In a virtual selling environment, the ability to help your customers visualize how your products, services, and solutions will meet their needs becomes even more important. Without face-to-face cues, your words take on even more meaning. We’ll explore how to create visual cues virtually.
In my last post we answered the question “who defines value?” Yes, it’s the customer (no, it’s not your marketing department). Therefore, asking questions to get the customer to express the magnitude of their problem, as well as picture the impact on their business and others, compels them to want to solve the problem. Done well, the customer will clearly describe and visualize what value means to them and what will motivate them to take action.
This is when you know you have a clear, crystallized, magnified need. A need that is compelling enough to meet, a problem important enough to solve. You have the customer “at hello”; now it’s about selecting and positioning a solution that they can visualize implementing.
In a virtual selling environment, the ability to help your customers visualize how your products, services, and solutions will meet their needs becomes even more important. Without face-to-face cues, your words take on even more meaning. And rookie moves like barraging the customer with features and benefits will exacerbate the pitfalls of the virtual dynamic.
The good news is you have a fully magnified need, so you are ready to take the first step to visually connect their needs to your solutions. How?
Broaden your value proposition. You are positioning a solution, not doing a features and benefits selling dump. Think about the solution in terms of how it solves the value equation:
Value = Quality / Price, mitigated by Time, Risk, and Outcomes. Shift the conversation away from price to thinking about total cost of implementation. Consider from the customer’s viewpoint: how much time will it take to change or implement? What will be the risk to implementing this change? Will I get the intended outcome from my efforts? Can I impact important measures such as productivity, efficiency, margin, revenue?
Put the customer in the picture. You got them describing what the pain looks and feels like when they’re experiencing the problem they’re facing; now you can paint a picture of what it will look and feel like for them when the solution is implemented that fixes that problem. In Balanced Seller® we frame this with an example (although difficult to imagine these days due to the pandemic, I think we can all still relate):
You’re at a party, surrounded by friends who are all having fun, taking pictures, and enjoying themselves. Later, you check your social media feed for party pictures…what do you look for first? Admit it…yourself! We all do it; we want to see ourselves in the pictures. When we’re not there, the scene is far less interesting and relatable (even provoking FOMO). When positioning your solution, pummeling the customer with features and benefits is like showing them your insta feed without them there…boring and generic. However, when you effectively connect THEIR need to the value your solution offers, you put the customer in the picture.
Start with the need. Remember, the need is THEM in the picture! Needs are verbs or actions, so phrase it in a way that describes the action: “what’s most important to you is to…” They are now engaged and focused on themselves, ready for you to position the benefits of the solution that solves the problem.
Use imagery. One way to create an image of the benefit of your products and services is to present a scenario describing what it would look or feel like for the customer if he or she already had your product/service. Paint a scenario where they are successfully implementing your solution and experiencing the benefits and value. Phrase it to focus on those benefits that match the need: “We have a solution that…” offers benefits linked to our value equation:
- improves outcomes
- eliminates stress
- minimal/no cost to change
- easy to implement
- increases productivity or efficiency
- improves margin
- saves time
- reduces resource needs
Every step along the Balanced Seller® process is an opportunity to live up to the value proposition you positioned up front: to seek to understand the events driving the problems and opportunities your customers are facing, and partner to find solutions that meet those needs and add value to your customer’s business. Once they see themselves in the picture, your customers will begin to appreciate your ability to help them solve their problems. Your solutions will be far more than just the products you offer; your value as a trusted partner who listens and solves problems will emerge.