06 Jan Seek out the unknown challenges in your customer’s business to deliver real value

Seek out the unknown challenges in your customer’s business to deliver real value

Actively and articulately communicating your value to your customer means that your customer is more likely to choose your business over your competition.

But to do this with success you have to communicate your value effectively, remember the customer already knows your ulterior motive is to win their business, so how do you come across as a genuine business partner and not just another business looking to win a sale.

Asking the right questions in your value-driven conversation is key to your success. Using the 3Cs (Curiosity, Care and Commitment) to make the conversation all about your customer’s business, not what your business, will help your customer realise your value to them.

Your customers’ willingness to change and buy from you depends on your ability to challenge their status quo…

So where do you look?

Erik Peterson et al, in their book ‘The Three Value Conversations’ state:

“If your prospects know precisely what their problem is, they can often find the information they need to make a decision – with limited assistance or input from you.
“(Instead) dig hard to find the unknown, undervalued, or unmet challenges that your prospects and clients aren’t even thinking about.”

So, what are these challenges?

• Undervalued challenges – issues your customers already know about but are bigger than and coming faster than they are expecting
• Unmet needs – resolving unnecessary workarounds your customers are using – masked or
  hidden issues – challenges they have been seeing as normal – things that they ‘have always done this way.
• Unknown challenges – longer-term issues – unanticipated global trends (political; environmental; social; technological; economic) – challenges from unknown competitors or new businesses into the market.

Your real value as a business partner to your customer is to help them solve the challenges above – the challenges they have not even considered.

Click here to access our Business Bitesize library that includes our downloadable “Customer Value Counts” report and learn more about these challenges and the 3 sources of insight that will provide real value to your customer.