Categories: Sales Conversation
Understanding your customer’s minimum requirements and decision criteria is a fundamental component to any successful sale. If your buyers want to achieve specific Positive Business Outcomes, then there are a set of Required Capabilities that need to be in place with any solution they consider.
Consider a deal you are working on right now. Ask yourself these three questions:
- Do the Required Capabilities describe the minimum requirements that are necessary to move the customer from the “Before Scenario” to the “After Scenario?”
- Are they compelling enough for your buyer to take the next step? Remember, “no decision” is often one of our strongest competitors.
- Have you explained your differentiation in a way that maps back to the required capabilities and has meaning to the customer?
In any customer conversation, you need to make sure you are articulating your customer’s needs in a way that accounts for the required capabilities and demonstrates the Positive Business Outcomes that he/she is trying to achieve.
Positive Business Outcomes are also a critical step towards measuring success. Watch Force Management’s John Kaplan explain the importance of asking the question “So What?” in your sales conversations.
