Advisors, do customize, or do you have a "one size fits all" approach?
Sure, there are certainly businesses and applications where customization is unnecessary, and where a cookie-cutter approach is just fine and perhaps even preferred.
But for us as consultants, customization is king. We seek to deploy solutions that are specific to the situations at hand, and we do this by exquisite probing. Asking the kind of insightful questions that enable you to uncover exactly what you need to know is a best practice in sales.
I encourage you to do these simple things:
- Prepare a list of 15 to 20 questions that you should review prior to every prospect interaction. Add new questions to the list as they become relevant.
- Practice your probing skills and refine your delivery and timing so you don't come across as interrogating your prospects. Use your prospect's answers as a platform for you to provide additional information and benefits statements about your product or service.
- Listen to the responses that you receive. Remember, 80 percent of the sales dance is listening.
Keep in mind that if in your business one size does not fit all it is up to you to get to the heart of the situation. You can never count on the prospect to freely disclose his or her wants and needs.
For more on sales techniques, see:
