You have, exactly like me, often heard the following:
“Clients don’t need a drill, they need a hole in the wall.”
This implies that sales reps should investigate what the key drivers for a decision are.
The reality is that, more than a drill machine, what clients really need is the outcome: a painting on the wall.
Seeking larger and more profitable deals by simply listing a set of technical features of your product is no longer effective.
This transforms you into a talking brochure.
And if this is the case, customer needs can easily be fulfilled by procurement websites, with no human interaction.
Today’s environment is more complex, competition has increased and your clients are more expert in the art of buying than ever.
Sales people need to act as business peers if they want to establish long-term partnerships.
This means being able to understand their clients in order to elaborate solutions together and bring real value.
As a results, I ask the sales reps I work with, before engaging with clients, to be able to:
- be aware of the client’s industry
- understand their internal business climate
And as a result:
- elaborate on their challenges and priorities
- translate them into solutions
Like a CTO once told us during a sales kickoff, as he was invited:
“My time is precious. Don’t ask me questions to which you could have answered yourself by reading our website.”
This sentence stayed with me. Not because asking questions is wrong.
But because asking questions without being prepared shows your client you’ve skipped your homework.
And the result is that you will not understand the client well enough to build the right solution together.
The goal is not to sell the drill.
The goal is to help put the painting on the wall.
👉 Big results don’t require big transformations. A few targeted actions can drive immediate ROI.
Build the sales team your company and your clients deserve.
Let’s talk.
