Understanding your buyer: Lessons from the trenches

Imagine talking to a senior seller who knows nothing about what you do or where you are in your buying journey. Imagine talking to a senior seller who doesn’t know anything about what you do, where you are in your buying journey, or what specific needs you have. Frustrating, right? says David Fastuca, founder and CMO at Growth Forum.

This kind of experience is all too common and serves as a great learning opportunity for sellers everywhere.

In this lesson, I’ll break down the key insights from our discussion and show you how to apply them in your sales approach.

It’s like preparing the ultimate panini, where each ingredient is vital for the perfect taste.

One size doesn’t fit all

Imagine you have a favourite pair of shoes. They fit you perfectly, but that doesn’t mean they’ll fit your friend. In sales, the same principle applies: one size doesn’t fit all.

You have to customise your selling approach based on your buyer’s needs and knowledge level

Key Takeaways:

‍Understand Your Buyer: Always do your homework. Know your buyer’s background, previous projects, and current needs.
Ask Questions: Engage your buyer by asking how they currently handle specific processes and what gaps they need to be filled.

Know how educated your buyer is

Imagine you’re in school, and the teacher starts teaching you advanced calculus without knowing if you even know basic addition.

How lost would you feel? It’s the same in sales. If you don’t understand how educated your buyer is about your product, you’re setting the stage for confusion and frustration.

Action Steps:

Determine Knowledge Level: Before diving into your pitch, find out if your buyer is just beginning to explore or if they are already an expert.

Tailor Communication: Adjust how you present your information based on the buyer’s knowledge. If they know a lot, go deeper. If they don’t, start with the basics

Never Feature Dump

The seller I spoke with immediately started showing me every feature of their platform. It felt like someone giving you a detailed tour of a kitchen when all you wanted was a glass of water.

This is called “feature dumping,” and it is a sales killer.

Strategies to avoid feature dumping:

Ask for Objectives: Begin by asking your buyer what specific outcomes they want to achieve. This not only shows you’re listening but also guides your demo focus.
Prioritise: Focus only on the features that align with your buyer’s needs. If there’s extra time, you can show other cool features.

Build trust, don’t break it

Imagine receiving a toy as a gift that you’ve been assured is unbreakable, only for it to break within minutes. Trust is essential in any relationship, and sales is no different.

Points to Build Trust:

Be Transparent: If your product has limitations, don’t try to hide them. Honesty builds long-term relationships.
Follow Through: If you promise to send case studies or follow-up, do it promptly. Delays and excuses erode trust

A Real-life Buying Experience

To make these points clearer, let me share my own recent buying journey. I wanted a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and marketing automation platform for my business. Despite having researched and familiarised myself with various options, the senior seller I interacted with made several critical errors:

1. No Discovery: The seller didn’t ask about my previous experience or what gaps I was trying to fill. He went straight into showcasing his product’s features.
2. No Agenda: There was no outline of what the demo would cover. This created a lack of structure and focus.
3. Complacency: Despite our back-and-forth conversations, the seller got complacent and assumed I was an easy deal.
   

Instead of adding value, the seller wasted 45 minutes of my time, leading to frustration and a lack of trust in the vendor.

What Should Have Happened

Had the seller approached me differently, the process could have been both smooth and productive. Here’s how:

Research: Just a little research on my background and past projects would have given him valuable insights.

Questioning: Asking basic yet insightful questions about my needs and gaps would have aligned the demo with my specific requirements.

Structured Approach: A clear agenda with a focus on my primary needs would have kept the conversation relevant and engaging

Sales is like building a puzzle. Just as every puzzle piece has its place, every buyer has unique needs and knowledge levels.

Understanding this can transform your sales approach from mediocre to masterful.

Here’s how to remember the key tactics we discussed:

Do Your Homework: Always understand your buyer’s background.
Ask the Right Questions: Engage them to understand their specific needs.
Tailor Your Approach: Customise your pitch based on their knowledge level.
Be Transparent and Trustworthy: Build trust through honesty and prompt follow-ups.

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