Pardon me while I digress from talk about asset tracking to discuss my sales methodology. I wanted to share this with other people getting into technology sales, but also to help potential customers of my software understand how I work.

A long time ago I was a software developer who designed and built business applications, most recently mobile asset tracking applications like the one we sell here at AMI. Since starting AMI, though, I’ve moved out of software development and into software sales, and have learned a thing or two fumbling my way through that transition.

Feature Selling

As a developer, you are primarily concerned with features. What buttons does the application have and what do they do? An overly simplistic description of the developer’s view, I admit, but the point is the developer is all about implementing executable code that does something. The feature list represents the amount of work the developer put into the software, and the successful execution of those features is how a developer measures him or herself. Do all the features work as they are supposed to?

When I made the transition to sales, I was having trouble selling software because I was stuck on selling features to customers. I figured the more features we had the more likely it would be for a customer to buy. But it wasn’t working. I was rattling off feature after feature, but customers just weren’t getting it. They were having problems connecting the features I was showing them to their own work. They might have a vague sense that the software might help, but they couldn’t understand how to justify the expense.

Solution Selling

Eventually an advisor pointed out to me that people are not coming to buy features, especially when it comes to business applications like the ones I am peddling. Customers have pain, and what they are looking for is a painkiller; a solution to a problem.

Now I look at sales as selling solutions. When a customer comes to me asking for information about my products, I first figure out what problem they are trying to solve. It’s pretty easy to do. Just ask, what made you come looking for tracking software? Oh, you are having trouble keeping track of all the stuff that comes into your warehouse? Okay, I have a solution for that.

This conversation naturally leads into me pointing out the features of my product that are relevant to the customer’s problem. The good part is I don’t spend any time telling them about features they don’t care about. Truth is, a customer will buy a solution with one feature if it is the right feature. Think of Microsoft Word. How many of Word’s 5,429¹ features do you actually use?

Find the customer’s problem and stay on that point. Sure, you can mention you have additional stuff included they may be interested in down the road, but first solve their immediate issue. If you succeed in that, the customer will feel they are dealing with a knowledgeable person, and gain trust in you and your product.  And better yet, you won't be wasting their time or yours talking about stuff you don't need to.

Sequence of Events

Another tip an advisor taught me was the sequence of events. When selling larger solutions with big sales cycles, very early come to an agreement with your customer as to the sequence of events that will lead to a deal. Figure out the customer’s problem and your proposed solution, and then come to an agreement on what the customer expects the steps to be all the way through the transaction.  If you set this expectation early, you will have a context in which to communicate with the customer all the way through the sales cycle.

An example:

1. Verbal agreement to proceed to a proposal
2. Customer receives proposal, reviews and responds within two weeks
3. Update proposal if necessary within one week, review second draft with one week
4. Upon mutual acceptance, develop formal contracts within two weeks
5. Review and finalize contracts within two weeks
6. Cut purchase order
7. Deliver software and provide training

Obviously the steps and timeframes will vary wildly depending on your type of business, but you get the point. Set some goals and timeframes so you have some time bounds on what is supposed to happen and by when.

This approach helps both parties. The customer will have a roadmap in front of them they can understand and communicate to their business. You’ve helped map out a task list and made their job easier. All they have to do is follow the plan and have their problem solved.

This approach helps the salesperson as well because it gives you a context in which to communicate with the customer. Customers do not like to be hounded. None of us do. But if you have a plan communicated, then you can contact them without wasting their time. You are simply following the plan and helping keep things on track. You have a reason to call them versus simply calling because your CRM told you it’s time to bug them again.

Best of luck to everyone.  Salespeople and customers alike.  Just remember we all have the same goal in mind: to do good business. 

¹ SWAG. I’m just making up this number to make a point. I have no idea how many features Microsoft Word has.