Salespeople often rely too heavily on their company’s products, services and accompanying solutions. They believe just because they have something to offer, someone must need it. Since that’s not necessarily the case, they enter into business relationships with an unconscious liability.
People do not buy things based on need. Need is the pursuit of a positive. Buying is not based upon pursuing a positive, but involves overcoming or eliminating a negative. If there’s no issue, problem or concern, there’s no need for a solution.
Salespeople often assume either that everyone should or that everyone does need what they offer. They burden themselves with proving to prospects that needs do exist. That’s a push relationship. Even if prospects do have problems to solve, most would deny it when pushed. Relationships like these are inherently flawed. There’s a difference between trying to sell individuals on their needs versus helping them buy products or pursue solutions based on their perceptions of problems.
For validation, ask a client what concerns were eliminated or problems solved by purchasing your product or service, from their perspective. You cannot create a need where one does not exist. You cannot solve problems or eliminate pain where none are present. You can, however, become the problem by trying to convince people of needs that don’t exist or concerns they don’t have.
Beware of the trap: just because you have it … doesn’t mean they need it!
About MBDi:
Founded in 1979, MBDi is a global Business Development services firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, providing expertise in Business Development best practices in the national security, defense, scientific, energy and engineering industries. MBDi’s mission is to transform our clients’ organizations and people into proven Business Development leaders by addressing the conditions and behaviors that assure positive culture change creating clear paths to professional success.