Art of Selling Customer Development Requires Equal Legs By Art Waskey 2009.05 Exasperated, a sales rep confided in me that he felt betrayed when a key competitive account he had nurtured for several years recently and unexpectedly switched from one supplier to another. I understood the rep’s frustration, but was puzzled at his response; I wondered if he had forgotten the threelegged sales chair when working with this customer.
A colleague of mine had recently reminded me of the threelegged sales chair and the importance of each leg. He stressed the pivotal role each leg played in providing the proper balance of the chair, and how the same principles applied in building and nurturing the growth of a strong, active customer base. It was time to review these with the rep.
Right Person — (Leg #1): Have you identified the ultimate decision maker(s)? Who has the authority to say “go/no go” on moving or delaying the purchase of your product or service? Who are the key players and what role does each have in the final decision? Are there anonymous key decision makers? Asking for a confidentiality agreement that states “all information given by either party is confidential and is not to be shared with any other party” is one quick way to discover the decision-making process.
Right Thing — (Leg #2): Sales time is valuable. Focus on prospects that have an unsatisfied need(s); want the need(s) satisfied; are in a financial situation to buy now; and would be willing to consider purchasing from you. Sales people often try to sell the latest features and benefits of their products without first identifying the customer’s need or unsatisfied application. Needs can be identified by asking strategic application questions. Talk 20 percent of the time and listen 80 percent of the time. Take detailed notes, periodically repeating (paraphrasing) key statements made by the customer using his own words. Extending the talk cycle further identifies the need(s).
Right Frequency — (Leg #3): Each sales opportunity has a unique call frequency timeline. I have experienced timelines that were “impulse” (sale on the first visit) to “protracted” (10 years) cycles. Customer call frequencies are dynamic, shifting constantly with changes in the organization’s personnel, market share growth/decline, process/product offerings, etc. One of our account targets has changed its key decision maker three times in the past 60 days. The third change resulted in a buyer who was a strong advocate for our services … and we landed the account. After 10 years’ effort, we were an “overnight” success! Competitors’ presence at key accounts should also be assessed quarterly to determine if more aggressive call frequencies are required to maintain your level of account penetration.
After being reminded again about the three-legged chair analogy, the sales rep leaned forward and said, “No wonder my chair fell over. One of the three legs was 6” too short!”
