Reviewing Needs

The perfect way to complete the Needs Assessment and move into the presentation phase is to demonstrate to the customer that you have been listening, that you understand what they have been saying, and that you’re in tune with what they hope to accomplish.

Selling before presenting

Everything you have done up to this point has been focused on learning the needs of your customer. But before you start to present your solutions, you should demonstrate a clear understanding of his or her situation. If you review the needs well, you’ll demonstate credibility, empathy, sensitivity, and trustworthiness—and many buyers will make their decision to buy at this point, even before you have presented your goods and services. Conversely, without thoroughly reviewing the needs, you risk misunderstanding your client and missing the mark with your recommendations.

Choosing your words

Table

Fast track	Off track
“Here’s my understanding of what you said…”	“What you need is…”
“I may be reading too much into this, but it appears that…”	“You said that…”
“How I interpreted X’s statement was that you had a desire to…”	“X told us that you wanted…”

The psychology of listening

Carl Rogers (1902–1987) was one of the world’s greatest psychologists and students of human communication. He famously said that the “greatest compliment one human being can pay another is to demonstrate that he was listening.” When a sales professional takes the time to review with a customer his or her understanding of their needs, they are indeed paying a great compliment and differentiating themselves—yet again—from the competition, in an emphatic manner.

Ensuring a close match

When you begin the review, choose your words carefully: tell the client what you heard as opposed to what they said. The distinction is subtle, but avoids putting words in the client’s mouth (see section on Choosing your words). Start by summarizing the client’s overt needs and move to those you need to infer. Ask the client to confirm that your review is correct, and request that they prioritize their needs. Ask if you missed anything, if there’s anything they’d like to add, or if your understanding is flawed. You just might pick up another need along the way.

Timing the review

The best time to review needs is either at the end of a needs-determination meeting or at the beginning of a meeting in which you are presenting (especially if new people are present, or a lot of time has passed since the last meeting). Concluding a meeting by reviewing needs ends it on a positive note and sets the stage for the next meeting when you will present. If you have done everything right, the client will already have a strong inclination to buy from you.