WHAT DO THEY WANT?… Recently our 17-year-old son Tommy returned from one of his many snowboarding competitions rather frustrated. In this particular event he did not reach the podium…no medal. When I asked him why he was upset he responded… "the Judges gave all the points based on the 'flashy tricks' and ignored the tricks that require more skills and have a high degree of difficulty". He said that the flashy tricks got lots of "oohs & ahhs" but didn't really demonstrate the skill of the contestants. Tommy's conclusion?… "Next time I'm in a give them all the flips and spins they want… even though I would rather do the tricks with a high degree of difficulty". There is a great Daily Sales Tip here.
Here is your ACTION STEP… many times when we are making a Sales Presentation we make the same mistake. We show the Customer what we think they "need to know" and totally ignore what it is they "want to see". Think of it this way… we are the performers and they are the paying audience… if we don't meet their expectations, if our performance does not inspire and excite them… they're not going to buy what we are selling. We need to show them what it is they "want to see". Most Customers "want to see" what you are going to do to get results. Whatever it is that they want, make sure you have some answers. Here are some thoughts to help crystallize this philosophy:
1. Show them what is important to them. Understand their "oohs & ahhs". Social Media, advertising, open houses, return on investment, market share, etc. may need to be part of that.
2. Show them some previous results (yours or your company's) to build their confidence… keep this part SHORT!
3. DO NOT show them how amazing you are. They don't care about all your Awards.
4. While presenting, keep asking questions to make sure that you are meeting their needs. Things like:a. Does this make sense?
b. How does this sound so far?
c. Are we on the right track here?
d. What else do you need to know?
Just remember that it is "all about them". While they need to know that you are good at what you do and that you are successful… there must be a balance here. Keep your EGO out of it. Be very clear on "what they want" and then show them how you can help them get it. NO Excuses.