How to Cultivate New Turf

You can’t make a sale to a new customer unless you understand that person’s needs. But customers may not want to tell you their needs. Why? Well who cares why, really. The real question is, How can you get past a prospect’s reluctance to share information vital to your sale?

Trugreen Chemlawn sales representative Janis Taylor starts each appointment by seeking “common ground” with her prospects. “The customers may have a picture of a grandchild or a trophy they’ve won,” says Taylor. “Sharing our common interests relaxes the customers. Then I thank them for taking time to meet with me and discuss my goals for our meeting. I want to find out their needs and budget and what they enjoy about their current lawn care vendor.”

Taylor tries to understand each customer’s personality type. She describes four types of buyers:

The Driver is assertive, not emotional, and doesn’t want to waste time. “With this buyer type,” she says, “I get straight to the point.”

The Analytical type is nonassertive and unemotional, wants to understand everything completely, focuses on the facts and requires the most follow-up. With this type, Taylor says, “I need to ask the same question several different ways, and they still may have trouble reaching a decision.”

The Amiable, friendly type is open and warm, cooperative, enjoys a lot of sideline conversation and wants every detail. With this prospect, she says, “I need to lead the conversation and keep it focused.”

The Expressive type is friendly, enthusiastic and persuasive; more assertive than analytical or emotional; and concerned with what people will think. For this personality she says, “I tell them that people will drive by and be impressed by the curb appeal and well-maintained property and add, ‘Why don’t we walk around the property while we’re talking.’ They are spontaneous and likely to show you around while they share problems and ideal solutions.”

Taylor uses a NEADS system to identify needs, adapting it to each of the four personality types. NEADS is an acronym for Now, Enjoy, Alter, final Decision, and Solutions.

Now: How are you handling your landscaping needs now?

Enjoy: What do you enjoy most about your current landscape contractor or vendor?

Alter: What would you like to change about your current vendor?

Decision: Who makes the final decision about what landscape contractor you use?

Solutions: What solutions can you suggest? (Taylor uses this to help her identify solutions she can offer.)

John Bacon is the Baltimore/Washington D.C., district manager for State Industrial Products, a direct manufacturer of industrial chemicals it sells to government agencies, stadiums, transportation common carriers, universities, school systems, hotels and other noncompeting manufacturers. Bacon’s reps do a lot of cold calling to maintenance departments.

“Many prospects don’t want to open up, because to them a need is a problem,” says Bacon. “It’s difficult for them to admit anything, because it’s like they’re not doing their jobs. If we come out and ask, ‘Do you have a drain problem?’ they will say no.”

Bacon’s reps use referrals and examples from similar organizations. “Our rep may tell Towson University’s maintenance department, ‘I’ve worked with Loyola College and Johns Hopkins University, and they have kitchens similar to yours. I’m sure you have the same concerns that they do about their grease traps.’ Then they will open up, since it’s no longer a reflection on them.”

Bacon and his reps use “SPIN selling” (described in Neil Rackham’s book Spin Selling) to help potential customers understand their needs and the consequences of ignoring those needs. SPIN stands for Situational questions, Problem questions, Implication questions, and Needs payoff.

Situational questions provide a basic warm-up. “How long have you worked here? How many people

do you supervise?”

Problem questions need to be asked the right way. Instead of “What problems are you having?” ask,

“What are the top two or three concerns that you want to address in your department?”

Implication questions are the most powerful because they address the effects and consequences of a buyer’s problem. These will result in pain if not corrected. Your company can correct the problem. “What’s going to happen if you don’t get that grease trap fixed and you continue to have backups?”

Needs payoff is solution based. Ask about the value or usefulness of a particular solution: “Joe, if I could give you an automatic drain keeper which dispenses our drain maintainer into your grease trap, would that take away your headache and keep your boss happy?”

Know your customers’ needs and what has helped similar customers. Then use SPIN selling to help prospects understand their needs, what happens if they don’t take action, and how you can help them solve their problems.

Focus on building relationships, not selling a specific product or service. Then, customers will feel comfortable sharing their needs with you.