Discovery Questions That Provoke Awareness

Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet When we need help to resolve a problem, none of us wants to be sold; but we do appreciate the opportunity to explore what we value and why, without the high pressure tactics.A customer may have a good handle on his or her specific challenge or goal to be achieved, but often there is less clarity about why achievement is important. Resolving the problem may address a visible, troubling short term pain point, but could the …

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The First Step When It’s Time to Plan

When growth stalls or is rapidly accelerating, or when you’re seeking investment, or when you’re thinking about who will succeed you, these are the triggers that compel you to plan for the future. When the time to plan arrives, what’s the best first step? Throughout your organization, heads are down and focused on the near term, ever reacting to marketplace changes. Over time, what began as an opportunistic, hopefully profitable venture, becomes preoccupied – first …

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What Does Your Customer Value?

The probability that you will earn a customer’s business increases significantly when you’ve discovered why their stated need is important to them. Does your proposal resolve a problem that helps the customer grow sales or reduce cost? These two alternative goals are really the fundamental choices faced by every business. Whether you provide a product or a service, its value to your customer depends on their goals, and their strategies to achieve them. So what …

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Customers Don’t Care About Your Product or Service

Customers care only about the value you offer them. They ask about your products or services because it’s easier for them to evaluate your offering versus others in terms of features, functions and price. But what they’re really assessing is the value your offering could produce for them. How easy you make it for them to discover this value determines your success in earning their business. Before responding in detail to product and service inquiries, …

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How Customers Define a Productive Sales Experience

In this age of limited time and unlimited access to information, many customers specify their preference of working with a salesperson whose expertise and insight help clarify their needs. What 3 factors define a productive sales experience for these customers? An effective sales discovery process will uncover a customer’s goals, but the way this process is experienced by the customer is the key to making it productive for both parties in the transaction. Sales people …

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“Your Price is What?!”

Every salesperson has that moment when they must pitch their price. The major obstacle they face is their fear of rejection, and its consequences. But when it’s done right, both the customer and the salesperson can feel a sense of satisfaction. To earn your price, and leave the customer feeling satisfied with that decision, preparation is the key. Both parties must win for each to feel satisfied with a deal. When you’ve earned the business …

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Assessing the Value of “Free”

Everyone can be seduced by a zero price.  But those who react most eagerly to the word “free” rarely pause to consider the value of your offering.  Could they become customers who actually invest in your product or service? People reacting to a zero price rarely stop to consider if the offer is worth it.  Because they don’t assess the value of your free offer, they will never be your customer.  So why invest your precious resources …

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It’s Your Choice

“Our customers buy only on price.  If we don’t offer the lowest price, they go elsewhere.  They don’t care about anything else…it’s just price.  That’s the way our industry works.” Annie was reacting to my challenge that acting like a commodity is a choice you make. “So is your key strategy to always offer the lowest price…in every circumstance, for every customer?”  When Annie replied, “Not really,” I asked: “Why do customers contact you?” Annie …

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“A Customer Is Never Out of Warranty”

Many companies invest heavily to measure their investment in customer support. They track the cost per hour or other metrics to monitor their investment in the support function when, in fact, their business would gain more insight by measuring customer retention. Customer support is not a cost center, it’s a profit center. The title of this blog comes from a Seth Godin blog posting that highlights the increasing value of preserving customer relationships. On the …

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Trade Value for Price Reductions

When you hear “I can purchase this elsewhere at a lower price,” remember that your quoted price is linked to the total value you are promising to produce…and evaluating value goes both ways. It’s just a trade…the customer is trading you price for the value to be delivered. Focus on defining value. Buyers might think of value as how much you are willing to discount while you see value as the additional benefits you will …

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