I don’t know if this here crystal ball is working properly, but when I stare into it deeply it seems to suggest that when you meet with a buyer, there’s a burning question somewhere in your mind:
"Are you going to buy from me, or not?"
Be honest, now: isn’t that a question you’d really, really like an answer to? Yeah. Same here. Always fun to find out if this or that buyer will become a client… or not, as the case may be.
And obviously you wouldn’t literally ask it from a buyer. But if it’s the question you’re trying to get answered, your sales conversation is likely to be difficult, awkward, ineffective, or all of the above.
Because that question – will they buy or not? – is the wrong question to think about.
It makes the sales dynamic about you, and selling isn't about you, or even about your better mousetrap – it’s always about your buyer, their needs, their concerns and goals and buy-blockers and about everything else that’s going on in their world. The sale is never about you, but always about your buyer, and their fears, frustrations, their wants and aspirations – and that very compelling next identity they want to step into once they solve their problem.
So instead, ask – and yes, you can literally ask that directly:
"What do you need from me, in order to want to buy this solution?"
And even if you’re not asking it from your buyer, it very much is that question that you should be asking yourself:
What does your buyer need from you?
What do they need you to say?
What do they need you to ask?
What do they need you to know?
What does your buyer need you to take care of?
What does your buyer need you to guarantee, protect against, or take into consideration?
What promise do they need you to make? – one of the fundamentals aspects of the 5 P's that everyone needs to figure out.
What does your buyer require from you, in order to want what you have?
Because the sale happens when you give the buyer that what they need, in order to want to buy your offer – and the choice of words there is intentional: it’s about your buyer wanting to buy.
So whenever you go into a sales conversation or an email exchange or any communication, always ask yourself:
What do they need from you, in order to want to buy?
What needs to happen, for this deal to move forward and become a sale?
In a similar vein:
What would be required for you to decide that yes, it would be worth it to have a Wingman in your life, helping you with your business and your sales?