Start with the End in Mind

Jeff Schmidt, RAB Start with the End in Mind A friend and his wife were looking to upgrade their pontoon boat for the family. With children and grandchildren, a pontoon is the perfect boat for some weekend fun and relaxation. He shared his shopping story. At the first store, Jeff, the salesperson greeted them at the door and asked how he could help. When they said they were looking at pontoons, Jeff got excited and took them immediately around the corner where there was a poster that showed the technical specifications of the pontoons he sells. “Our boats are built for speed and performance; you can get them going about 70 MPH and you can turn them at 60 MPH.” None of this was important to my friend and his wife – it was actually off-putting to his wife. Safety of the children was her greatest concern. Dan was the owner of the marina they went to next. Dan greeted them at the door and welcomed them to his store. They shared they had just started the process of looking for a pontoon boat. Dan said, “great, I’m happy to help,” And then it happened… Instead of launching into a sales pitch about performance, Dan looked at my friends, and said, “Tell me why you are thinking a pontoon and what you plan to do with it?” Instantly they felt comfortable. Dan was asking questions – not selling. He was trying to understand their needs BEFORE using his vast knowledge to make a recommendation. With businesses opening up, it may be tempting to trot out the latest COVID-19 package of special rates and high-frequency scheduling. We recommend no matter what you’re selling that you first do a Customer Needs Analysis. Steve Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, suggests you start with the end in mind. • What is your prospect trying to accomplish? • Why are they considering advertising? • How will they determine if their plan is successful? These are just a few of the key questions required before making a solid recommendation. You’ll find a list of sample C.N.A. questions on the RAB website. Your clients are looking for advice, help and information. They do not want to be pitched. My friend and his wife walked out of the marina with the keys to a new boat. So much for just starting to look. The reason they did is because the owner took the time to care and understand why they wanted to buy before he suggested what they buy. A Customer Needs Analysis is the tool that helps you identify why and what your prospects are trying to accomplish so you can be prepared to use your expertise to make a recommendation.