We’re informed to go discover our prospects issues and clear up them. Simple sufficient, proper? Effectively, not precisely. There are rather a lot several types of issues and never all issues are equal. And if we goal the unsuitable drawback the gross sales cycle might be lengthy, arduous and inclined to the competitors.
The 2 commonest issues I see gross sales individuals get tripped up with are technical issues and enterprise issues. The rationale? We deal with them the identical, however they aren’t.
Technical Issues
- No redundancy
- Lack of integration
- No bluetooth connectivity
- Takes too lengthy to load
- Poor consumer interface
- Can’t ship emails by way of Outlook
- Takes too lengthy to enter a brand new file
- Arduous to seek out outdated data
- Can’t electronic mail sufferers
- Not inexperienced
- Lack of 24/7 assist
- No single signal on
- and many others.
These are all technical issues. They’re points or issues your prospects or prospects endure from and need to instantly repair, change, enhance, clear up for, and many others. Technical issues are the place options come from. Technical issues are function feeders. They drive function requests and as a lot as they enhance a product, additionally they drive product loopy as a result of they by no means, ever, ever, ever, cease coming. Somebody all the time has a technical drawback that your resolution doesn’t handle.
Enterprise issues however are completely different.
Enterprise issues
- Dropping to the competitors
- Shrinking revenue margins
- Poor ticket gross sales
- Shrinking ARPU (Common Income Per Consumer)
- Declining subscriptions
- Decrease gross sales/income
- Elevated manufacturing prices
- Low customer support scores
- Low stock turns
- Excessive worker turnover
- Churn
These are all enterprise issues. These are points or issues that replicate what it’s the group in the end needs to get carried out. Enterprise issues are the true drawback a corporation struggles with, whereas technical issues are the symptom or a part of the larger enterprise drawback. Enterprise issues are the important thing parts of the enterprise that really drive the enterprise, the place success or failure are predicated.
Too typically we get aspect tracked by making an attempt to resolve the purchasers technical issues not their enterprise drawback. It’s a lure. Keep method! Don’t get trapped. Buyer’s don’t wish to electronic mail sufferers, they need higher prospects service. Clients don’t need a killer interface, they simply don’t wish to lose to the competitors. Clients don’t wish to discover data quicker, they need their workers to be glad and simpler. Prospects don’t need your product to combine with outlook, they wish to enhance ticket gross sales, and right here in lies the problem for many gross sales individuals. They promote to the technical drawback not the enterprise drawback and that’s an issue.
Enterprise issues are addressed efficiently or not by addressing technical issues
BUT hardly ever does a single technical drawback clear up the enterprise drawback. As they are saying, there’s multiple option to pores and skin a cat. It’s this purpose that we have to keep away from technical issues and give attention to the enterprise drawback.
In the event you can clear up their churn drawback with out killer consumer interface, you then’ll win the deal. In the event you can sluggish worker turnover with out single signal on, then your in a very good place. Once you goal the enterprise issues, the technical issues are put of their APPROPRIATE place.
Once we attempt to clear up technical issues, we’re chasing our tail. As you clear up one technical drawback one other arises. As soon as that one is mounted, yup one other and one other and one other stand up. It’s a by no means ending pursuit and in the event you’re in a gross sales recreation of who can clear up essentially the most technical issues, you might be fucked. There may be all the time somebody who can clear up an issue you’ll be able to’t. There may be all the time a function your prospect needs, that you simply don’t have. Don’t play the technical drawback fixing recreation.
So, what to do? Give attention to the enterprise issues. When a prospect says, “it should combine with outlook” discover out why? How does lack of integration have an effect on the enterprise? Discover out what they need to accomplish with all the resolution earlier than you start to deal with the one-off technical points and issues. Discover out what the crucial enterprise drivers are. Why do they want a brand new resolution? What’s going on that has them investing in one thing new? The important thing to the sale is within the reply to that query. I can promise you NO COMPANY ever passes on a brand new resolution simply because it doesn’t combine into outlook. It’s what occurs to or of their surroundings when issues aren’t built-in that’s driving the funding and also you had higher know what it is.
Not all issues are created equal. Don’t get caught within the technical drawback race. It’s like an arm race you’ll by no means win over time. Work out what the crucial enterprise issues your prospect or buyer is dealing with and clear up these. It’s the place the win is.
