Regardless of the industry, every customer is going to have one or more frustrations related to their business, their website or their current software offerings. As sales people, our success is directly related to our ability to read between the lines and recognize immediate requests of our clients – even if they aren’t outwardly informing us of these pain points.
It’s amazing how, in such a short time, technological offerings have been propelled to the forefront of most shipping negotiations. The fact of the matter is, many business owners in the industry right now have been reliant on dated systems and regulatory operations that are no longer monitoring the key performance indicators necessary in establishing themselves as a leader in their individual industries. Bottom line: many business owners are actually intimidated by technology.
This is where you can SHINE on a sales call. When approaching a customer for the first time, we typically are prepared with a bullet-by-bullet synopsis of exactly what we want to cover in the discussion: who SEKO is, what we do, what sets the SEKO business model apart from our competitors, etc. At times, our enthusiasm in getting our own point across causes us to miss out on subtle nods to what the client’s particular problem is. By learning to recognize pain points in basic, introductory conversation, you will automatically set yourself apart from any other sales person knocking on their door.
Learn to recognize pain points by asking probing questions and allowing the customer to explain, in full detail, exactly what the issues they are facing are. Chances are, they may mention an issue you were not aware they were having that you have a solution for. Example questions could be as follows:
• What are your current goals and visions for where you’d like your company to be in the near future?
• What sectors of your business are you targeting to grow your business?
• How are you currently operating your warehouse? How do you track inventory?
• How do you decide which carriers to use? Do you have any control over how your carriers are being selected?
• For those with existing websites- what off-the-wall ideas do they have to improve their current site?
The goal isn’t necessarily to apply their wishes verbatim (in a perfect world, we would), but to get an idea of where to focus your inventiveness. By creating an open forum to toss around innovative ideas for their next solution purchase, you are accomplishing two things: first, by highlighting what they'd like to see in an ideal world, they are simultaneously stressing the things that they are currently struggling with. Second, through the simple act of sitting back and listening, you are letting them know that you are there as a business PARTNER; not to talk AT them, but to listen TO them and go to bat FOR them. Bottom line: keep bolstering the idea that you recognize what they really need and can communicate it better than they can. This minor accomplishment could be the key determining factor in whether or not you get your foot in the door for meeting number two.
Technology (and the way we understand its application to the logistics industry) will always be a selling point in our industry. The more we can educate our clients, interpret computer/Internet jargon into basic, commonplace speech for them, and empower them to learn more about the benefits of utilizing SEKO Software Solutions versus our competitors, the more you will be appreciated as an unparalleled business companion to their organization.
In an ideal world, we would be able to make any and every request from our customers a reality – but this is the real world. If the day comes when a client is seemingly making irrational demands or are vexing you with their interminable requests or apprehensions, remember: YOU are the expert. You were hired to solve problems, not serve as a punching bag for the supercilious notions of the forever unsatisfied. LISTEN to what the client needs and respond accordingly.
What if you don’t have any idea what the correct rebuttal should be? In this case, I’ve found that an honest, “I’m not 100% on the answer to that would be. The last thing I want to offer you is an unsure response – let me touch base with [insert superior here] and I will follow up with an e-mail when I get back to my office. Perhaps we can discuss over lunch next week if you’d like.” Customers will always respect you being thorough and attentive to their individual needs, as opposed to you pretending to be an IT guru – also, you’ve just opened the avenue for an extended conversation over lunch.
In summation, you can't go wrong with listening to your customer. Through the unpretentious act of being sympathetic to their problems, they will inevitably feel more comfortable opening up about the challenges they face in their day-to-day operations. You’ll be surprised at where your conversation steers – at times, you may not even end up discussing the topic which you had intended to. My point is, what does it matter, if at the end of the day, it’s new business?
All the best,
Ashley E. Sweeney
IT Sales Specialist
SEKO Logistics - Corporate IT
1100 Arlington Heights Road, Ste 600
Itasca, IL 60143
Tel: 630.919.4963
Fax: 630.919.4920
ashley.sweeney@sekologistics.com
SEKO Logistics - Intelligence Delivered
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