Simply uncovering the various items causing pain for each of the "evaluators" is not enough. A successful sales person also needs to get the customer to identify what a successful solution might look like to him or her.
The easiest way to do is to simply ask!
"Mr. Customer, you have told me that you have problem a, problem b and problem c. When you sit back and evaluate the situation what will it mean to you and your organization to have these issues resolved?
or
"How would you describing the perfect solution to your problems...in other words what would it look like to you?"
Getting the customer to recognize and admit that they have a series of problems and to discuss what the solution will look like is called creating and understanding the customer's vision of success.
If a sales person can then show the customer how specific features/benefits of their solution will solve each one of their problems you will without a doubt meet with increased success.
An important thing to remember is that competitors in a well defined market often times share many of the same featues and benefits. If every competitor has the ability to offer the same (or very similar) features and benefits then they quickly become irrelevant to the customer. The key, then is for the sales person to identify which features or benefits of their systems are "exclusive" to what they are selling and match them to the customer's vision of success.
Creating this match between your "exclusive" features and the customer's vision of success is one of the most powerful things a successful sales person can do. The more matches you have, the more successful you will be!
Remember! This must be done for every one of the "evaluators" of your sales proposal.
Vision of Success
Interesting Quote
"The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision"
Helen Keller
