The Pitch
The traditional sales approach often emphasizes finding the customer's pain points as a key strategy. However, this method can sometimes backfire, especially when it embarrasses buyers in front of their team by highlighting problems or inefficiencies. A more effective and empathetic approach is to focus on future outcomes. This strategy shifts the conversation from what's wrong to what could be right, engaging customers in a vision of improvement and benefits. By asking about future outcomes, sales professionals can create a more positive and constructive dialogue that not only respects the buyer's dignity but also opens up possibilities for how their product or service can facilitate these improvements.
What Will Improve?
Asking customers about what will improve invites them to envision a better future. This question encourages them to think about the positive changes that your product or service can bring. It's a forward-looking approach that shifts the focus from current pain points to future gains. This kind of question aligns with the concept of 'solution selling,' where the emphasis is on the solution's benefits rather than the customer's problems. It helps customers visualize the tangible improvements that they can expect, making the value proposition more compelling and relevant.
How Will Everyone Benefit?
Understanding how everyone will benefit from a proposed solution is crucial in a sales conversation. This question broadens the scope of the discussion to include the wider impact on the customer's team or organization. It's not just about individual gains but about collective benefits. This approach resonates with the principles of 'value-based selling,' where the focus is on the overall value delivered to the customer and their organization. By highlighting the broad benefits, sales professionals can appeal to decision-makers who are responsible for the well-being of their teams and the success of their organization.
What Will They Do With the Time/Money They Have?
Asking customers what they will do with the time or money saved by using your product or service is an effective way to make the benefits more tangible and personal. This question helps customers think about the practical applications of the efficiencies or cost savings your solution offers. It's a way of connecting the dots between the features of your product or service and the real-life benefits for the customer. This question also encourages customers to think about the long-term impact and the potential for reinvestment of resources into other areas of their business or life.
So What?
Shifting the focus from finding pain to exploring future outcomes can transform sales conversations. It creates a more positive, forward-looking dialogue that not only respects the buyer but also opens up a world of possibilities. By reframing qualifying questions into future-focused ones, sales teams can engage customers more effectively, leading to improved conversations and potentially better sales outcomes.
Next Steps
✅ Reframe qualifying questions to focus on future outcomes.
✅ Train your team to adopt a future-focused approach.
✅ Encourage discussions about improvements and benefits.
✅ Focus on the broader impact of your solutions.
Closed Won!
Moving away from pain points to future outcomes can change the dynamics of your sales conversations. What are your thoughts on this approach? How have you incorporated future-focused questions into your sales strategy? Share your experiences and insights below.
Leave a comment or question below, let's help each other, and our reps move those deals to "Closed Won!"
