C
Customer Aligned Selling
Customer Aligned Selling is focuses on aligning your sales process with how the customer wants to buy. It includes understanding how they think, understanding and adjusting to where they are in the buying process. Customer Aligned Sellling is being a buyer's agent helping them through the buying process, not selling.
Customer Aligned Sales reps begin every sales call with creating value as their main goal during that meeting and during every interaction with the prospect or customer. Customer Aligned reps understand what the new sales solution is: Value = Trust. If their focus is on adding value to the prospect/customer during every interaction, the prospect will trust them. Trust leads to true and loyal relationships. These types of relationships lead to repeat business.
How does the CAS rep create value? Let’s use another fictitious sales rep named Jim. First of all, Jim is aware that cold calling is dead, and that business people want to know who you are, and why you are calling, before the initial introduction. The value that Jim brings with that knowledge, is not wasting the buyer’s time with an unsolicited call. Jim uses referrals[1] or letters of introduction. Once Jim has the appointment, he prepares thoroughly by gaining knowledge, via the Internet and other sources; of the company, the industry, and the person he is calling on. Google and LinkedIn are wonderful tools for that research.
During the meeting Jim engages the prospect in a discussion related to their specific situation. He does not talk about his product or services, but engages the prospect in terms of the market, and what is happening specifically at the prospect’s company. Through a situational discussion, Jim is probing for needs, goals, and problems. He is asking intelligent and relevant questions. Jim knows that engaging the prospect adds value and builds rapport. (Focusing on value through relevant questions is the fastest way to build rapport.) Jim speaks the language of the prospect remembering that if he gets too technical with upper level executives, he will get delegated down. If it is a CFO, Jim talks about the cost of capital, industry verses company rate of return, or margins. If it is a plant manager, Jim may talk about up-time or maintenance issues, and how they relate to serving the customer. Jim has targeted decision makers, not users, for his sales calls.
One of Jim’s key skills is that he asks four to six questions related to an issue. Once he has discovered a problem, goal or need, he digs deeper. He does not assume that he actually knows what the core issue behind the goal, problem or need is. He asks deeper questions such as “When you solve that problem, what does that do for you and the company?” Jim is seeking to understand personal motives and corporate directions. He may even ask a follow up question such as “When that problem is solved, who is most positively affected?” “How does solving this problem affect annual goals and even three year goals?” “How does this affect you personally, making your job more enjoyable or your team more effective?” Jim is trying to get to the core or root of the issue. Some sales professionals have labeled that core issue as the Prime Buying Motive – business and personal. The prime buying motive is what will drive the intellectual and emotional decision to buy.
Users can talk about features and benefits but they cannot make buying decisions.
When it is appropriate to discuss Jim’s offerings, he discusses them in terms of outcomes. He shares the outcomes his company’s products or services have helped deliver with other customers. Jim relates product or service usage to possible solutions, and then waits for the decision maker to tell him that a particular product or service would also work in their environment. A key point in this scenario is that Jim does not tell the buyer what will work, but shares or relates how others have used his product or service, and the outcomes they have received. He then asks the prospect, based upon similar usage, if they expect to see the same outcome. Jim knows that the he does not have a solution until the buyer agrees that Jim’s offerings could work at the buyer’s company. By Jim sharing potential solutions, delivering a specific outcome, and getting the buyer to agree, he is not just offering his opinion, as most sales reps do. Jim is leading the buyer through a discovery of how to solve a problem or satisfy a need. Jim knows that he does not have a solution until the buyer tells him so!
After the meeting, Jim sends a summary covering the topics, gaps that need addressing, potential solutions, and agreed upon next steps. During the next two weeks, Jim networks the CFO with another CFO at another company he works with. During the buying process Jim stays in communication with his prospect and works to proactively answer questions, obtain the right resources, and reduce the CFO’s risk of moving forward with his solution.
Jim is a sales manager’s dream. He requires little management, and utilizes the sales manager to solve the customer’s needs. Jim is literally managing his manager to best serve the customer. Jim’s goal is empowering the customer to achieve their desired results. Another benefit is knowing that he will benefit financially and create a loyal customer. Jim applies the 7 Rules of the Customer to keep and grow the business.
[1] LinkedIn can play a major role in getting referrals.
