What Customers Need To Know
by Alan J. Zell

Many times ideas, products or services are not made because of a lack of information that the customer needs to have when they discuss or think about what is under consideration or they have bought/bought into. This lack of information will cause the sale to be lost, cancelled, or delayed.

I divide the information into two different categories - hard questions and answers and soft questions and answers.

The “hard questions,” can be divided into 10 topics called “The 10 Tools Of Selling.” The answers provide customers with the information they need whenever the topic of the idea, product, service comes up. Not having one answer may not kill the sale; not having two or more most likely will.

1. Who makes the product and/or who is offering it? What is their history? Where do they fit into the marketplace? If it is a brand name it is “who makes it and offers it?” If not a brand name the question is: “who offers it?”

2. How is the product made or how did the idea or service come about?

3. What is it made of or what does the idea or service consist of?

4. How will others see the product or think about the idea or service?

5. Why and how is the idea, service, or product different from what others have to offer or the seller has to offer? What makes it better?

6. When, where, how, and by whom will it be used?

7. What kind of care will it require? What does the customer have to do to make it work or last longer?

8. Product or service design and longevity: what are the roots of what is being offered and how long will it last or be in vogue?

9. How does it fit into what the customer is doing, planning to do, or would like to do?

10. How does it fit into the customer's budgets of time, space, effort, and/or money?

How many different kinds of exposures done how many times does it take to give customers the answers to the above questions?

Go back and look at the different methods (Reaching Customers) business use to get the answers to these questions into customers' hands. Which are you using? Which do you need to add?

Besides these 10 “hard questions” there are other questions or thoughts called “soft questions” swirling around in customers' minds that may never come out into the open. Nevertheless, they need to be taken into consideration. Customers and those they talk to are thinking:

* Am I being asked to buy something I know nothing about from someone I know nothing about?

* Does this person really know what they're talking about? Where did they get their information? Should I be talking to someone else to get the right information?

* Does/will the person I'm talking to look at my questions or request as unimportant or dumb?

* Will they or are they using language or terms I can't understand?

* Are they trying to sell me what is best for them to sell rather than what is best for me to use?

* Will they be giving me the information I need and is it in a format I can use when I discuss the products or services I'm interested in? How will others view what I have received?

* Do they understand how I am going to be using it -- for personal use, for passing it on to others visually, physically or verbally or for conversion into something else?

* Are there hidden costs not associated with the prices I'm being quoted?

* Is there better or more information, services or products available?

* Will I be able to get additional information, services or products if needed and, if so, where, how and when can I get it?

Giving customers the “tools” they need and taking into consideration the things that they may be thinking before the customer takes the information to the next step(s) will help customers overcome their three buying fears -- their fear of their own lack of knowledge, the fear of the seller's lack of knowledge, and the fear of being criticized for buying, contemplating buying or agreeing to buy any product or service. When these fears are overcome, customers and those they talk to will feel that they are or will be a better person in their own eyes or others' eyes for championing the product or service under consideration.

Alan J. Zell, Ambassador Of Selling, offers consulting (on site and on-line), seminars and workshops on all aspects of business that affect sales. You are invited to learn more about his programs and services and read other articles on his web site – www.sellingselling.com. He can be reached at azell@aol.com