Mastering sales conversations - best practices and common mistakes
In this blog post, I want to share some best practices and common mistakes that, in my opinion, help to effectively identify customer needs and boost sales.
Why are good customer conversations important?
If you know your customers' problems, you can sell better.
Whether you are a self-employed financial advisor, part of a software company's sales team, or selling products in a department store, one thing remains the same:
Only if you understand your customers' needs you can use your products and communication strategy to convince them of your service or product. Direct conversations with customers also help you identify future requirements and needs and adjust your product strategy accordingly. You can achieve this best through direct interaction with your target audience.
The search for the needle in the haystack
Customers often do not speak openly about their needs, especially in a direct conversation. They give positive feedback or are polite. Many customers do not know exactly what they need or are unaware of their problems.
Therefore, accurate and good questions are important to "coach" your counterpart in a structured way to speak openly about their true challenges or problems.
What are common mistakes in customer conversations?
Of course, not all pitfalls can be covered here, but the three most important mistakes to avoid are:
Seeking compliments and approval
Mistake: People tend to be friendly and give positive feedback that is not necessarily honest to avoid conflict. This is further encouraged by questions that fish for approval.
Bad question: "Do you think this is a good idea?"
Good question: "How do you currently handle this problem?"
Tip: Avoid fishing for compliments and actively steer the conversation towards the customer and their problems.
Asking hypothetical questions
Mistake: Hypothetical questions often lead to hypothetical answers, which are not very useful. Ideally, questions should be based on past experiences to ensure that the customer speaks from their own experience.
Bad question: "Would you buy a product that does X?"
Good question: "When was the last time you had this problem and how did you solve it?"
Tip: Try to ask specific questions related to past experiences whenever you feel it's worthwhile.
Talking about your own idea or product too early
Mistake: Talking about your idea too early distracts the conversation from the customer's problems and needs. Everyone dislikes sales conversations where they feel what they say is unimportant because the salesperson just wants to sell their product.
Bad question: "Do you like my idea? Here, we've developed something, what do you think?"
Good question: "What challenges do you face in your daily workflow with process XY?"
Tip: Try to put your counterpart at the center of the conversation. It's not about you or your product!
Asking unclear and vague questions
Mistake: Unclear or vague questions lead to unclear and unhelpful answers. Questions should be designed so that the counterpart can refer to a specific situation or problem.
领英推荐
Bad question: "What do you think about this problem?"
Good question: "Can you give me an example of the last time you encountered this problem? How did you try to solve it?"
Tip: Always try to ask for a specific example or situation.
Further examples of good questions
When did you last have this problem?
Focuses specifically on the problem. The timing aspect also indicates whether the problem occurred recently (indicating urgency).
How did you solve it?
A great question that checks the customer's thought process and potentially gives insights into competing products the customer has already considered.
What are the impacts of this problem?
This question can give you an idea of the actual improvements your product or service could provide. This is especially relevant for pricing.
Can you explain your workflow?
This question also helps identify potential savings for the customer. Usually, the customer becomes clearer about how to solve the problem while explaining.
What other solutions have you tried?
I like this question because the answer is a good indicator of the need's existence. If the customer has already looked for alternatives, their pain is real.
Why poor customer conversation is a strategic risk
Poor conversations lead to incorrect assumptions about customer needs. This can waste resources and develop products that no one wants.
Especially in the early market introduction of a product, it is extremely important to have reliable information about customer needs. The further the product lifecycle progresses, the higher the later adjustment costs.
Besides strategic missteps, poor conversation culture in sales can significantly reduce the number of sales, as one of the central factors for sales is the customer's emotion. If this is rather negative due to a lack of perception of their needs, they are unlikely to choose a product.
What are signs that I'm on the right path?
When the customer speaks passionately about the problem and is willing to take action, you are on the right track. The following signals indicate strong customer interest:
These signs can also occur in combination. The more, the clearer the customer need.
Good questions as a mantra for everyday life
In my experience, good questions are not only useful and important in a professional context. They also help me have deeper conversations and build better relationships in my private life. Questions show appreciation to the other person: Your thoughts matter to me. I am interested in you.
Of course, the needs of people are more emotional or social in nature, but a deeper understanding of the thoughts, values, and feelings of friends, partners, or family helps me better meet their needs and work through conflicts or unspoken issues.
Where did I get this information?
I gathered most of the content for this blog from a reading recommendation by my colleague Thomas Hepp . The book is called "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick , and I can warmly recommend it to everyone as a reading tip.
What are your best practices for customer conversations?
I would also be interested in any additional ideas or suggestions you may have. I am always ready to learn something new.