You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello, and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin and I'll be your host for today's lesson on understanding your customers' needs in the sales process.
As a salesperson, you can't just walk up to a customer and start pitching your products.
How do you know the customer actually needs your products?
And why would the customer buy from you without knowing anything about you?
No, the sales process doesn't start with a pitch.
It starts with making your initial approach and getting to know your customers, which is what we looked at in our last lesson.
So what comes next?
Well, once you've made your initial approach, you can move on to understanding the customer's needs.
And that's what we'll focus on in this lesson.
Because if you understand what the customer needs, then you can offer them the right solutions.
What are the techniques we can use to learn about a customer's needs?
Well, today we'll cover several, including how to ask direct questions, present alternatives and ask about priorities.
We'll also look at proposing the next step and asking about buying authority.
Once you've done these things, you can move on confidently to matching your solutions to their needs.
In today's dialogue, we'll rejoin Aaron, a salesperson with a commercial refrigeration company.
He's talking to a couple of potential customers at a new hotel.
Eva, the hotel manager, and Robin, the head chef.
Eva and Robin have just given Aaron a tour of the hotel's restaurant, bar, and cafe.
Aaron has learned a bit about their plans, and now he wants to know more about their specific needs.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
One.
Which area of the hotel does Aaron present an alternative option for?
2.
What are Eva and Robin's two major priorities?
3.
What does Aaron say he is going to do next?
So, everything looks really great.
A really nice setup.
I also might have some ideas on how you could save space in your kitchen layout.
Oh, yes?
Well, we're open to suggestions.
Great.
As far as the bar goes, tell me, Eva, how many people do you see working behind the actual bar?
Just one normally.
Two max if we're slammed.
Okay, because I noticed that it's pretty tight back there.
I know most places go with reach-ins, but I think you've got ample space behind that back counter.
Just wondering if you might consider something more like standing display coolers.
You know, we talked about that at one point, but well, I guess in the end we thought there wasn't enough room.
Well, we've got something that would fit perfectly and look really nice back there.
You could bring all that product up front where customers can see it.
Um, yeah.
We could definitely consider something like that.
Okay.
I'll just mark off some pages in our catalogue for you so you can have a look later.
Now, I know that getting everything here and installed on time is a big concern.
Anything else on your priority list?
When you're looking at your options here, what are you thinking about?
Right.
Well, installation is a big one.
Service is right up there, too.
I've had too many times when we're waiting all day for someone to come and look at a compressor and then not have the right parts with him to fix it.
Sure, I can definitely appreciate that.
And fortunately, we're just a couple hours away in Surat Thani.
So, what I'll do here is head back to the office and map out some ideas.
Put together a little proposal that includes details of our service agreement, as I know that's important to you.
That'll work.
And before you leave, I'll make you a copy of the plans.
Wonderful.
And should I be addressing this proposal to you and Eva?
Will you be making the decisions on this?
Yes, Eva and I together, so you can address it to us.
Now let me just grab those plans.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language and techniques Aaron used in trying to understand his customers' needs.
So, everything looks really great.
A really nice setup.
I also might have some ideas on how you could save space in your kitchen layout.
Oh, yes?
Well, we're open to suggestions.
Great.
As far as the bar goes, tell me, Eva, how many people do you see working behind the actual bar?
In our last lesson, we learned how to compliment a prospect.
Aaron does this again when he praises the hotel's setup, or the way it is designed and arranged.
He also makes a suggestion about how to save space in the kitchen.
In this way, Aaron is showing a bit of the problem solving aspect of sales, where you see a need or problem and try to match a solution to it.
But Aaron's not ready to do any hard selling yet.
He's just trying to understand the customer's needs.
And to do that, he uses direct questions.
You might remember in our last lesson that Aaron asked open-ended questions, which are great when you're trying to get to know a customer.
But at this stage of the process, you want specific information.
To ask his direct question, Aaron starts with a couple of expressions that introduce his question.
He says as far as the bar goes, which means regarding the bar, and tell me Eva, which is a great way to introduce a question.
The question itself is a direct one about how many people will be working behind the bar.
Direct questions are useful because they give us specific information.
And with specific information, we can offer specific solutions.
What are some other kinds of direct questions?
Let's run through some more examples.
You will see that good direct questions use WH words, like when and which, as well as how many.
So, Stuart, how many terminals do you currently have running the software?
Tell me, when are you planning to launch this campaign?
How many visitors do you have on average each week?
Which of these products are your biggest sellers?
Aaron's direct question actually helps him set up another step in the process as you can hear.
Just one normally.
Two max if we're slammed.
Okay, because I notice that it's pretty tight back there.
I know most places go with reach-ins, but I think you've got ample space behind that back counter.
Just wondering if you might consider something more like standing display coolers.
Aaron asked how many people will be working behind the bar because he wants to talk about space.
Most bars use reach-ins or small refrigerators under the counter for products like beer.
But Aaron understands that the space might be tight or small, which makes reach-ins awkward.
At this point, Aaron can present an alternative solution.
Rather than reach-ins, he suggests standing display coolers.
When you're trying to understand a customer's needs, you don't have to focus only on what they say they need.
You can also find ways to improve what they're doing and present alternatives.
So they might have one idea like reach-ins, but if you see a better idea, you can present it to them.
But remember that you should suggest alternatives gently or introduce them as a possible idea, rather than being too forceful.
Aaron introduced his idea with, just wondering if you might consider.
That's certainly not too forceful.
Let's practice some more gentle ways of presenting alternatives to a customer.
Notice that we can phrase it as a soft suggestion or as a question.
Have you ever thought of switching to all natural cleaning products?
Another idea would be to have neon signs in the windows.
What you could do instead is to issue laptops to all the employees.
How about going with laser printers instead which are more efficient?
So how does Eva respond to the idea of standing coolers?
You know, we talked about that at one point.
But, well, I guess in the end we thought there wasn't enough room.
Well, we've got something that would fit perfectly and look really nice back there.
You could bring all that product up front where customers can see it.
Um, yeah, we could definitely consider something like that.
It turns out that Ivar actually considered standing coolers but thought they didn't have enough room.
This is a good chance for Aaron to bring up one of his company's products and briefly talk about its benefits.
He's still just trying to understand their needs, but he's also showing that his company has something to meet those needs.
Now, let's hear what Aaron does next.
Okay, I'll just mark off some pages in our catalog for you so you can have a look later.
Now, I know that getting everything here and installed on time is a big concern.
Anything else on your priority list?
When you're looking at your options here, what are you thinking about?
Understanding a customer's needs is not just about knowing which specific products they might be interested in.
It's also about understanding their general priorities and what's important to them in a business relationship.
Aaron correctly assumes that having everything installed or set up on time is important, and he asks about anything else that might be on Eva and Robin's priority list.
That is, he wants to know about their criteria for making a decision.
What do they consider important?
Understanding this will help Aaron know how to compete with other companies.
What are some other ways to ask about a customer's priorities?
Let's practice a few examples.
So, what are your biggest concerns when you're looking at new vehicles?
Do you have specific criteria that you're thinking about?
As far as the website goes, what's your number one consideration?
Are you more concerned about cost or quality on this?
So, what are the customer's priorities?
Right.
Installation is a big one.
Service is right up there, too.
I've had too many times when we're waiting all day for someone to come and look at a compressor and then not have the right parts with him to fix it.
Robin agrees that installation is a priority and adds service to the list, explaining that in the past they've had to wait a long time for repairs.
This is useful information for Aaron because now he understands what to emphasize in his proposal.
Let's listen.
Sure, I can definitely appreciate that.
And fortunately, we're just a couple hours away in Surat Thani.
So what I'll do here is head back to the office and map out some ideas, put together a little proposal that includes details of our service agreement, as I know that's important to you.
When a customer says they're concerned about something, it's a good idea to deal with that concern directly.
Aaron says he can appreciate or understand why Robin and Eva might be thinking about service, and he makes a point of mentioning that his company is located nearby.
That will certainly be another good reason to choose his company.
And now that Aaron understands his customer's needs, he wants to propose some next steps.
They've talked about needs, options, and priorities.
So now he's going to head back or return to the office to map out or outline some ideas.
He also mentions that his proposal will include details of the service agreement, which is important to Eva and Robin.
There are a few different ways to propose next steps near the end of a sales meeting.
Aaron used the expression, what I'll do here.
But we can also use I'll or let's or a question, as you can hear in the following examples.
What I'd like to do is grab some samples and maybe come back tomorrow?
How about I do a few sketches and send them over for you to look at?
So, have a look through our catalog, and I'll pay you another visit next week.
Let's set a date for another meeting in a few days, and I'll cost this out before then.
Aaron is almost finished with his questions, but he has one more thing he needs to ask about.
That'll work.
And before you leave, I'll make you a copy of the plans.
Wonderful.
And should I be addressing this proposal to you and Eva?
Will you be making the decisions on this?
This last question is an important one.
Aaron wants to know about buying authority or who makes the final decisions on how to spend the money.
It's great to build a relationship with people, but the real customer is the person who has buying authority.
You'll notice that Aaron doesn't come out and ask directly, do you have buying authority?
We usually ask a little bit indirectly.
Aaron does this by asking if he should address or direct the proposal to Robin and Eva.
And he reinforces this question by asking if they will be making the decisions.
Let's run through some more polite ways to ask about buying authority.
Now, are you the person who makes the decision on something like this?
As far as purchasing goes, who should I be talking to?
Is this something that you would be able to sign off on?
Just so I know, is it you who makes the final decision on this kind of purchase?
Aaron has skillfully worked to understand his potential customers' needs and to set his company up as a good option for their cooling equipment.
This should put him on the path to making a sale.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
Imagine you work for a paper company and you're visiting a potential customer.
The customer is the office manager at a large firm that is planning to open a new office branch.
You've already had the chance to talk about their general needs.
You'll hear a cue by the prospect.
Then I'll give you a suggestion for what you can say.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
As far as paper goes, we'll need copy paper and printer paper.
Start by asking the prospect what type of copy paper they would like to use.
So tell me, what type of copy paper are you thinking about using?
Well, we normally go with a fairly standard 20-pound bright finish paper.
Now ask the prospect if she's considered going with a 24-pound paper for durability.
Answer.
Have you ever considered a 24-pound paper that has better durability?
That's something we might think about, depending on the cost.
Now ask what the prospect's priorities are, besides the issue of cost.
Answer.
I see.
And besides the issue of cost, what are your priorities?
Well, a very important issue for us is delivery speed.
Answer.
Okay, that's good to know.
And should I deal with you directly on all purchases?
Yes, you can direct everything to me because I'll be making the decisions.
Finally, say that you'll leave a catalogue for the prospect to have a look through.
Answer.
Great.
So, for now, I'll leave a catalogue for you to have a look through.
Now, let's practice some of the vocabulary and collocations we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear You can say If you're open to suggestions, I have a few design ideas you might like.
After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
We'll need extra staff for the holiday season in case we get With orders.
Answer We'll need extra staff for the holiday season in case we get slammed with orders.
It was a difficult project, but in the... They were pretty happy with our work.
Answer.
It was a difficult project, but in the end they were pretty happy with our work.
We need to talk with the engineer about the right for the factory floor.
Answer.
We need to talk with the engineer about the right layout for the factory floor.
Quality and speed are right at the top of our priority.
Answer Quality and speed are right at the top of our priority list.
We've reached the end of this lesson, the second in our series about the different steps involved in the sales process.
We've learned how to ask direct questions, present alternatives, and ask about priorities.
We've also looked at proposing next steps and asking about buying authority.
When we return to this series later on, we'll learn how to match solutions to a customer's needs and how to overcome objections.
Thanks for listening and see you again soon.
