Why should a business development executive think carefully about questions prospects think about when buying?
Let us look at a few important statistics –
“19% of buyers want to connect with a salesperson during the awareness stage of their buying process when they’re first learning about the product.”
“60% want to connect with sales during the consideration stage after they’ve researched the options and come up with a short list.”
“20% want to talk during the decision stage, once they’re decided which product to buy.”
— Hubspot
What do these statistics tell you?
Prospects want to connect with the sales reps during all stages of their buying journey. This is mainly because of the information they want. So, there must be important questions that are driving their product or service selection process. Finding those questions and aligning the sales conversation with them, can make or break your sales numbers.
When buyers connect with the salesperson, they are looking for some help or information, but this is what happens.
How do common sales reps talk most about with their prospects?
Do you remember what generally happened during your last few purchases, when you needed to speak to sales reps? What you experienced is a common phenomenon in the field of sales and business development.
The sales reps are always eager to talk about their products, services, features, ROI.
They want to show how they are better than their competition and how good their deal is for their customers.
This sometimes happens until the customers literally start yawning!
This approach is more of a hit-and-miss approach for the reps. It is like spraying all the features and benefits while praying that one of them will be attractive enough for the prospect to buy from you.
The overwhelmed prospects may not have enough energy to concentrate even of the benefits which they find important.
Result? Poor engagement and closure rates.
Isn’t it better to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and imagine what they may be looking for? What are the questions or concerns that make them come to you?
8 Important questions prospects think most, when they talk to salesperson
Here you go!
1. What do I need to get done?
– Because they are not able to do what is important or urgent.
2. What is wasting my time?
– Because something is eating up a large chunk of their time and frustrating them.
3. What I would rather spend my time doing than this?
– Because they want to focus on things that matter the most to them, and something else keeping them busy unnecessarily.
4. How can I get home early?
– Because efficiency matters. Life matters. Family matters. Not everything is about work.
5. How can I be better than my competition?
– Because all of us want to win. That one thing that can help you beat your competition can be a gamechanger!
6. What will help me survive?
– Because 99% of our journey is about survival before one hits the pot of gold. They need tools to survive in this rapidly changing world.
7. How can I improve what is happening now?
– Because what is happening now can be inefficient or boring. Growing is human nature. Being stagnated can be painful.
8. How will it help me get to the next level?
– Because that is where all of us want to go. This is what we aspire for!
If you look closely, these questions are on your mind as well when you buy. Thinking about these questions while you sell, helps you get aligned with your prospects. You will understand them, their real needs and wants better. They help you visualize and feel what concerns the prospects most!
Here is the best part – these questions point you to the most common concerns that customers have before they make a purchase. So, if you put some effort to think deeply about your products or services in the direction of these questions, you will get more engaged prospects and higher sales conversions.