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As a salesperson, you're trained to ask customers what they want in terms
of your product offerings. That's wise advice. However, if you only ask
customers what they want and then give it to them, you're missing the
biggest opportunity that has ever come in front of you.
        Realize that clients will always under-ask because they don't know what is
possible. Think about it…No customer ever asked for a fax machine. They
didn't know it was possible to send printed communication via a phone line.
No customer ever asked for an iPod. They didn't know it was possible to
listen to music without some sort of CD or spinning device. People don't ask
for things that they don't know exist.
        Technology allows us to do things that were once thought impossible. So for
salespeople, while it is important to ask customers what they want and then
to give it to them, realize that by doing so you're merely competing with
your competitors. Chances are your competitors are asking customers the same
questions, they're getting the same answers, and they're providing the same
solutions. When that happens, you end up competing on price and not
differentiating yourself.
        Therefore, the Golden Rule of sales is to give people the ability to do
what they currently can't do but would really want to do if they only knew
they could have done it. That's so much more profitable than simply giving
clients what they ask for.
        The key is that you have to look a little bit further into your customers'
predictable needs based on where they're going. Only then you can see unmet
needs and new opportunities.
        At this point many salespeople might say, "But I don't create the products;
I just sell them. How can I deliver what customers don't know is possible?"
The answer lies in how you can redefine various aspects of your offering.
Consider the following.

1. Redefine the Product

        Today, it's not about high-tech; it's about higher-tech. In other words,
it's not about your product; it's about how your clients use it. For
example, currently several hospitals are using the Wii video game system to
do rehabilitation for people who have been injured in war. Why? Because with
a Wii, you hold the controller and make life-like movements to control the
game. So these hospitals have taken a kid's game and redefined how it's
used. That's an example of using an existing product in a new way.
        Think about the products you sell. Sure, your customers are probably using
the product for what it was intended to do. But could the same product help
in another department? Could it impact the effectiveness of the company in
some other way? Could it do something else or more for your customers?
Analyze how people have always used your product and think of other creative
applications. That's how you redefine your product so it adds more value and
does what no one ever thought to ask.

2. Redefine the Customer

        If you sell your product to a specific market segment, can another type of
customer use it as well? For example, let's say you sell software to
independent insurance agents, and your software helps them run their office,
track their clients, and calculate their commissions. Could that same
software work for another industry, such as real estate agents? It probably
could, and with minor modifications, if any. That's because insurance agents
and real estate agents have similar functions and issues.
        In business, we have what's called the "bleeding edge" and the "leading
edge." The bleeding edge is when customers buy something new and then have
to "bleed" in terms of trying to get the product to work for them. You can
help your customers lead without bleeding by looking outside of your
industry to other industries that aren't related and that have already used
the product in higher-tech ways. These other industries did the bleeding
already and are now getting great returns. You can then apply that knowledge
to an industry that never thought of using your product. Now some other
industry did the bleeding so your customers can focus on the leading.

3. Redefine the Value You Deliver

        Always remember that you're not simply selling a thing; you're selling the
competitive advantage of the product. In other words, part of your job is to
help your customers use the product you sell to gain competitive advantage.
When asked, most salespeople say that few of their customers are fully using
all of the features of their product in the most efficient manner. In fact,
most customers only use between ten and fifty percent of the product's full
functionality. They're underutilizing the very product that is supposed to
make their business run smoother and more efficient. No wonder so many
companies are competing on price. No wonder margins are slim. All the
salespeople are doing is selling a "thing." They're not selling a
competitive advantage. They're not truly differentiating the products
they're selling.
        Therefore, create some guidelines that will help your customers maximize
the use of the product you're selling. Most companies simply sell the
product, deliver it, and then leave. It's then up to the customer to figure
out specific guidelines for maximizing the use of the product
organizationally. No wonder so many customers underutilize their purchases.
        But don't stop there. Go beyond the guidelines and actually help customers
figure out how to get a competitive advantage by using the product.
Obviously you can't share secrets or proprietary information you learn about
any of your other customers. But you can help all your customers learn,
understand, and implement all the functionality of their purchase so they
can be more competitive in today's market. By offering that kind of
knowledge, you could possibly even charge more for your product, because now
you're giving business value that far exceeds the value of the individual
product.

4. Redefine the Perception of the Salesperson

        Finally, you need to shift from being a vendor to being a trusted advisor.
There's a big difference between the two. A vendor simply supplies a
product. A trusted advisor supplies true advantage. For example, a trusted
advisor will recommend what is best for the customer, not best for the
salesperson. In some cases that might mean telling the customer that your
company is not the best fit for the customer's needs, and then recommending
one of your competitors. When you seek that higher ground and become a
trusted advisor, your clients trust you more.
        Remember that the future is all about relationships. As we get more
technical and more global, the relationships you build with your customers
are what will keep your company profitable. Relationships are all about
trust, and you gain trust by earning it. So never teach people to distrust
you by stretching the truth or hiding some pertinent information. To
differentiate, you need to raise the bar on trust.

Redefine Your Level of Sales Success

        When you focus on redefining what you already have, you can take your
current offering and leverage it to new levels. That's when you become a
sales leader, not because of some fast-talking sales pitch, but because of
your commitment to your customers and their true needs. So focus on these
four elements of redefining today and you'll be able to give your customers
tools and solutions they never dreamed possible. As a result, both you and
your company will attain new levels of success and realize the profit
potential you always knew existed. HBM

Daniel Burrus, author of six books including the international best seller “Technotrends,” is one of the world's leading technology forecasters and business strategists, who has established a worldwide reputation for accurately predicting technology driven trends and their impact on the
world of business. For more information on the services and products provided by Daniel Burrus, please visit www.Burrus.com or call 262-367-0949.