“Only the right diagnosis can lead to the right treatment” is both the premise of a fascinating new Netflix show called “Diagnosis” and a timeless principle for sales and presentation success as well. While the show leverages the reach of the internet to find the right diagnoses for people with seemingly untreatable diseases to get the right treatment to help them, the best salespeople leverage the power of questions to help them provide the winning solutions for clients.
If It Looks Like a Duck…
Too often we hear a client say things like, “My system is slow.” “My team can’t close.” “My social media program isn’t working.” “I need a better retirement plan.” Etc.
Hearing these plaints–and sure that we know what they mean–we offer our elegant solutions to the problem.
Then—surprise–we lose the business.
It’s Not Always a Duck!
We lose because we move too quickly to our “treatments.” We forget
- Situations are complex. We need to dig deeper to fully understand the problem. For example, is the team “not closing” because of a lack of skills, product issues, changes in the competitive landscape, marketing strategies, Other?
- Words mean different things to different people. Clarity is critical. What does a “better retirement plan” mean? “I just inherited a lot of money; My spouse just became ill; I have no savings; My portfolio is not earning a decent return; Other?
In medicine, treatment is only as good as the diagnosis that precedes it. That is true in sales as well. Diagnose first. Then treat.
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!