In sales, there's no magic solution that will persuade customers to buy your product or choose a specific payment option. It's often a little chaotic, as each sale is different and normally has a million different factors influencing decisions.
But, what if there was a way to establish credibility with the customer while getting the information you need to recommend the perfect total solution? Asking the right questions early on in the sales process will allow you to position a technological and financial solution that is tailor made to your customer's needs.
The following 8 positioning questions are designed to stimulate your prospect's thought process, while helping you position a total business solution and differentiate yourself from the competition.
01: How has technology affected your organization in the past three years?
Your customer needs to realize the potential change and impact on their business.
02: What are the growth expectations for your company over the next three to five years?
This question is pretty basic, but it's important for you to understand the vision.
03: As it relates to this decision, what are your greatest concerns?
This is the single most important question. Dig deep, and really uncover those pain points. This could help you really differentiate yourself in your recommendations.
04: At this time, how important is working capital to your business? Why?
Validating the importance of working capital is essential to the process and recommending cash vs lease options.
05: How does your company usually procure technology? Why?
Identifying past practices and intent allows you to prepare accordingly. It may even open the door for you to recommend an alternative form of payment.
06: Is it safe to assume that a part of the decision criteria will be the net effect to the bottom line?
Bottom Line Cost Analysis will allow financial experts to measure and weigh the entire cost over time.
07: On a scale of 1-10, how important will this new system be to your daily business needs?
This question acts as a great reminder to the customer on how mission critical the equipment is to their bottom line.
08: What would happen if your system was down for a day or more? What kind of economic impact would that have on your company?
Understanding this answer should allow you to layer in multi-year maintenance with greater credibility.
Remember, the positioning process is a fact-finding mission. This isn't the time to "sell." Identifying the prospect's pain points and concerns early will give you greater control over the sale, while establishing credibility with the customer. You will more than likely find that the answers to these questions will pull you into a presentation.
