Client Wants Versus Needs - A Winning Formula to Connect The Two
July 13, 2008
It’s a tricky and slippery slope to talk client wants and supply what the client actually needs. And while it is tricky, it is, by far, the best formula I know for creating iron-clad customer loyalty.
Many service professionals experience a dialogue like this…
Customer: Hi, I would like a [insert your service here website, marketing plan, tax return].
Service Pro: Great, did you have a budget in mind?
Customer: Yes or No.
Service Pro: Tell me a bit about what you had in mind about [product/service].
Customer: I wanted the [thing] to be like this or like that or like this.
Service Pro: Oh, I see. Great. I’ll send you a proposal
Customer: Sounds great.
In this dialogue, the focus is on the ‘thing’ the client believes s/he needs to get what s/he actually wants. This may be true or not true. Usually, the client has no idea if it is true or not, and often don’t even know why s/he believes this is what s/he thinks s/he needs.
However, service pros who are in the needs uncovering business possess one quality that is the holy grail of identifying true needs. This is the magic behind serving customers for life. That quality is curiosity.
A dialogue might go something like this…
Customer: Hi, I would like a [insert your service here website, marketing plan, tax return].
Service Pro: Great, what is it that you are hoping this product will give you?
Customer: Well, I didn’t think of it like that. Let me think for a minute.
Service Pro: Great, we’ve got plenty of time. What are you hoping will happen as a result of investing in this?
Customer: Well, what I really want is X.
Service Pro: Let’s talk about X and what is going on around this, then we can come back to see if [thing] is what you need.
In this dialogue, the want (X) is the focus, not the thing. Wants lead to people buying. If you focus on X, then people will buy because that is what they really want. When you combine X with your expertise to determine the best way to help people get X, then you can bypass selling the buyer something they think they need, but will not deliver what they really want (X).
The key idea is to never take your eye off of X. Identify what the prospect really wants and then help them get it. If you do this, you’ll have more business than you know what to do with!
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