Small Business, Big Lessons® — Have an Opinion

Did you ever have a customer that is stuck and can’t make a decision. What can you do to help them? This could range from ordering their entrée from a menu to a complex technical solution purchase. What are the buyers thinking as they try to make a selection?

Let’s look at three simply steps to help guide the customer in making their decision. Ever hear “from what I’ve seen, most people like …”? We will start with their wants and needs, move to alternatives, and finally your recommendation and reason you are making the suggestion:

1)    Understand the Customers’ Needs and Preferences – Regardless of the purchase, understanding the customers “why” is important and limitations such as budget and time-frame. Let’s use a technology solution as our example. Start with open-ended questions, what is going on causing you to look for a new solution. You may find they just had a failure with their current product, perhaps their prices are increasing, or the technology is simply no longer able to meet their needs. Follow up with asking if there are any solutions they’ve already evaluated and any reasons they like or dislike them. This will help you focus and determine if you have an offering that will meet their needs.

Ask questions to understand time frame and budget. While they may have a need, if they do not have budget, can you help finance or is the opportunity delayed? When would they like to implement the new solution? Do they need assistance with moving to the new product either due to lack of skills or time?

2)    Alternatives – One of the first alternatives is to do nothing. This many times is the “easiest” since it pushes the decision out indefinitely. I have seen customers that have had either large price increases or failures – still push out the decision even when provided options to either lower cost and / or better reliability. The key is to understand this part of human nature as well as other solutions and available options. This could include outsourcing a function or a competitors offerings.

3)    Your Recommendation and Rational – Not only do you need to understand your solution but the alternatives above. This is where you take the knowledge you gained from item 1, combine with the alternatives above and develop your recommendations.

a. Example for the “do nothing” buyer – I’ve seen others in similar situations, I understand it can be difficult to migrate to my recommendations due to the complexity of the change, if we were to provide professional services to migrate to the solution and include user training, would that help you move forward now?

b. Example for the “overwhelmed” buyer – they seen too many options and can’t narrow down and hone in on a go forward plan – I understand there is a lot of information and a great number of solutions and competitors you are evaluating – for customers that have had similar concerns – these are the top 3 reasons that they have selected to move forward with us.

Think through

Understanding your customers situations, their needs, concerns and capabilities with help you craft the solution that will help them. Do not show up with a catalogue of options. Have an opinion and reasons to back it up. Your customers will appreciate that since they are looking at you as the expert. Also – if you do not have a solution for them – be up front and let them know you are not a good fit for them at this time and hope to be in contact if anything changes. Help guide them in their journey and you will both win.

Feel free to post comments or email them to me. Small Business, Big Lessons® – have an Opinion!