The Buying Process:
See it as Your Customer Does
to Increase Your Effectiveness

An owner or salesperson is always looking for ways to improve his or her effectiveness. To maximize our effectiveness we must understand how the customer sees the buying or sales process. Only by seeing the buying or sales process as the customer sees it can we know what to improve or enhance.

Let's look at how customers see the buying process. Remember, we must look at the sale through the eyes of the customer. A primary element to consider is the customer's perception of size of the decision. The determination of size of the sales decision is based not just on the purchase price. It is based on who will be effected, how many people will be effected, the degree of change or involvement, how long the product or service will be utilized, and even the importance of those using the produce or service. If the customer perceives the sale to be a relatively small one, they perceive it as an event and the buying decision is based primarily on emotion.

The key to success in a small sale is the product. Manufacturers and resellers constantly look for innovative products that have more capability or reliability. This constant push for product innovation creates success only when customers see the sale as small in overall terms. For example, buying a home computer might be a relatively large sale to one person, whereas buying several stand-alone systems might be a small sale to another.

The way to improve the salesperson's success in a small sale is to improve his or her product knowledge and skill. The more the salesperson knows about the product and the more skilled they are at demonstrating and communicating this the better they will do.

For sales that are considered by customers as large, such as networks or even support of the organization over an extended period, the success factors are significantly different. The sale is not perceived as an event, but a relationship. The buying decision is not based on emotion but on the customer's perception of value provided.

The key to success in large sales is to be able to understand and meet the customer's needs. Even great products, great service, and lower prices will not produce results unless they meet the perceived needs of the customer.

To improve the results in large sales, the salesperson must increase the customer's perception of value of not just the product or service, but of the salesperson and the company. The salesperson must develop a relationship where he or she is considered an asset and is perceived as beneficial to the company. Ideally, the salesperson and company are elevated to the level of "strategic partner" and assist the customer to reach their individual and organizational goals.

Remember, it is not the salesperson's perception of the size of the sale or even what affects the sale, the key is what the customer perceives. To understand how customers feel about you, your products, your services, and your company, it is essential to take the time and effort to ask. You can use the following questions to develop a more in-depth knowledge of what you do that is valuable and to show ways to leverage that value with future prospects.

What has been the "real" and "tangible" value of what we have done for your organization? Focus on financial impact, business results, etc.

It is essential to know what you do to that is valuable and be able to use it in positioning yourself with prospects or creating your Unique Selling Position ("USP") that differentiates your company from others. Many times we assume some actions and features are very valuable and others are not. Only by asking customers can we find out that this is true. In our workshops, when we have had salespeople and managers ask these types of questions of their customers and prospects, the answers have been enlightening. Many times the manufacturer or reseller believes something is valuable but the customer does not, and visa versa.

Only when you know how the customer perceives you and what you offer can you position yourself to maximize your success. Take the time after completing a sale or periodically to probe and understand your "real" value so you can increase your future selling effectiveness.