A customer wants a feature your product lacks. How will you navigate this challenge in Technical Sales?

Acknowledge the customer's request and explain the current product capabilities. Highlight any upcoming features or workarounds that might meet their needs. Offer to escalate their request to the product team for future consideration. Maintain open communication and provide regular updates to show commitment to their satisfaction.

First acknowledge that you do not have the feature, instead of keeping a client waiting. Inform them that you are constantly updating and enhancing your product, and this will be shared with the technical team to add the feature. Inquire if there is any other need they have or if you can explore alternative options already provided in your product.

First, talking “features” with customers just leads to gaps because no Customer fully understands a “feature” like the developer or manufacturer. Example: If a customer wants a feature to allow users to customize the screens and your tool doesn’t do that, don’t agree with the customer or empathize with them, find out the reason they want to do that. Most of the time the reasons around an ask can be accomplished through other means or feature asked for ins’t without risks. As an example many ask for users to customize screens and it’s for accessibility. Show them how the OS and Browsers manage that today and talk about the risks with everyone modifying things. If you know your stuff this will go away. If not, look at other tools.

In such a scenario when your product lacks a feature/functionality that your prospect demands, you need to think from an engineer's perspective rather than directly giving a timeline for the release of the new feature. Acknowledge that you don't have that particular feature. Ask them why they need that, and how exactly they want to use it. The prospect will often respond by telling you about some kind of workflow. This will make you a lot more precise in identifying and understanding the prospect's needs, and thus you are better equipped to see if your product can fulfil their needs. That's what sales is all about.

When a customer requests a feature your product lacks, first understand their need. Highlight any existing features that might meet their goals, suggest possible workarounds, and communicate their request to your product team for future development. Always focus on finding a solution that aligns with their needs while emphasizing your product's current strengths.

Everyone that knows me, knows that I believe there’s always more than 3 ways to get to any outcome. If all of the choices are not out if the box than you need to talk. Where most delivery consultants and PMs make the mistake is to not share that with the customer. To you, the consultant there may be only one obvious choice and you can state that item is your recommendation, but this is an opportunity to learn. Many times when i present options I learn about future objectives (translation more work, more opportunities)! You see when you share your knowledge and experience, you pave a new path for the customer to share. The communication session can teach you more about the customer which can only make your relationship stronger.

Na minha experiência, quando o recurso n?o está disponivel, devemos se aprofundar no processo e buscar um novo caminho para oferecer. A necessidade apresentada, se baseia em um processo conhecido. Pode ser que a solu??o esteja em uma vis?o holistica.

Absolutely I agree and I would try to find the answer in an approach that the customer would like. Research everything the customer has asked for find a way to give it to him.

Customer desires often outpace product capabilities. As a software sales professional, your role is to bridge this gap by understanding the underlying needs and aligning them with your product’s strengths. While immediate customization might not always be feasible, it’s essential to focus on demonstrating the product’s flexibility and the organization’s commitment to future development. By deeply understanding the customer’s challenges and goals, you can highlight how your product can adapt to meet their needs over time. This involves showcasing the product’s current features that can address their immediate concerns and emphasizing the roadmap for future enhancements.