Are Your Customers Promiscuous?
David C. Edelman, Partner at McKinsey & Company, says they are in his article written for The Harvard Business Review, Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending Your Money in All the Wrong Places. I agree with him.
I remember the old axiom taught in sales school “he who speaks first owns the product,” meaning “ask for the order and shut up.” The new axiom is quickly becoming “he who defines the solution owns the solution.” So, sales professional, business owner take heed. Learn to listen and flex, tailoring your products and services to the end game the customer is describing. But you say, “the customer doesn’t know what they want,” ever so true in many cases.
Edelman pointed out in his article that buyers will review a few items of interest, learn and as they learn their criteria shifts and they bring in additional brands/items/services to review. It’s my opinion that buyers do this relentlessly until that point they believe themselves competent enough to design their own solution whether it is choosing a smart phone, selecting office supplies or licensing software. Once they believe they know the solution then the true quest begins to find and acquire their solution. Notice I said their solution not your solution.
But you say, “they still don’t know what they are doing. They can’t become an expert in such a short time and design a solution looking forward that will accommodate their needs now and in the future.” While you may be correct, good luck on that one. Look at what you are saying you are going to have to do to be successful. First, you have to convince them that their research is invalid, not thorough, or at a minimum well intentioned but misguided. Second, you run the risk of insulting their intelligence and finally you have to persuade them that you and your products are the Utopia they didn’t even realize they needed.
Wouldn’t the better way be to listen and ask questions nurturing the prospect along, adding value to their solution building experience? Once they describe their solution, you can affirm them and be there to provide it and if appropriate demonstrate how doing business with you protects and enhances today’s decision going forward?
by: Terry L. Massey