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Honorable Selling Article: The Origins of a Sale
The Origins of a Sale
Every sale originates from some individual's desire to satisfy a need. But how do these
needs arise, and what can salespeople do to generate additional need for our products
and services?
Need, or more accurately the desire to satisfy our needs, is the engine that drives every
purchase on the planet. Since all sales originate from needs, let’s define exactly what we
mean when we refer to a need. My American Heritage Dictionary defines need as “a state
in which something necessary or desirable is required or wanted.” That sounds simple
enough.
People buy to satisfy needs, and needs are simply a state of mind. This means that
needs are not a list of capabilities in a formal RFP (Request for Proposal) document.
Those are features or technical requirements. And needs are not something that can be
benchmarked, measured or described in a data sheet. Those are specifications. Needs
are a completely different animal – they are a state of mind.
The most elemental sales strategy is to identify buyers who are already experiencing
needs that can be satisfied through the purchase of our products. But it seems that there
are never enough potential buyers to meet our sales quota, so salespeople have
developed another strategy to increase their odds for success. They contact individuals
who do not yet have an active need for their products or services. They work with these
individuals to help identify problems or desires and develop these to a level where the
buyer recognizes an active need to resolve them.
The ability to develop customer need is one of the most important selling skills you can
master. But how many salespeople have taken the time to really understand how and
why a customer’s needs originate and develop? We know that a buyer does not just
wake up one morning with a burning need to purchase a web-based automated inventory
management system? But are we aware of the specific problems or concerns that
caused this issue to emerge as a fully developed need that must be addressed?
A buyer’s needs develop over time. They are similar to those dust bunnies that appear
from time to time in the corner of a room. The material from which the dust bunny
develops (let’s not concern ourselves with exactly what that material may be) is always
available, floating around, slowly accumulating, but we are not consciously aware of this
process. One day we walk into a room and see that a small dust bunny has miraculously
appeared. With the issue now clearly identified, we get out a broom and sweep away the
offending material.
Like those dust bunnies, needs develop slowly, often imperceptibly. They typically
originate from minor annoyances or hassles that occur on a daily basis. If these
annoyances continue, they may evolve into issues or specific problems. Depending on
how painful these issues are, an individual (or a business) may eventually consider ways
to eliminate the problems, and a need is born.
There is another source of needs. These needs arise from a desire to experience an
enjoyable activity or to enhance our lives in some way. Examples of satisfying this type of
need are a vacation in Hawaii, an evening out on the town, or a brand new laptop sporting
a vibrant wide-screen display. In this case the needs have not sprung from an issue or
problem, but from a desire to seek pleasure or to improve our lives in some way. These
“enhancing” needs, similar to their painful brethren, may also wax and wane and grow or
recede in intensity.
Interacting with a prospect before a need becomes active requires that you understand
the challenges and concerns that the prospect is experiencing. This type of selling is far
more difficult than attempting to describe the particular advantage of using a product
feature. A salesperson must be able to help the buyer recognize the severity of their
issues and the impact of not resolving them. If these issues can be resolved through the
use of the seller’s products, the salesperson has an excellent chance of igniting and
helping develop this buyer’s needs to a level where they become curious as to how the
need can be resolved.
Limiting your prospecting activity to a search for buyers who already have a defined need
eliminates a huge portion of your prospect universe. You must broaden your prospecting
criteria to search for individuals who are experiencing issues or concerns that have not
yet developed into a full-blown need. This allows you to position your company in this
buyer’s mind before they even begin exploring solutions, giving you a leg up on your
competition. Performing the Natural Buying Process™ exercise is a great way to analyze
what issues or enhancements can cause needs to arise for your target customers.
SUMMARY: Ongoing problems or an interest in enhancing a current business process
are the seeds that can eventually grow into a recognized need. A seller who can help
create and develop a buyer’s needs before they decide to actively explore a solution will
gain a significant advantage over their competition. This is accomplished through
prospecting for buyers who are not yet seeking a solution to these issues or problems.
Every sale originates from some individual's desire to satisfy a need. But how do these
needs arise, and what can salespeople do to generate additional need for our products
and services?
Need, or more accurately the desire to satisfy our needs, is the engine that drives every
purchase on the planet. Since all sales originate from needs, let’s define exactly what we
mean when we refer to a need. My American Heritage Dictionary defines need as “a state
in which something necessary or desirable is required or wanted.” That sounds simple
enough.
People buy to satisfy needs, and needs are simply a state of mind. This means that
needs are not a list of capabilities in a formal RFP (Request for Proposal) document.
Those are features or technical requirements. And needs are not something that can be
benchmarked, measured or described in a data sheet. Those are specifications. Needs
are a completely different animal – they are a state of mind.
The most elemental sales strategy is to identify buyers who are already experiencing
needs that can be satisfied through the purchase of our products. But it seems that there
are never enough potential buyers to meet our sales quota, so salespeople have
developed another strategy to increase their odds for success. They contact individuals
who do not yet have an active need for their products or services. They work with these
individuals to help identify problems or desires and develop these to a level where the
buyer recognizes an active need to resolve them.
The ability to develop customer need is one of the most important selling skills you can
master. But how many salespeople have taken the time to really understand how and
why a customer’s needs originate and develop? We know that a buyer does not just
wake up one morning with a burning need to purchase a web-based automated inventory
management system? But are we aware of the specific problems or concerns that
caused this issue to emerge as a fully developed need that must be addressed?
A buyer’s needs develop over time. They are similar to those dust bunnies that appear
from time to time in the corner of a room. The material from which the dust bunny
develops (let’s not concern ourselves with exactly what that material may be) is always
available, floating around, slowly accumulating, but we are not consciously aware of this
process. One day we walk into a room and see that a small dust bunny has miraculously
appeared. With the issue now clearly identified, we get out a broom and sweep away the
offending material.
Like those dust bunnies, needs develop slowly, often imperceptibly. They typically
originate from minor annoyances or hassles that occur on a daily basis. If these
annoyances continue, they may evolve into issues or specific problems. Depending on
how painful these issues are, an individual (or a business) may eventually consider ways
to eliminate the problems, and a need is born.
There is another source of needs. These needs arise from a desire to experience an
enjoyable activity or to enhance our lives in some way. Examples of satisfying this type of
need are a vacation in Hawaii, an evening out on the town, or a brand new laptop sporting
a vibrant wide-screen display. In this case the needs have not sprung from an issue or
problem, but from a desire to seek pleasure or to improve our lives in some way. These
“enhancing” needs, similar to their painful brethren, may also wax and wane and grow or
recede in intensity.
Interacting with a prospect before a need becomes active requires that you understand
the challenges and concerns that the prospect is experiencing. This type of selling is far
more difficult than attempting to describe the particular advantage of using a product
feature. A salesperson must be able to help the buyer recognize the severity of their
issues and the impact of not resolving them. If these issues can be resolved through the
use of the seller’s products, the salesperson has an excellent chance of igniting and
helping develop this buyer’s needs to a level where they become curious as to how the
need can be resolved.
Limiting your prospecting activity to a search for buyers who already have a defined need
eliminates a huge portion of your prospect universe. You must broaden your prospecting
criteria to search for individuals who are experiencing issues or concerns that have not
yet developed into a full-blown need. This allows you to position your company in this
buyer’s mind before they even begin exploring solutions, giving you a leg up on your
competition. Performing the Natural Buying Process™ exercise is a great way to analyze
what issues or enhancements can cause needs to arise for your target customers.
SUMMARY: Ongoing problems or an interest in enhancing a current business process
are the seeds that can eventually grow into a recognized need. A seller who can help
create and develop a buyer’s needs before they decide to actively explore a solution will
gain a significant advantage over their competition. This is accomplished through
prospecting for buyers who are not yet seeking a solution to these issues or problems.
Additional articles and resources
How People Buy (article)
Understanding how your customers buy
is the first step in developing and
implementing a sales process and
tactics to help move your customers
through their buying process.
Natural Buying Process™
(template/exercise in PDF format)
This template will help you map out
and define the buying process that your
customers use when considering a
purchase of your products or services.
The Origins of a Sale (this article)
Every sale originates from some
individual's desire to satisfy a need. But
how do these needs arise, and what can
salespeople do to generate additional
need for our products and services?
Igniting a Buyer's Needs (article)
Igniting a buyer's needs via cold-calling
can be an exercise in futility. What do
you say in the first 15 seconds of a cold
call to get a prospect interested in
engaging with you?
Cold-Call/Voicemail Template
(template exercise in PDF format)
These cold-call and voicemail
templates are an invaluable tool for
improving your prospecting success.
Simply use these cold-call scripts and
apply the three P's of telephone
prospecting to get your prospects to
engage with you.
Effective Networking (article)
Every salesperson knows that
networking is a necessary activity to
achieve sales success. Read this
article and learn how to have fun and
generate more sales at your next
networking event.
How People Buy (article)
Understanding how your customers buy
is the first step in developing and
implementing a sales process and
tactics to help move your customers
through their buying process.
Natural Buying Process™
(template/exercise in PDF format)
This template will help you map out
and define the buying process that your
customers use when considering a
purchase of your products or services.
The Origins of a Sale (this article)
Every sale originates from some
individual's desire to satisfy a need. But
how do these needs arise, and what can
salespeople do to generate additional
need for our products and services?
Igniting a Buyer's Needs (article)
Igniting a buyer's needs via cold-calling
can be an exercise in futility. What do
you say in the first 15 seconds of a cold
call to get a prospect interested in
engaging with you?
Cold-Call/Voicemail Template
(template exercise in PDF format)
These cold-call and voicemail
templates are an invaluable tool for
improving your prospecting success.
Simply use these cold-call scripts and
apply the three P's of telephone
prospecting to get your prospects to
engage with you.
Effective Networking (article)
Every salesperson knows that
networking is a necessary activity to
achieve sales success. Read this
article and learn how to have fun and
generate more sales at your next
networking event.
