I Like It, But What's in it for Me?
September 20, 2010
Think about the last time you bought something at the store…what went through your mind when making the decision to buy? Why did you need to have that item right then and there? What were the benefits the item would bring to you?
These are all questions that we are faced with when making a purchase. Whether you are buying for personal use or for a business, the question can be summed up to the same five words: “What’s in it for me?”
As a seller, it’s important to remember that all buyers are all looking to answer this same question. To ensure that you are the one with the right answers, you must have a good understanding of your customer’s business. By knowing your customer and their goals, you can focus the features of your product or service on the benefits it will provide, specific to the customer.
For example, your customer will not care that your widget has two on/off switches. But, they will care about the ways the two switches will aid in achieving their business goals, whether it will help lower production time, increase efficiency, promote safety, etc.
Next time you’re in front of a customer and presenting your product, think to yourself:
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How will this product affect my customer’s business?
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What benefits will they begin to witness when they use my product?
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What value will that provide to my customer, specifically?
If you keep these questions in mind when working with prospects, you will begin to find yourself not only presenting value oriented solutions, but you’ll begin asking better questions early in the sales process to better understand your customers and their businesses.
