Every month, I talk to sales people who have lost a sale by making the same classic mistake: they are so excited to have a client in front of them or they think they know why their customer is meeting with them that they jump right into their spiel (presentation) and end up skipping the needs analysis. The needs analysis can NEVER be skipped because this is where you’ll find their pain. And if you don’t know your customer’s pain then you are deciding what’s most important to them instead of really selling to their need.

So find the pain – and once you’ve found the pain, use this sales ninja technique that we, at Southwestern Consulting, use to coach our clients. It’s designed to point out your customer’s pain and have them “sit in it” until they see that you are their only answer.  Continue reading »