Understanding customer needs is not just a sales tactic; it’s a fundamental principle. It’s the difference between trying to sell people to gain something for oneself and meeting people’s needs. Satisfying a need might very well equal a sale. An old story illustrates this truth.
A stranger entered a building and asked a boy standing in the lobby, “Can you tell me if Mr. Smith lives here?”
The boy smiled and replied pleasantly, “Yes, sir. I’ll show you.”
After climbing six flights of stairs, the boy pointed out a room that belonged to Mr. Smith. The man pounded on the door repeatedly and, after not receiving a response, commented, “He’s not here.”
“Oh, no, sir,” said the boy. “Mr. Smith was downstairs waiting in the lobby.”
The gentleman needed to talk to Mr. Smith. Obviously, the boy was too young to discern the needs of the man asking the questions. But imagine a person selling a product. If he were to do the equivalent of the boy, it would be malpractice. Nothing would have been wrong had the boy been perceptive enough to tell the gentleman, “Mr. Smith does live here; would you like to speak to him?” Upon confirmation, the boy could have said, “There he is—right there.” In the purest sense, that’s what people involved in sales do.
Almost three years ago, I bought a new MacBook. I asked the person who assisted me in the store if they had a protective padded case for carrying around my new MacBook. He said yes and showed me where they were. He then asked me, “Have you considered a hard plastic shell to permanently enclose your MacBook?”
I said I had not, and he showed me one. He ended up selling me both the protective shell and the padded case. Not because he was an overbearing salesperson. Instead, he recognized my deep need – after making a significant investment in a machine, I desired to do everything I could to protect it. I had not known that plastic shell technology existed. It met my needs, and he made the sale. I still have my MacBook today, which is in good working order.
It’s crucial to remember that understanding customer needs is not just a strategy, it’s the essence of sales. We don’t want to bypass Mr. Smith just to take someone to Mr. Smith’s door. We want to understand their needs and guide them to the right solutions.
Mark
Dr. Mark Edge
Author of Holy Chaos How To Walk with God in a Frenzied World