How can you help others succeed if you don’t know how they define success?
How do you know which benefits to highlight if you don’t know what they value?
How can you help others get better if you don’t know where they are struggling?
How can you have a successful sales call if you don’t talk about your product?
The answer to the first three questions is “You can’t.”
The answer to the fourth question is in this short article.
Source: Partners in Excellence Blog, June 28, 2018. Link.
You’d have to harness the discussion to talk about challenges they have about the problems you are the best in the world about solving. But you’d be forced to talk about it from their perspective–not pitching your product features, functions, feeds, and speeds. You’d be forced to get the customer to talk about the issues and how it impacts them and their organization.
INSIGHTS: This no-product/no-service conversation isn’t a one-off. It should be an annual event to verify last year’s priorities are still important or to identify new priorities. This is the key to elevate yourself in the eyes of your customer and become a trusted advisor.