Chapter 10. Step 4
Questions to Determine Customer PERCEPTIONS (The Context)
At this stage we want to find out their perceptions, rules, and ways they make a final decision. Our goal is to discuss how they’ve tried to solve this problem before to see if we need to alter our approach.
Thinking of _____________ (problem identified in step 1 or 2), what type of solutions have you explored in the past. What worked and what didn’t work?
What other solutions are you investigating?
We agreed that ____________ (problem) comes up due to ________ (remind them of the implication).
Left unsolved the cost would mean _________ (implication). What do you feel would have to change or what do you feel the ideal solution would be?
If we had a solution that _____________ (customers idea) solved your _______ (problem) is that something you would be interested in implementing?
What other solutions would you consider?
The purpose of this step is to uncover the buyers’ perceptions and rules about how, if, when, why they would buy your product or service. The best indicator of how a buyer makes a decision is how they have made purchasing decisions in the past. Probe and ask them what the deciding factors were in making a similar purchasing decision before.
TIP: Answer the following questions to make sure that you have the information you need.
Do I have a clear picture of the prospects perceptions of the solution (s) is? Who might be our competition? Do I have a clear picture of how this person makes a decision? i.e. what are their rules, ideas of how they would solve the problem, what were their reasons for making a decision to go with the previous supplier/solution or your services?
