Your sales process is an ever-changing method of reaching your potential customer in the best possible way. You also think about the needs of that potential customer when you approach him. When considering the needs of a potential customer, this is a great way to improve your sales presentation with the customer’s NEADS in mind. Let’s see what this means and how you can apply it to your sales process.
First, ‘N’ means “now”. The question we must ask ourselves is: “What does the customer have now?” You can find an answer to this question in a number of ways. Before meeting with the potential client, do your research. If you are working with a company, go online and find out as much as possible about them. What are the objectives, vision and current economic conditions of the company? Are they currently using a competitor’s product or service? Are processes changing and therefore need you to come up with a solution? If you cannot determine this information by doing your own research, consider scheduling a “pre-meeting” with one of the decision makers or the person you spoke to first. Doing this will not only give you the information you need, but it will also show the potential customer that you really care about their situation. If you work with people, simply incorporate these types of questions into your initial contact process. Even with an individual, your questions will be interpreted as concern, which is.
Next, ‘E’ refers to enjoyment, as in what does the customer enjoy? Think about how this can apply to both businesses and individuals. For businesses, your background research can tell you what kinds of products and services they “enjoy.” For example, if you introduce yourself to a new, cutting-edge company, you might find that they enjoy technical “stuff” or are looking for ways to be environmentally conscious. Along with that, the group you are introducing to is another place to look for “enjoyment.” Do you feature tech people or other sales people? Think about what constitutes enjoyment for those groups and target your presentation appropriately. Consider how this tactic can work for people. For example, a real estate agent may want to ask a potential buyer what they like about the current home, the current neighborhood, or the current city. By discovering these things about a client, the agent will be able to find the perfect home. Translate this to any product or service you sell.
Third, ‘A’ stands for “alter”. This refers to the things that the client may want to change. When researching the company that is a potential customer, find out what they don’t like about your current products, services, or situations. Find out what they would do differently if they could go back in time. Or find out which product features are your favorites and which features are “not so great.” You don’t necessarily have to approach this with the attitude of finding out what’s wrong, but you can approach it with the question of “what’s right?” The answers can tell you all about the things the company wants to change. When it comes to people, they may just tell you what they don’t like about the current situation. If not, guide your questions in the same way. What do you really like about your current situation? Are there things that you might want to change with a new product or service? Just remember to ask your questions in a positive way and you will quickly discover the information you need.
‘D’ stands for decision, as in, who makes the purchase decision? In the case of people, this answer may be obvious from the beginning, but it may not be so. If the answer is not clear, just ask how the prospect will make a decision. It can be a group decision, a family decision, or an independent decision. The same goes for companies or organizations. The person who made the initial contact with you may be the decision maker, or may be part of a decision-making panel. But there is a possibility that this person does not participate in the decision making at all. If not, find out how decisions are made and think about how you will direct your presentation to that person or group.
Finally, ‘S’ simply means your solution. Whether you are dealing with an individual or an organization, you can take everything you have learned from NEADS analysis and create the perfect solution for the potential customer. You’ll take their current situation, their likes and dislikes, their desired changes, and their decision-making process and create a solution-oriented presentation that makes a sale.
Remember, customer needs are now customer NEADS.