My Professional Selling Skills - What Are True Customer Needs and How Do You Uncover Them?

There have been many sales coaching seminarscustomer needs would be changing all the time.
based on this question. These seminars tell youNeeds would be a function industry and what
that needs are customer specific, industrychanges the industry has experienced. Economics
specific, situation specific. I have heard that needswould be constantly changing needs, mood would
change over time, or change based on thechange needs, weather would change needs, and
economy. Professional Selling Skills require thatthe alignment of planets would change needs. No
you uncover and fill needs, the would be difficult ifone would do business with anyone. No, your
they were changing all the time.customer's needs have never changed and never
I was once taught that customer needs arewill. Your customer just does not know that
dependent on the product or service you arethese stated needs are really linked to true needs
selling, Baloney! The true customer needs havedeep within. When you use professional selling
always been what they are now. It has to beskills, you will tie everything together.
that way, or no one would sell anything toThere are only three true needs:
anyone. Think about it, if needs were notTo get paid - you will fill this one most of the
consistent you would have to reinvent the sellingtime. It can take many forms
process for every product and for every industryTo get a date - unless your are or eHarmony
and for every market! No, needs are needs andyou do not have to worry about this one
the true customer needs will never change.To stay alive- unless you are selling weight loss,
Needs will be expressed in many different ways,exercise or pharmaceuticals do not worry about
and you must learn how to identify thesethis one
nuances, this is one of the basics in closing salesI will say it again; you do not have to worry
techniques. Learning this is quite easy once youabout number three. The second need might
know the three true customer needs. Let uscome into play, seldom does.
review some of the things that customers tell usSo why is everyone's need the same, "to be
they need:paid?" Well, being paid takes many forms. People
Our organization needs to save money, we needaccept many forms of legal tender, because
to cut costs, we are under a deadline, I need tomost forms of payment lead to the one
get this done under budget, I need to see aeveryone wants: money, moola, scrila, dough.
significant improvement, we need to get inThink about it. If a customer gets a promotion,
production now, I need increased output, I needmore money, if a customer gets recognition,
decreased waste, time I said time is themight mean more money, if a customer saves
important thing, etc.money, more money, if a customer keeps their
The truth is customers do not need any of thesejob, money. When you connect the purchase of
things. They only need these things to get whatwhat you are selling to saving money, getting
they really want. I mean how many people reallyrecognition, getting a promotion, or just making
care, in their soul, about deadlines, processes ortheir life easier, then you have closed a sale. What
corporate anything? Again, if they did thena customer really needs is to be paid!