on the customer when he or she is not ready to solve the problem than when he or she is ready to solve it. Therefore, top performers, since they are putting the customer first, will invariably withhold their solutions until they feel that these solutions will have the greatest customer impact-that is, until the customer perceives the problem as sizable enough to solve. Unless the customer tells the salesperson that he or she wants to solve the problem, the only way the salesperson is going to know for sure whether the customer sees the problem as sizable enough to solve is to ask the customer. Jim Preston, former president of Norwood Industries, located in Austin, Texas, said it best: If a salesperson wants to aggravate someone, just let them try to solve a problem that the customer isnt ready to solve yet.

When you identify and try to develop the clients needs, youre in a better position to know whether the client sees the problem as big enough to warrant buying the service or product being offered. While prospects may admit that a problem exists, if they dont think the problem is serious enough-especially if theres a lot of risk associated with the solution-they wont buy. Once again, people are most receptive to solutions when the pain of making a change is less than the pain of staying the same.

Why would you ever want to offer a solution unless you were certain (either because you were told by the customer or because you asked the customer) that the customer was ready for one? Well, the answer is simple: You wouldnt. Prescribing surgery (the solution) without proper diagnosis (the probing/investigating) is malpractice (not a good thing).

ACTION POINTS

4 Leave some issues on the table. Dont try to solve all the customers problems. Dont try to answer every objection. The more reasons you give to support your argument, the weaker your argument becomes.13

4 Show courtesy and respect. Always display concern for the customers problems and respect for the customers perception of these problems.

4 Listen, test understanding, and clarify what the speaker says. Occasionally ask the speaker if this is what he or she means. As Neil Rackham points out, use the customers actual words, not a paraphrase. That way you can more easily come back to clarify or explore points. For example, You said that your existing equipment suffers from, as you put it, fundamental design inefficiency. Could you say more about that?

4 Separate problems to be solved and problems to be left alone. Separate customer problems into two categories: those that the customer wants to solve and those that the customer is willing to live with.

4 Dont offer unwelcome solutions. Offer solutions only to those problems that the client is interested in solving.

SALES TRUTH 3: Offer solutions to problems the prospect wants to solve.

PRINCIPLE

get the most out of your best people

A TOP sales organization is able to get the most out of the best people. This starts with recruiting and hiring the best. Top sales organizations have highly effective processes for attracting and recruiting top-notch sales reps. Not only do these companies interview at top business schools, but they also actively participate in business school and other campus functions in order to get their name and reputation in front of the best students. They network within their own organizations to find the best new recruits and never lose sight of the need to develop their employees. They realize that top-notch selling isnt a natural