Your sales process is an ever-changing method of reaching your potential customer in the best possible way. You also think about the needs of that potential client when you approach him. When considering the needs of a potential client, this is a great way to fine-tune your sales presentation with the NEADS client in mind. Let’s see what this means and how you can apply it to your sales process.
First, ‘N’ stands for “now”. The question to ask is, “what does the customer have now?” You can find an answer to this question in a couple of ways. Before you meet with the potential client, do your research. If you’re working with a company, go online and find out everything you can about it. What are the company’s goals, vision, and current economic conditions? Are they currently using a competitor’s product or service? Are processes changing and therefore need you to come up with a solution? If you can’t determine this information by doing your own research, consider scheduling a “pre-meeting” with one of the decision makers or the person you spoke with first. Doing this will not only give you the information you need, but it will also show the potential client that you really care about their situation. If you work with people, simply incorporate these types of questions into your initial contact process. Even with an individual, your questions will be interpreted as concern, and they are.
Next, ‘E’ refers to enjoyment, such as what does the customer enjoy? Think about how this can apply to both businesses and individuals. For businesses, your background research can tell you what kinds of products and services they “enjoy.” For example, if you’re pitching a cutting-edge startup, you might find that they enjoy the technical “stuff” or are looking for ways to be environmentally conscious. Along with that, the group you’re introducing yourself to is another place to look for “enjoyment.” Do you make presentations to tech people or other sales people? Think about what constitutes enjoyment for those groups and target your presentation appropriately. Consider how this tactic can work for people. For example, a real estate agent may want to ask a potential buyer what they like about the current house, the current neighborhood, or the current city. By discovering these things about a client, the agent will be able to find the perfect home. Translate this to any product or service you sell.
Third, ‘A’ stands for “alter”. This refers to things that the client may want to change. When you’re researching the company that is a potential customer, find out what they don’t like about your products, services, or current situations. Find out what they would do differently if they could go back in time. Or find out which product features are your favorites and which features are “not so good”. You don’t necessarily have to approach this with the attitude of figuring out what’s wrong, but you can approach it with the question of “what’s right?” The answers can tell you all about the things the company wants to change. When it comes to individuals, they may simply tell you what they don’t like about the current situation. If not, please address your questions the same way. What do you really like about your current situation? Are there things they might want to change with a new product or service? Just remember to ask your questions in a positive way and you’ll quickly discover the information you need.
‘D’ stands for decision, as in, who makes the purchase decision? With people, this response may be obvious from the start, but it may not be. If the answer isn’t clear, simply ask how the prospect is going to make a decision. It can be a group decision, a family decision, or an independent decision. The same goes for companies or organizations. The person who made the initial contact with you may be the decision maker, or may be part of a panel that makes the decisions. But there is a possibility that this person will not participate at all in decision-making. If not, find out how decisions are made and think about how you will direct your presentation to that person or group.
Finally, ‘S’ simply means your solution. Whether you’re dealing with an individual or an organization, you’ll be able to take everything you’ve learned from the NEADS analysis and create the perfect solution for the prospect. It will take your current situation, your likes and dislikes, desired changes, and your decision-making process and create a solution-oriented presentation that generates a sale.
Remember, customer needs are now customer NEADS.