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Resources:
>
How
to Become a Rainmaker
>
Why
We Buy
>
High
Trust Selling
Marketing
Maven Test:
Q:
Are white papers worth the effort? What
percent of executives that download a white paper
either pass it on, file it, or contact the company
that produced it?
A:
Click here
for answer
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How
Customers Buy - Seven Key Steps in Getting to the
Purchase Decision
by
Paul Schwartz
Many businesses invest
significant resources in designing and adhering to a
sales process. A
sales process is critical for planning, forecasting,
and generating top line performance and long term
success for a business. While it’s important to create and adhere to a sales process,
businesses should also spend an equal amount of time
understanding their customer’s buying
process.
As
I mentioned in the last
issue, a solid understanding of your customer’s
challenge or problem is
critical to building trust.
If you can demonstrate this understanding to
your customer you will be well on your
way to establishing a stronger connection and are much more likely
to be considered in their buying process. So,
what is your customer's buying process?
A great way to get started
is to map out your selling process and align it with
your customers buying process.
Once this is done you should also list, and have answers to the
critical question(s) your customers will be answering
as they move through to the purchase decision.
To get you started here is a typical selling
and buying process:
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Your Selling Process
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Customer's Buying Process – Critical Question
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1. Suspect
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1. Awareness of need
– what is our problem?
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2. Prospect
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2. Search or identify
– what are the potential solutions?
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3. Rapport
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3. Evaluate options
– what are the decision criteria?
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4. Qualify
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4. Assess risk
–
where can things go wrong?
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5. Present
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5. Decision to purchase or
implement
– what is the value
provided?
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6. Close
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6. Purchase
–
do we have consensus, any roadblocks?
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7. Satisfaction
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7. Evaluation
–
what results did we get, how can we improve,
and will we do business with them again?
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Understanding how your customers buy and the challenges or
questions they will have in each of the steps of their
buying cycle will demonstrate a significant
understanding of your customer and is the first link
in earning their trust and ultimately their loyalty. Remember, your not just closing a sale, your opening a
relationship TM
Want to know more ways to uncover the key questions and
information your customers are seeking in their buying
process? For
more information please contact
us for additional resources or to schedule an
introductory meeting. Please
visit us on the web at www.congruity.biz
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