There is no deal without a buying motive. The customer’s buying motive (an inner feeling) is the ultimate reason they purchase products and services.
It may not always be obvious—latent buying motives exist below the person’s consciousness—but there’s always a trigger that motivates customers to make a buying decision. It might be something they need or want to solve, improve, grow, or reduce. Or it’s an emotional trigger like fear, greed, social status, embarrassment, or regret.
People buy to have something that they perceive to be better than what they currently have—a bigger TV screen, newly released mobile device, new technology, faster operating system, more sales, and profits.
People also buy to move away from what they perceive as problematic and negatively impacting their current situation—poor service, outdated technology, low lead conversion, inefficiencies, and lackluster sales performance.
Here are five steps to help you uncover the customer’s buying motives:
- Discovery phase.?In the discovery phase of the sales cycle, use carefully constructed and sequenced questions to understand the customer’s business situation—their aspirations and afflictions. Do they face potential risks, or are there opportunities they’re missing? You’re listening to hear a buying motive that you can address with your solution.
- Share relevant insight.?You can?bring to light a buying motive by sharing relevant insights (an idea, story, fact, view, or data point) you’ve come across in dealing with other customers. Relevant insight can influence reluctant buyers to shift their perspectives to envision improving their business situation, thus surfacing a buying motive.
- Respectfully challenge assumptions. Every business problem comes with a long list of assumptions. Unfortunately, some may be inaccurate, resulting in the mistaken belief that a business problem or opportunity doesn’t exist or affect the customer’s business. One of the many benefits of challenging the customer’s assumptions is to invalidate the idea that the customer?isn’t?experiencing a business problem that needs fixing.
- Discovery of understanding.?You have a professional responsibility to determine whether the business issue, as posed by the customer, is what needs solving. Customers often need the most help defining their real business issues or critical concerns. Remember this rule of thumb: The first issue the customer brings to your attention often isn’t the real problem. It’s usually a symptom of the problem. Not the real problem. Be persistent in your pursuit of the customer’s real problem.
- Tap into the buyer’s emotions. People buy with their hearts (emotions) and rationalize with their brains. Therefore, if you’re looking to uncover the customer’s buying motive, tap into their feelings—their fears, disappointments, hopes, worries, and frustrations. This is where buying motives often exist.