Many companies prepare a SWOT analysis – studying their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – in strategic planning. But in his Influence With Ease newsletter, Calgary-based consultant Jeff Mowatt says that it’s also one of the most effective sales tools around. Explain to your customers that you want to come up with a solution to suit their needs, and begin asking the following questions:
STRENGTHS: “When you think about other products or services in this category that you have used in the past, what have you liked about them?”
WEAKNESSES: “What have you not liked about those offerings?”
OPPORTUNITIES: “What would be the perfect solution in your mind?”
THREATS: “What has prevented you from buying that perfect offering in the past?”
The great advantage is that you aren’t talking about your own offering, Mr. Mowatt notes. And after you’ve got them to dream about the ideal product or service, you can nudge them to talk about limitations, like budget, time constraints or the fact they didn’t realize you had exactly such a solution. “The customer tells you what you need to know to help them make a buying decision that’s tailor-made for them,” he says. “When you do this with the customer, they realize that you actually get them.”
