As a young sales rep I was told that I needed to guide customers through the sales process because customers were naïve and didn’t know how to buy complex things like technology solutions. I was supposed to be the expert and the customer would benefit from my experience.
Today, the popular media claims that customers are smarter, more knowledgeable, and more capable buyers than ever before. Just this afternoon I watched a vendor demonstrate how a customer could make an $800K database purchase in an online marketplace with just a few clicks. But just because there is voluminous information on the web about potential solutions, and just because we’ve automated and simplified the purchase transaction, does that mean customers really are more capable buyers? Does that mean sales reps should just abdicate their “sales” process and follow the customer’s “buying” process?
I don’t think so. The fact that customers are more knowledgeable, and more educated on both solutions and the buying process just means sales reps need to work even harder. The situation demands that sales reps exert even more control over the sales process than ever before.
As smart as the customer has become, they still are not experts at evaluating technology solutions and making purchasing recommendations / decisions. Sales reps still need to share their expertise and still need to exert a level of control over both the customer buying and the vendor sales process. Sales reps need to collaborate with their customer on a mutual evaluation and decision process between the vendor and the customer, helping the customer make the best, most informed decision that they possibly can. Afterall, selling isn’t about “tricking” the customer into making a bad purchase; it’s about helping the customer solve their business challenges in the most effective way.
Sales reps exert control by negotiating a mutually beneficial process. One in which the customer can evaluate the vendor and their solution while at the same time providing enough information for the vendor to evaluate whether the customer is a good fit and if their solution can truly provide value to their situation. Sales reps exert control by keeping the customer focused on the process and agreed-upon milestones and decision points within the process. Sales reps exert control by engaging the right customer buyers to ensure a reasonable evaluation and decision process, keeping discussions focused on the relevant business issues and goals the customer is trying to achieve.
Customers are certainly smarter, but the buying process is more complex (and dangerous) than ever. Sales reps still need to act as guides.
How are you enabling your sales reps to exert control in their sales engagements?