Not properly understanding your customers’ needs
Not understanding the actual needs of your customers or prospects is a fundamental mistake. This usually results when people make assumptions about what their customers need or value most. The best way to prevent these sorts of assumptions from occurring is to speak with your customers frequently – and remember to listen to what they say.
It is easy to assume that all is well if you haven’t heard otherwise. Clearly, it’s in any business’s best interests to communicate regularly with their customers and clients – beyond the original business transaction. This shows customers that you have a legitimate and specific interest in their actual needs and that you are making an investment in not only winning their business, but keeping it. If you wait for a customer to tell you what you’re doing wrong, it may be too late to put it right.
By listening to your customers’ needs and understanding what they value most about the services you provide and how you deliver them you can gain valuable insight about your prospects as well. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you know exactly what your prospects will want from you.
Your job is to ask the right questions and get them to tell you what they need, what they want and what they value. And make sure you listen!
The successful salesperson will be able to demonstrate that they have listened by presenting the prospect with an offer which satisfies all of their needs, most of their wants and gives them good value for money as well.
If you fail to listen, you’ll find yourself offering what you think prospects want only to learn that your competitor is offering what they are asking for.