Selling to Perceived Need

What happens if you offer a product that you believe everyone should have, but no one sees a need? Simple – it doesn’t sell.

Can you educate your market to create a need? Most of us can’t afford to – it’s an expensive and lengthy process. It’s much better to learn from your customers, and then provide a product they want.

This is not always an easy process. Selling in the software development space, many engineers are very busy, working under tight deadlines. They often evaluate available solutions with a cryptic “Does your product do this?” Answering only that question does neither your company nor your customer any good. What really needs to be done is to address that need in the context of the entire task or requirement. So how do you do that?

Often the request for a widget comes to a salesperson. Though salespeople are generally smart and talented people, they are not typically engineers by background. Their job isn’t to delve into the arcane technical details of an engineering solution. A smart company supports its salespeople in those situations with sales engineers or R&D engineers. These people are qualified and motivated to understand the customer’s requirements in the context of their technical environment. They assist in finding a full solution that ensures the customer’s success.

This is exactly what Snowbound attempts to do with every special customer request. It’s a free service but surprisingly, not everyone utilizes it. Many of our smart and successful customers have realized the benefits of allowing our sales engineers to assess their situation. Why don’t you join the club?

-Simon