Here are six questions I wish I would have had someone ask of me when I started in the business. Whether you are a small business owner, or an independent consultant, or working for McKinsey or IBM, answering these questions will allow you to become acutely aware of how well you know your target buyers.
Answering these questions is not the entire point. The other part of the point is to continuously think about how you do what-you-do, and improve upon the components. Analyzing and thinking about your answers, what they are today, and what you hope them to be, is critical to your success.
These questions will help you determine how to make a better impact on your market and the executives you meet with when offering solutions to meet their needs.
- How many “dream” clients are there in your market space or in your territory (these are your absolute, most perfect clients, the 20% that would drive 80% of your sales)? You must name them.
- How many do you have right now?
- What are the most frequent objections you hear?
- Describe five of your most typical purchasers. (Where in the organization did they sit? Did they have a problem they were trying to solve? Or was it an opportunity they were looking to gain?)
- Why did you win? (Was it your charming personality? Were you able to get to the decision-maker? Was there someone on your team who won the day?)
- Describe the typical buying structure (What is your clients' process to come to a decision? Where does your buyer reside in the org chart? What authority does your buyer have? Who are the chief influencers?)
I have spoken to hundreds of professionals, and few were able to really hone in on the answers to these questions, except for those that built a niche in a key market. That ought to tell you something, shouldn't it?
Good Luck
Joe Murphy
