People Strategies: Advocating customer's position makes decisions easier

Linda Bower is a speaker, executive coach and human performance improvement consultant in Rogersville.

If you have been told or taught to "close a sale" using "closing techniques," stop it now. Customers don't like being looked at in this way; it puts them in a position of having to defend themselves.

Put yourself in their shoes. Do you like the idea of someone using manipulation to cause you to make a decision?

There is no way of getting out of the "recommendation" phase of the sales process. The most successful sales professionals advocate their solutions in a way that further develops the customer relationship.

Advocating is the process of suggesting appropriate solutions to the customer. It should not be attempted until you have developed a good relationship and completed a thorough discovery of the customer's needs. Making any recommendation before you understand the total situation leaves you vulnerable to suggesting an inappropriate solution. Presenting recommendations prematurely also risks a loss of credibility and trust with your customer.

Advocating skills help your customer understand how your solution will improve their current situation. The solutions you suggest need to be on target so you can comfortably ask the customer for further commitment. If your solutions are seen as inappropriate, you will have to retrace some of your steps in discovering the situation and work to overcome your customer's concerns.

Engaging customer decisions

Advocating solutions can be the most tense part of the sales process for both the customer and you. The customer does not want to feel pressure to make a buying decision, especially if the customer is unsure that it is the right decision. You do not want to risk losing the business after investing so much time in the relationship.

The customer's participation and involvement in the advocating phase are important for three reasons.

It helps customers feel responsible for solving their own problems.

It helps salespeople know if they are on target with their solution.

It builds agreement one step at a time.

Following is a guideline for advocating solutions in a way that is easier for the customer to make a buying decision.

Review your discovery of the customer's current and desired situation with all the players to confirm that you are addressing the appropriate needs.

Present products and features that are important to the customer/organization, not everything you know about the subject.

Describe your recommendation in terms of:

Solution describe the product or service you are recommending;

Application define the customer's need that your product or service meets; and

Benefit interpret the advantages, in customer terms, to choosing your solution.

Engage your customer's participation in presentations. Ask them to talk about their issues. Work through customer concerns by:

listening to the customer's feelings;

sharing your understanding of their concerns;

clarifying the real problem; and

problem-solving by presenting options and solutions.

Asking for action

Support your recommendation by helping the customer think through the pros and cons of their buying decision.

The real power behind this approach is that it puts you on the same side of the table with your customer. You become their "counselor" as they make an important decision.

The question then changes from "Do you want to buy?" to, "How do you want to buy?"

In most complex sales situations, a series of agreements are reached before contracts are signed or money changes hands. In this case, commitment to proceed is measured by activities peripheral to your solution, such as:

permission to conduct a study;

permission to make a presentation;

a trial run;

a meeting with another decision-maker;

a price quotation;

a demonstration; and

a corporate visit.

Advocating is a mental attitude that gives the customer the right to make their own decision.