Customers Don't Know What They Don't Know

Posted by Ken Stewart (LinkedIn, Blog)


How many times have you been attempting to talk to a potential client and they are just not picking up what you are putting down? You can tell the light bulb just hasn’t turned on as you are presenting…

Now, how many times have you been sold to by someone you didn’t think understood your problem, your need, your “hot button”?

For those in the document imaging business dealing with, struggling with, or embracing what has been termed as Managed Print Services (MPS) or even electronic Document Management Systems (eDMS), this is all to often the case. The customers just are not getting the concepts.

What is even more frustrating is when I support account managers that just don’t get it either. They haven’t flipped that switch to helping in a more consultative manner. Don’t get me wrong, these reps aren’t trying to sucker clients into buying something they don’t need, but they are an empty suit - throwing out buzz words like “right-sizing” , “TCO” (total cost of ownership), and my favorite - “solutions”.

When I ask, just what is a “solution” anyway? I get all manner of answers, but the bottom line is that there is no 1 definition of “solutions”.
So I would ask, what are you selling your customer if you don’t know? That’s the first question; you must know yourself and your line up to be effective in helping your customer solve - get this folks - THEIR business problem.

Not your business problems; their business problems.

Next, how do you sell to a customer who doesn’t have that light bulb moment about your “solution” to their problem - or doesn’t think they need your “whiz-bang”?

Education

Education is the key to enlightening customers. It isn’t enough to tell them they need it, they have to understand operationally how they need it, how it impacts them, and how they can be better with your solution than without.
Education requires investment, on your behalf, as well as caring for your customer. There is no shortcut to relationship building, and you wouldn’t want that.

You have to teach your clients the difference in a McDonald’s hamburger and a Filet Mignon; you have to show them the value of a marriage with you versus a one-night stand.

Folks, if you are not talking the same language as your customers - and your customers don’t get the emotional and operational impact of what you are selling, you are not going anywhere.

The 1-2-3’s of MPS

In summary, your customers might be just starting to talk about getting a handle on their document output costs as a tactical reaction to today’s economy. But most haven’t even heard of MPS- and even fewer understand cost reduction as a strategy, or the long tail of e-DMS strategies.

Why not?

Simple: Education.

Three to five years ago, many customers didn’t know what ’scanning’ was - unless you were talking about a police radio or reading a book very fast. Through the advent and proliferation of technology, this is now a must have in just about every office in America - and it comes with the MFP of your choice… there is almost no option. Scanning is now the power-locks and power-windows of the document industry.

That’s where you want to be, but you have to 1) BELIEVE it can benefit your client and 2) TEACH your clients how to achieve results with their ‘new solution’.

Let’s face it, they may buy from you once, but if they didn’t achieve results, as promised, you will have violated that sacred bond and dishonored your relationship with that client.

Teach, show, and educate your customers on what they are missing - what they don’t know!

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Ken Stewart’s website, ChangeForge, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology in an information-centric world. He is always interested in connecting; to discover the many ways you may connect with him, visit him at DandyID
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