The Keys to the Kingdom: Finding Pain
One day I was talking with one of the technicians at Lanier
named Bill Wilbur. We were talking about why people paid more
for some things than others did. Bill said something that I
never will forget; "You can't pay too much for something you
really want!" Over the years I have found this statement to be
right on the money. If this is the case then how do you get your
prospect to really want your product? The answer is simple. Get
them to see your product solving a major problem for them. How
do you do this? The key is asking the right PAIN questions.
When you go to the doctor they don't immediately start trying to
sell you on the benefits of what they are going to prescribe.
Before a doctor can help you with your PAIN he has to ask you
diagnostic questions. A great salesperson is like a great
doctor. They know how to ask great diagnostic questions. One of
things I have done to help myself with formulating diagnostic
questions is to use the acronym PAIN. PAIN stands for problem,
anxiety, interests, and needs.
PROBLEMS
Every business in America has problems. For some businesses,
cash flow is a major problem. For other businesses, declining
revenues can be the challenge they are trying to deal with. If
you walk into an appointment with a list of PAIN questions you
significantly increase your odds of success. Ask yourself before
you walk into an appointment, "If I were the CEO of XYZ Company,
what problems would I most likely be faced with?" If possible
talk to vendors you know who call on the account, to see if they
can give you any insight into what problems that company might
be facing.
ANXIETY
A great way to set up PAIN questions is to say to the prospect,
"Because I want to truly become your partner, one of the things
I want to discover is what keeps you up at night?" What keeps
people up at night is what they are anxious about. It may be
meeting the next payroll or paying for a product that has
already been sold. The more anxious your prospect becomes the
greater your chances of an immediate sale.
INTERESTS
Just as you can fairly accurately predict what problems a
business may face, you can also predict what interest they may
have. If you are calling on an automobile dealership chances are
fairly high that they will be interested in trends in the oil
industry. Prices of oil and gas can have a direct impact on car
sales. If you are calling on a shipping company, governmental
regulations can impact their bottom line and profitability.
Being able to discuss outside influences on a particular
industry will separate you from your competition that is selling
only the features of their product.
NEEDS
What is the difference between a want and a need? A want is
something you would like to have whereas a need is something you
have to have. A Company may want a new phone system but be
unable to justify the expense. If you can show a company how
they are losing customers and therefore revenue, then that same
phone system can become a need. Look for ways in which your
product can directly impact revenue or expenses and then you can
show how your product is needed.
I'M NOT FEELING VERY SICK!
A great exercise for a salesperson is to role-play asking PAIN
questions. Have a third person announce after every question how
sick they perceive the prospect is. I might ask a question such
as "How is your business going right now?" To this question the
prospect responds "Pretty well." At this point I haven't
uncovered any PAIN and the third person might respond, "Looks
like they are feeling fine to me." Keep trying until you start
to get comments like, "Uh oh, they're looking pretty sick."
TWO REASONS YOU MAKE EVERY DECISION IN YOUR LIFE
Many years ago I attended a training session in Atlanta, Georgia
for IBM. The focus of the training was "Why people buy?" What we
learned is that people make decisions for one of two reasons.
The first reason people make a decision is to avoid PAIN or
because they are afraid they will lose something if they don't
make the decision. If I am afraid my car is going to keep
breaking down and I may lose my job I may look at buying a new
car. The second reason people make a decision is because they
feel they may gain from the decision. If I am twenty-two years
old and want to look good to the opposite sex, I may also look
at buying a car.
A helpful exercise for a salesperson is to list some of the
negative consequences a prospect may face if they don't buy your
product. Converse to that, it may be helpful to list some of the
things a prospect may gain if they do buy from you.
WHO IS IN CONTROL?
Most salespeople feel like it is important to control sales
calls. Many times I have asked a salesperson after a call "How
do you think that went?" To this they reply, "I though it went
great." Then I will ask, "Why do you think so?" Full of
excitement they will say, "Well, it seemed like they really
liked the frame relay we discussed, and the Internet, and the
long distance, and local services, etc." Then I'll ask, "Who do
you think was in control of this appointment?" Once again, with
excitement, they will say "Oh I was." "Who did most of the
talking?" The salesperson replies, "I guess I did." Finally it
begins to sink in. THE PERSON WHO ASKS THE QUESTIONS IS IN
CONTROL OF THE APPOINTMENT!
GOAL OF A SALES CALL
Your goal as a salesperson should be to find out as much about
the prospect as you possibly can while talking as little as you
can. When I was in high school a very successful local business
man in Panama City, Florida, Tommy Thomas, would give every
graduating senior a copy of the book How to Get Control of Your
Time and Your Life. He said that the number one reason he did
this was because the book clearly communicated the message, "The
person who asks the questions is in control." Most salespeople
suffer from the old school mentality that sales is "show up and
throw up." Provide people with so much information they will
have to buy. Invest time getting to know your client.
One of the most exciting things about being in the profession of
sales is the opportunity to learn about so many different types
of businesses. Learn as much as you possibly can about the
clients you are working with. People can sense when you are
genuinely interested in them and their business. Whether you are
in a one call close business or a one-year close business treat
each appointment as a chance to learn something about your
client's business.
MAKE THEM SICK AND THEN MAKE THEM WELL
The better a salesperson becomes at finding PAIN, the more sales
they will make. Given a choice between a salesperson that can
ask great questions and a salesperson that has great closing
skills, I will take the salesperson with great questions any day.
EXAMPLES OF GREAT PAIN QUESTIONS