Successful sales teams are increasingly adopting a customer focused selling approach, by centering on understanding customer needs and motivations. This trend emphasizes building relationships based on trust, providing personalized solutions, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
What is customer focused selling?
Customer focused selling is when a salesperson lets go of their ideas and consistently puts their customer’s needs and aspirations ahead of their own. They step into their client’s shoes and ponder questions that will lead to a greater understanding of their customer’s viewpoint.
- What does my customer need?
- What is my customer feeling?
- What is on their wish list?
- What are their motivations?
In a nutshell, customer-centric selling means having the customer’s best interest at heart.
Why is it important to be customer focused?
The reason a customer-focused sales approach has gained significant traction in recent years is because sales teams are realizing the many benefits of better understanding their customers on a deeper level.
This approach involves personalized selling, where salespeople tailor their solutions to meet specific customer requirements. It goes beyond simply pitching products or services. Instead, it focuses on providing value and solving customer problems.
It requires a salesperson to focus on their customers’ needs, motivations and pain points in order to gain a clear understanding of the situation and:
- Get on the same page as the customer
- Be in lockstep with the customer to achieve a common goal (eg. solve a problem/issue)
- Work together to come up with a solution that can help
When a salesperson approaches everything they do from their customer’s perspective, the customer feels supported and heard. This helps to build a strong, trusting relationship between buyer and seller. It equips the sales professional with all the information they need to tailor a solution that will help satisfy their client’s needs.
The bottom line is adopting a customer-centric approach empowers sales teams to differentiate themselves from competitors, building lasting customer relationships and long-term customer loyalty based on a trusted partnership. Plus, it fosters a customer-centric culture within the organization, where all departments work together to ensure customer success.
To help you adopt a customer-centric sales approach, here are RBDs top 5 tips on how to become more customer focused:
RBDs Top 5 Customer Focused Selling Tips
1. Actively listen:
Concentrate on what your customer is saying
2. Be curious:
Ask insightful questions and respond to what’s being said
3. Act as a guide:
Lead your customer to tailored solutions that address their needs
4. Empathize:
Align on mutual values and solicit voice of the customer (VoC) feedback
5. Exceed expectations:
Deliver superior customer experience every step of the way
Want help getting your sales team more customer focused?
Feel free to give us a call or drop us a line. We’re happy to help!
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