Your New Sales Credo?

‘Fall In Love with the Problem, Not the Solution’ is the title of the best selling book by Uri Levine. Written as a practical guide for startups and entrepreneurs the book highlights the importance of fully understanding the concerns and pain points of your target market and making that your priority, NOT your solution.

The same applies to selling. In fact, it is one of the best pieces of advice for modern selling we have come across. Many sales people still get this wrong. They learn all about their products and services; and then eagerly explain everything to their prospective customers.

But they overlook the importance of fully understanding the problem first.

Talking about your products is no longer enough. Your customers have heard it all before and they’ve stopped listening. Customers no longer want to talk to salespeople, they want to talk to problem solvers.

Competition has shifted from who has the best products to who can best improve the customer’s operations. The best salespeople focus on real business issues. They sell from the customer’s perspective rather than their own. They fall in love with the problem, not the solution.

A practical methodology you can use immediately

Think of a sale you’re working on now and ask yourself, ‘Am I attempting to sell my products and services or solve the customer’s problem?’

If you hesitate before replying, don’t worry, that’s normal. Most people haven’t thought about this before or they have dropped into bad habits. And in case you’re wondering, the approach applies to all sales, not merely the larger ones.

Here’s a simple illustration of the principle. A Canadian attempted to sell a Jeep that had a snow plough attachment. He ran several classified ads that mentioned new tyres, low mileage, good engine and so forth. No sale.

Then he thought about solving problems and ran the following ad in the Business Opportunities section: Start your own snow removal business. Late model Jeep with plough. Excellent money-making potential. The Jeep sold the first day.

What will it solve?

Let’s look at how you apply this concept to everyday sales situations. A tried-and-tested method is to get into a ‘What will it solve?’ mindset. Before a sale, make a list of all the problems or potential problems you believe you can solve for your customer. You can do this alone or as a team exercise with colleagues. Keep this list at the forefront of your mind as the sale begins and you will automatically ask better questions.

In the book Uri Levine encourages readers to deeply understand the core problem and its underlying causes before jumping to solutions. If you’re a sales manager, take this advice to heart.  Whether your sales are booming or your team are having difficulty meeting their targets, keep saying over and over: ‘Fall in love with the problem, not the solution – help our customers to solve their problems’. Develop a laser focus on your customer’s problems and you’ll be rewarded with increased sales. Make it your new credo.

Learn more about LDL sales training.