It’s Better to Sell The Pain than The Gain | Effective Selling Skills

What is your prospect’s pain?

People buy to fulfil outcomes and to solve problems with solutions. People who are in the market for certain products and services often have a problem that they need an answer to. Your prospect’s ‘pain’ will be the real reason they are in the market- place looking for a solution. The pain a prospect has will not usually be the first thing that they tell you when they meet. You will need to uncover it with questions and then show them how you are able to make the pain go away with your product or service.

Why is it important to find it?

The real painful issue behind your prospect’s desire to find a solution will be the fire that ignites their desire to buy. If you can find it you will be in a stronger position when describing your solution. You are more likely to motivate a person to buy from you when they see that you understand what they really want and why they want it.

Your challenge

Your challenge will be to ask the right questions and build enough trust and rapport between you and your potential customer so that they feel comfortable enough to tell you what you need to know. You will need to get their permission to probe. You will also need to listen, summarizing for clarification at key intervals.

Questions to ask which find the pain

What do you need to find out about x or y?

What is most important that you find out about this x?

Why is that most important to you?

When choosing x or y what matters most?

What are your priorities?

What problems have you been experiencing that has led to a desire to explore x?

What led you to decide to look for an x solution?

What has motivated your need to find a solution for x?

What has been most challenging for you?

How do you hope we can help you?

What do you feel that you really need to achieve x?

What are your timescales?

FIND THE PAIN- SPECIAL RESPONSE CHECKLIST

What are some of the problems people have that motivate a desire to buy your product or service?

What kind of pain drives their decisions?

What kind of questions would uncover this pain?

The first part of any sales appointment should be all about the prospect. You will need to have a good set of questions that enables you to both uncover their pain, find out what they need, what their priorities and timescales are.

Once you have summarised your complete and full understanding of their position you will be in the best place to position your solution. Use this section to help you to create a targeted set of consultation questions.

Sell prospect’s pain and the gain