| Sales consultants constantly are selling themselves | | | | best solution, but prospects always buy what |
| on their own product or service. Each delivered | | | | they want, so do you - all of us do. This is why in |
| presentation can have the effect of reinforcing | | | | our company, we always go by the company |
| their earlier mental purchase when they originally | | | | motto that you "sell them what they want, but |
| accepted their job offer. It seems logical then, | | | | deliver what they want and need". That is a good |
| that if prospects had the same data you have | | | | solution for those of us in the sales training field. It |
| had, they will buy. | | | | may, however, not be a good solution if you are |
| Newer sales training consulting takes a slightly | | | | selling a product. Solutions that the prospect |
| different view however, as it has been | | | | perceives as specific to their perceived needs |
| discovered, over the years, that too much data | | | | earns easier decisions and fewer objections, if it is |
| leads to confusion, and you get prospect | | | | feasible. |
| hesitation and procrastination. All of us have | | | | Your job description as a "consultant" requires |
| experienced this. | | | | that you give advice. After all, a consultant is an |
| This prospect characteristic of not being able to | | | | expert who gives advice. The only way you can |
| decide seems to have gone viral within many | | | | do this is by fully researching your prospect's |
| sales teams and their prospect base. Week after | | | | industry, their company and by talking with them |
| week, or month after month the hesitating | | | | to discover where problematic areas are. The use |
| prospects stays "on-the-board", but seems to | | | | of a very specific Targeted Needs Analysis is |
| never close. This is frustrating for sales | | | | working for many. The Targeted Needs Analysis |
| consultants, sales managers and the vice | | | | must be salient and brief to be effective. A |
| president of sales, not to mention owners. | | | | buyer's time is valuable and should always be |
| The subject of giving too much data to a | | | | respected. |
| prospect has been addressed by many others. | | | | To garner the data needed for a Targeted Needs |
| What is not being addressed enough, is the | | | | Analysis, ask some current clients and find out |
| concept of what is the right data to give a | | | | why they purchased your product or service. |
| prospect? The answer is elementary. Only discuss | | | | Current clients are a rich and fertile field to do |
| the data that is important to the prospect, and no | | | | research on to find out your company's good, bad |
| more. | | | | and ugly points. Correct, as quickly as is possible, |
| Gee, that's just great, how will you know? Ask | | | | the bad and ugly points and take the good points |
| them! Remember, one has to diagnose first! What | | | | and convert that data to a question format for |
| the prospect thinks they want may not be the | | | | your Targeted Needs Analysis. |