last project they managed, a speech the CEO just gave, or a host of other factors that drive how they define their objectives in any given quarter. Assuming a human being is driven by a single motivation is also silly. Every one of us is a stew of different motivations. Your job is to unpack those motivations as they are revealed to you. “Seeing-eye dogs” inside of organizations can help. If you know people in the industry or, better still, at the company you are trying to serve, they can give you color on the person you are trying to help. Interviewing for information in this way can help you learn the backstory on a company that, as much as anything you say or do, will determine interest. Reading what has been published is also helpful. One thing we like to do these days is to watch YouTube videos of interviews or speeches by the executives we are trying to serve. Nothing helps you get into your prospect's head better. Or watch a company's CEO speak. They are often very forthcoming about where they are trying to lead the company. Chances are they are telling your prospect the same thing. Finally, look at the case studies a firm puts on their website. This is the work of which they are most proud. You can be sure they want to do more of it.

Stop talking and listen. Remember when we said it's best to start from your customer's perspective, not from your own? To think about the buyer's journey, not the seller's journey? News flash, that's hard to do. It's like we are programmed to tout what we do, not listen to some middle manager prattle on about their issues. Yet, listening is precisely what we need to do most. When presenting, limit yourself to ten minutes. After that, ask questions. “When I spoke just now, I suggested you might be interested in how we have helped other companies lift their procurement process into the cloud, but I was guessing there. How is it that you see your procurement operation?” Asking questions starts a conversation that helps both parties work toward an eventual goal. You start by suggesting something that might be helpful.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.