The Adhesive Strip: Understand the Need Before You Recommend
Understanding the buyer's need before you make a recommendation.
No matter how strong your product or service is, or what you believe it may be lacking, remember this: every product or service is, in one way or another, like an adhesive strip, such as a Band-Aid or a plaster, as it’s called in the UK. It’s a means to a solution, and sometimes that solution is temporary.
The right strip depends on the cut
There are many kinds of bandages, in different sizes and styles, with different features. Before recommending one, you need to know something important: What kind of injury are you trying to cover? Picking whichever bandage is nearby, or the one that looks most appealing, may not help at all.
Have you ever needed a bandage only to find that you didn’t have the right size for your cut? Maybe it was too big, or the shape didn’t cover the area you needed it to. It happens, and it’s frustrating. The same is true when you sell a product or service.
If you were selling bandages, you’d want to know what kind of cut you were dealing with. Is it a small pinprick, a laceration on a finger, an abrasion on a knee, or something more serious? The type, severity, and location of the injury all help determine what kind of bandage might work.
The conditions matter, too. A swimmer may need one that stays on in the water. A model may need one that’s sheer enough to go unnoticed on the runway. The injury could be the same, but the right bandage may differ based on the person’s circumstances.
If this is true for bandages, it’s even more true for your product or service.
Understand the problem before recommending a solution
Take time to understand the problem your product is designed to solve and the problem your buyer is trying to solve. Then make sure your recommendation fits their specific situation.
Do this even when a prospect brings you a quote from a competitor. The quote tells you what was proposed. It doesn’t tell you why. Ask what the buyer needs to accomplish, which features matter most, and whether the proposed solution addresses a real need or adds a list of nice-to-haves.
Recommend what fits
The best recommendation isn’t always the fanciest package. It’s the one that fits the customer’s needs, goals, and circumstances.
Learn about the cut before you sell the strip.