Give Them What They Want First. Then Give Them What They Need.
One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make in their sales process is focusing too much on what the client needs instead of what the client is actually asking for.
And yes, those are often two different things.
For example, imagine you’re a doctor and a patient comes into your office with a swollen knee and a lot of pain.
You look at the X-rays and realize there may also be osteoporosis developing, so you immediately start talking about diet changes, vitamins, and weightlifting.
All important things.
But the patient is probably sitting there thinking, “Can you just help my knee stop hurting first?”
If you never address the immediate reason why they came to you, they leave feeling frustrated and unheard.
Businesses do this all the time.
Especially service-based businesses.
An IT company hears a prospect say, “We’re unhappy with our current provider,” and immediately starts talking about cybersecurity frameworks, infrastructure upgrades, and strategic planning.
Meanwhile, the client is thinking, “I just want my computers and email to work.”
The interesting thing is that the IT company probably isn’t wrong. The client may absolutely need stronger security and better systems.
But people want to feel understood first.
The Problem With Solving Too Soon
A lot of business owners accidentally overwhelm prospects because they’re trying too hard to demonstrate expertise.
They skip right past the immediate pain point and jump straight into the bigger strategic conversation.
That usually creates friction in the sales process.
The businesses that do this well understand that there’s a difference between the thing the client is asking for today and the larger issues that may need to be addressed over time.
You don’t ignore the deeper problem.
You just don’t lead with it.
First, solve the thing that’s keeping the client up at night.
Then, after trust is established, you can help them address the larger issues.
When the “Want” and the “Need” Don’t Match
Now sometimes, what the client wants and what they actually need are too far apart.
We recently spoke with a business owner who wanted help growing through social media marketing.
After doing a little digging, it became clear that the real issue wasn’t social media at all. There was no strong brand foundation, no clear messaging, and no real positioning strategy behind the business.
Without those foundational pieces, the marketing campaign wasn’t likely to perform very well.
Quite frankly, she wasn’t interested in fixing those things. She just wanted social media help.
And that’s okay.
Not every prospect is the right fit.
Part of building a healthy business is understanding when you can bridge the gap between what someone wants and what they actually need, and when you can’t.
Mindset shift of the week
People want to feel understood before they want to feel educated.
When you slow down and really listen to what customers are asking for, your sales process becomes simpler, smoother, and far more effective.
Less stress. More revenue.
If you’re an owner, president, or leader of a small or midsized company and you want to identify key areas to grow and/or scale your topline revenue then let’s talk.
Email me directly at Krista@helpugrowcro.com or schedule a discovery call at https://calendly.com/helpugrowcro/30min
