Black In Business

My good friend, a man I call Rev. Jim, Jim Legington, asked me to expand on needs idenification selling. Jim has a terrific business site focused on emarketing and can exhibit methods that are time tested and proven ways to grow your business. Needs identification selling is where you find a need your product can solve and present your product as a solution. This will allow you to evaluate yourself from competitors that only want to sell a product. You can become a trusted advisor and not just a silver tongue devil.
You may ask, how do you determine needs? You ask questions. In the profession of selling, we refer to this as probing. You probe for areas of dissatisfaction. You must understand the business first. I have found if you are speaking to a decision maker they love to speak about their business. If so you have discovered rule one in needs identification selling; identify the person who can say yes. Never accept no from someone who cannot say yes.
After you break the Ice with your decision maker, hi how are you, I love your art work, can you believe this weather we are having. You start with a benefit for your decision maker. “I have been in this business for several years and have been fortunate to discover that for many small businesses, we have been able to provide a way for easy, cost effective and better received communication tools for their customers. In order to see if our program may provide these same benefits for you and your customers, I would like find out about your business.
There are 2 types of probes to use in discovering area of problems. You can use open or closed probes.
Here is a closed probe, or one that can be answered with a yes or no; “do you have communication problems with your customers?” Answer, no, sales call over. You seldom start with a open probe. We just discovered why.
Here is an open one; “Many of our clients have struggled with external communication, describe for me the nature of your communication strategy and the different ways you implement it.” Your decision maker will have to explain to you about a topic he has interest in. You want your decision maker to talk, smile and nod your head and let them know you are listening; “interesting, tell me more!”
Other examples; what do you like best about your strategy and why? If you could make it better, how would you do it, these will all stimulate conversation.
Dead end of closed probes are; do you like your communication strategy, have you ever considered something new, it is similar to when you walk into a high end clothing store and the saleman ask can I help you and your response, No!
All of you great salesmen, help me out, comment on some of your good open probes and how and when to use closed probes.

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