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The engineer. Loves to find the technical solution. Talks features
Your technical people are trained to solve problems. That is their passion. While solving problem may in the best interest of your customer, it is certainly not in your best interest. Let me explain.
When you technical people are busy doing what they love; finding and solving problems, they are not listening. When they are not listening three things happen. First, the customer feels, well, not listened to! The conversation shifts from focusing on the customer’s needs to the needs of your engineer (demonstrating his or her technical prowess).
Second, the engineer focuses on the solution without first understanding the underlying issues. It is like a physician prescribing medicine without thorough diagnosis.
The third result is that the customer can sit back and be the recipient of “free consulting.” They receive valuable information for free, without any strings attached. Because it is free, the customer feels perfectly justified in using the information to a) give to your competitor or b) give it to their in-house design team. How many times has one of your clients decided to do it themselves thanks to you?
I am not saying that technical expertise isn’t important, it is. It is a matter of using that expertise to probe for the cause underneath the symptom. Just like a physician, you must first thoroughly diagnose the condition before you prescribe. Otherwise, you risk a malpractice suit (lost orders, lower margins, failed or troubled engagements, etc).
The bad news is that your technical people tend to talk more than they listen. The good news is that they can become one of your best selling resources. Because they are “technical” the customer does not see them as “salespeople” and will tend to be much more frank about the issues they face.
One of our signature courses, iSolve™ is geared for your technical staff. In the course they learn the skills of rapport building, active listening and questioning, probing for “why” the customer wants, needs your product or service and what are the consequences of not solving the problem.
Armed with this knowledge , the engineer can provide the salesperson with valuable information to close the sale. Your technical people become your “Stealth Sales Force”
Click here for more information on iSolve™
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