Pain points, those issues that cause problems or “pains” in an organization, come in all different forms. Your prospects might be facing a visibility pain point when no one seems to know who they are. Financial pain points might involve needing to eliminate certain technologies or tools that are no longer affordable. Prospects with people pain points might be dealing with low employee morale.

However they show up in your prospects’ businesses, these pain points need to be addressed. And according to Dan Tyre, sales director at HubSpot, it’s best to uncover business pain as quickly as possible. Without business pain, there’s no need. And without need, there’s no hope for a sale, he says.

Once you uncover your prospects’ pain points, you can help them solve it. This is important because it allows you to become a solution-provider instead of a product-seller, Tyre notes. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Tyre’s tips to begin addressing business pain.

Use the same verbiage as your prospects. This shows that you are listening and can help build trust with your prospects. They want to feel heard and understood. By using their language and terminology, you demonstrate that you hear what they’re saying. Don’t use industry jargon that won’t make sense to your prospects, Tyre adds. It’s more effective to use the specific words your prospects use.

Identify the decision-maker. You know your prospects are dealing with a business pain point. Now, you need to learn who has the authority to solve the pain. Tyre says it’s important to find the economic buyer as soon as possible. Be upfront and ask the prospect whose budget a purchase would come out of. You can also ask what specific teams would be involved in the buying decision. By uncovering this information early in the conversation, you can ensure you’re talking with the person who is empowered to close the deal.

Identify other key people. You should know who can make the buying decision, and you should also pinpoint other stakeholders involved. Tyre says if you’re selling to multiple teams, one team might have different priorities than the other. You need to know this early on. And if you need to go through a months-long legal review process before closing the deal, you should also know. You can keep it simple and be straightforward by asking, “Who besides yourself needs to be involved in this decision?” and “Who else should know we had this conversation?”

Personalize your solution. Finally, to address prospects’ pain points, always frame your offering to reflect their unique dilemma. This requires listening carefully to understand their problems and then affirming their pain points. Be specific and explain how your solution can resolve their business pain.

Many of your prospects will face similar pain points. It’s up to you as the sales professional to uncover these issues as efficiently as possible. During your conversations, always use the prospect’s terminology and avoid using industry jargon they won’t understand. You should also strive to pinpoint who has buying authority and what other stakeholders need to be involved. Last, be sure to show how your specific solution can solve their business pain. By following these tips, you can help your prospects address and overcome the issues their organization is facing.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Dan Tyre is sales director at HubSpot.

Link to: