Act like a doctor when it comes to selling

Have you ever been to the doctor where the doctor has prescribed a treatment for your ailment before asking the important questions to find out what your ailment is?

If you have, you might want to consider seeing another doctor!
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Any good doctor will go through the important list of diagnostic questions before he or she prescribes the appropriate treatment. So why can it be so difficult for professionals in other lines of work to do the same thing when it comes to prescribing the right “treatment” to prospective clients? 

Many of you have heard the sales 101 rule - “First identify the prospective client’s pain points and needs before recommending your services.” If you haven’t, etch this into your memory!

Too many times, professionals (even dedicated sales professionals) will want to tell the prospective client everything about their services or products before asking the prospective client the important diagnostic questions. This often stems from insecurity and wanting to get approval for their expertise before determining if the prospective client even needs their help. This approach can give the prospective client that uneasy feeling of being pitched before first being heard.

If you want to increase your chances of building trust with your prospective clients and ultimately landing them as new clients, be disciplined in asking good questions, listen, and learn what is important to them. It is at that point when you can determine if and how you can help them.

What are their current objectives?  What are their challenges/concerns? What is important to them when buying a specific service or product?
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There are certainly more questions you can ask them, but you get the idea. Learn as much about the client first before prescribing the right treatment for them!