We’re advised to go discover our prospects issues and clear up them. Simple sufficient, proper? Effectively, not precisely. There are rather a lot several types of issues and never all issues are equal. And if we goal the fallacious downside the gross sales cycle might be lengthy, arduous and inclined to the competitors.
The 2 commonest issues I see gross sales individuals get tripped up with are technical issues and enterprise issues. The explanation? We deal with them the identical, however they don’t seem to be.
Technical Issues
- No redundancy
- Lack of integration
- No bluetooth connectivity
- Takes too lengthy to load
- Poor person interface
- Can’t ship emails by way of Outlook
- Takes too lengthy to enter a brand new document
- Exhausting to search out previous information
- Can’t e-mail sufferers
- Not inexperienced
- Lack of 24/7 help
- No single signal on
- and so forth.
These are all technical issues. They’re points or issues your prospects or prospects undergo from and wish to straight repair, change, enhance, clear up for, and so forth. Technical issues are the place options come from. Technical issues are function feeders. They drive function requests and as a lot as they enhance a product, additionally they drive product loopy as a result of they by no means, ever, ever, ever, cease coming. Somebody at all times has a technical downside that your answer doesn’t handle.
Enterprise issues alternatively are completely different.
Enterprise issues
- Shedding to the competitors
- Shrinking revenue margins
- Poor ticket gross sales
- Shrinking ARPU (Common Income Per Consumer)
- Declining subscriptions
- Decrease gross sales/income
- Elevated manufacturing prices
- Low customer support scores
- Low stock turns
- Excessive worker turnover
- Churn
These are all enterprise issues. These are points or issues that replicate what it’s the group finally needs to get accomplished. Enterprise issues are the actual downside a corporation struggles with, whereas technical issues are the symptom or a part of the larger enterprise downside. Enterprise issues are the important thing components of the enterprise that really drive the enterprise, the place success or failure are predicated.
Too typically we get facet tracked by making an attempt to resolve the purchasers technical issues not their enterprise downside. It’s a lure. Keep method! Don’t get trapped. Buyer’s don’t need to e-mail sufferers, they need higher prospects service. Prospects don’t desire a killer interface, they simply don’t need to lose to the competitors. Prospects don’t need to discover information sooner, they need their workers to be blissful and more practical. Prospects don’t need your product to combine with outlook, they need to enhance ticket gross sales, and right here in lies the problem for many gross sales individuals. They promote to the technical downside not the enterprise downside and that’s an issue.
Enterprise issues are addressed efficiently or not by addressing technical issues
BUT hardly ever does a single technical downside clear up the enterprise downside. As they are saying, there may be multiple technique to pores and skin a cat. It’s this purpose that we have to keep away from technical issues and deal with the enterprise downside.
In case you can clear up their churn downside with out killer person interface, then you definitely’ll win the deal. In case you can gradual worker turnover with out single signal on, then your in a great place. Once you goal the enterprise issues, the technical issues are put of their APPROPRIATE place.
After we attempt to clear up technical issues, we’re chasing our tail. As you clear up one technical downside one other arises. As soon as that one is mounted, yup one other and one other and one other stand up. It’s a by no means ending pursuit and for those who’re in a gross sales recreation of who can clear up essentially the most technical issues, you’re fucked. There’s at all times somebody who can clear up an issue you possibly can’t. There’s at all times a function your prospect needs, that you just don’t have. Don’t play the technical downside fixing recreation.
So, what to do? Give attention to the enterprise issues. When a prospect says, “it should combine with outlook” discover out why? How does lack of integration have an effect on the enterprise? Discover out what they wish to accomplish with the whole answer earlier than you start to handle the one-off technical points and issues. Discover out what the vital enterprise drivers are. Why do they want a brand new answer? What’s going on that has them investing in one thing new? The important thing to the sale is within the reply to that query. I can promise you NO COMPANY ever passes on a brand new answer simply because it doesn’t combine into outlook. It’s what occurs to or of their surroundings when issues aren’t built-in that’s driving the funding and also you had higher know what it is.
Not all issues are created equal. Don’t get caught within the technical downside race. It’s like an arm race you’ll by no means win over time. Work out what the vital enterprise issues your prospect or buyer is dealing with and clear up these. It’s the place the win is.
