2/14/2024-Needs Analysis

Whether you’re probing for account needs or building insights into the individual’s perspective and motivations, the information gathering process requires an incremental approach.

"Sell me this pen" is a sales game that’s older than dirt.

Those who play – and fail – often pitch features before they probe for customer needs. (Maybe the prospect doesn’t need a pen…what then, Fancy Pants?)

Customer needs analysis is much more than ticking info boxes against categories like customer goals, timelines, and budget; client profiling must include the discovery of individual buyer bias.

Every buyer has a different slant on their company’s objectives and strategies; learning that info is often more valuable than account info.

Today, create your list of questions that help you build your individual buyer needs analysis.

How about these to start your engines:
"Tell me more about your role and influence within the decision team??"

And…

"What are the biggest pain points you face in your role?"

And finally…this killer…
"How are you going to define success from a deal with us?"

Treat each individual decision maker as #1…learn their perspective and motivations.

Most sellers stop their needs analysis work at the account level and don’t probe their prospects for personal bias.

All KDMs come to the table with personal motivations and agendas, yet they won’t readily offer them unless sellers probe.

Here are a few of the so-called "table stakes" of account needs analysis:
> deal timeline
> decision timeline
> company/account goals
> objectives and strategies
> budgets
> KDMs (all those with a vote)
> buying/consideration process
> obstacles

And, here are some of the categories that need probing for each individual buyer:
> objections (personal bias)
> power weight (individual influence)
> motivations and agenda
> perceptions of company process, goals, etc.

Whether you’re probing for account needs or building insights into the individual’s perspective and motivations, the information-gathering process requires an incremental approach. Interrogating buyers doesn’t work too well, so you have to be orderly in collecting all this info.

Don Draper could definitely use some needs analysis training, as you’ll witness in this 3-minute clip.

His pitch would have gone a lot better had he known what he learned after he presented his ideas.

But then again…Don was a TV persona…and you’re a sales warrior who knows better.