Need-based selling

Sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo

More often than not Sales personnel come across this saying but what does it mean in today’s world?

At the start of my field sales career in a large MNC Financial institution, we were often pushed to sell an insurance product. With all due respect to my friends in the Insurance sector, I know of many peers who have never been and never will be comfortable selling Insurance. This is not because of their product knowledge or the ability to sell these products. Few of them took a stance that they wouldn’t sell a particular product unless there is a need that they felt that the client had. Does that make them bad Salesmen? Absolutely not! I have seen most of them grow leaps and bounds once they moved away from this ‘Shoving it down your customers’ throat’ kind of sales. They went on to sell products and services that they completely believed in, products they themselves would buy if they were in the same situation as their customers. This kind of selling ensures a better relationship between a Sales personnel/Company and their clients. These are the clients that will come back asking for more.

Does the product/service fulfill the client needs?

A happy client ends up being the best source of referral for you

The most important thing, at the point of sale, is to ascertain whether the proposition solves a real problem or adds value to a client. If it doesn’t and if the product/service is a mere replacement then it’s best to walk away from that sale. I have had various such instances when the customer has come back to me when they had a need for the product/service proposition. This only happened because I was honest with them in the past. Need-based selling ensures a long-standing relationship with your clients. It works like a retainer in a way. Whenever the client or someone in their contact sphere has a requirement you will be the person they call. A happy client ends up being the best source of referral for you. Work on building and nurturing such relationships with your clients who will, in turn, portray you as a brand to reckon with. 

Learn to walk away from a sale and don't force a make-believe solution on a client just to meet your numbers.