What is customer-centric selling? Definition and practices

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‍Selling to sell no longer works. Customers are more Sensitive To the attention paid to their feelings and desires What on The offer. This is what we observe on a daily basis at Akimbo.

Customer Centric Selling is a tool modernist Who focuses the sales discourse on customer needs. This sales technique allows supply to be more in line with demand, and not the other way around.

What is Customer Centric Selling?

Customer Centric Selling is a work tool that provides new idea of selling. Formerly focused on the offer and its characteristics, this method rather favors the customer and his feelings.

A method taken from a book - Customer Centric Selling

The Customer Centric Selling method comes from pound of Michael T. Bosworth with the same name “Customer Centric Selling”.

The idea of Place the customer At sales center is not necessarily new in theory but is in practice. Born in the 2000s in USA, this sales method is gradually arriving in France a little later.

This book is a guide to getting started with new commercial sales strategy, in accordance with the new requests.

Definition of Customer Centric Selling

Customer Centric Selling is a new sales approach. Beyond encouraging people to buy, it involves a genuine talk with the prospect.

However, the conversation is not a simple convenience. On the contrary, it is the best way to Question naturally the needs of the customer. By putting the good questions and by adopting the good posture, the commercial includes his viewpoint. With this information, he can then offer her the best solution possible.

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Why use Customer Centric Selling?

• To offer a product adapted to the needs of the customer

This sales technique makes it possible to better understand expectations of the customer. By understanding their needs, the salesperson can personalize your sales journey, His approach and adapt your offer.

• To offer a more meaningful and sustainable customer experience

Customer Centric Selling encourages positive interaction enters The seller and The buyer. The customer is at the heart of the sales process.

How do you build a customer-oriented sales process?

Engaging in a customer-oriented discussion does not mean that it has to be anarchic.

The Customer Centric Selling method offers a structured approach that will bring the prospect to indulge in your expectations.

To do this, the seller installs relevant questions to the customer so that the latter formulates his needs in a manner specifies. It is a benevolent and constructive exchange between the two parties. Thanks to information collected During this exchange, the salesperson will be able to set up a sales strategy aimed at match and reward the customer. These efforts will be useful in making his proposal. Strong value for his prospect.

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The 5 key factors of a Customer-Centric strategy

This sales technique is based on 5 principles that facilitate the understanding of its challenges. Each of them brings a basis for reflection And ofaction to maximizing its chances of succeeding with the customer.

1. Choosing the right targets to sell

The traditional seller focuses on future users of its offer. A salesperson who follows a Customer Centric Selling strategy knows what to do Talk to decision makers.

Targeting the right people directly makes it possible for the seller to win by times And in efficiency.

People with a decision-making power in the purchasing process are the first to convince. They are the ones who can potentially Block the sale or not.

A work ofidentification And of targeting is therefore necessary. It is quite easy to find theflowchart of a company on web software or social networks. To approach them, adopt an approach of Social Selling can promote a good first contact.

2. Focus on the needs of the customer, value the buyer

The Customer Centric Selling method places the customer at hub of the sales process.

The salesperson must Adapt your language to the prospect, to make understand and include it in the discussion. It is not a expert and he is not prepared for the exchange.

The seller's challenge is to question and listen his client to offer him a solution that will solve his problem.

The key is theActive listening. The salesperson notes all the elements that the prospect shares: his needs, his fears or his desires. The aim is not to judge your lifestyle or emotions. The commercial must be gracious in his words for legitimize and reassure the customer. Signing the contract is a desirable outcome, but the most important thing is to build a good relationship with him for the long term.

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3. Encourage conversations, stop presentations

Les long commercial pitches Monotonous, as complete as they are, never interest the prospect. This type of presentation delivers a information flow important in a way impersonal.

It is difficult for the customer to Grasp the importance remarks. It is not found in the speeches of the commercial and will not be able to Project yourself.

By adopting an approach based on a swapping with the prospect, the salesperson succeeds in capture his attention. Establish a dialogue between the two parties allowsTo interest more the customer.

The discussion is based On him, we ask him about his problems and desires and not about the offer. It is then more involved in the sales process to find a solution that suits them. Conversations promote a relationship of trust And of cooperation.

4. Understanding the use is more important than knowing the characteristics

Customer Centric Selling does not encourage good sales presentations at all costs. This method places more emphasis on the offer and its use.

The strength of a solution is notenumerate its aesthetic characteristics or Economical. This information should appear but should not constitute The heart of the argument.

Rather, the objective is to describe the possibilities of use that the customer can do with the product. What will convince him is to realize How is he doing well make everyday life easier Or how is it going solve your problem.

Basing your discourse on the uses of the offer makes the solution much more concrete and personalized in the case of the customer.

5. The buyer's schedule takes priority over yours

You should never try to sign short term contracts for its own commercial benefit.

In this logic, the salesperson is tempted to offer reductions And arrangements To convince him At all costs. This approach can greatly reduce the commercial margin. By pressing the buyer, the salesperson is missing out on deals more interesting. These would certainly take longer to be signed but would offer a experiment And a solution plus Satisfactory for the prospect and the salesperson.

Customer Centric Selling puts the customer at the heart of the sales process. The salesperson must respect availability of the prospect.

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Advantages and limitations of Customer Centric Selling

This sales technique appears to respond to the shortcomings of the traditional sales method. It has several advantages:

• Have to facilitate the integration of the prospect at the heart of the reflection

The observation is simple. If he does not Does not understand Or not Can't be recognized in the offer, he does not buy. So Customer Centric Selling made it possible toconcede to the customer profile the importance it deserved in order to promote a favorable outcome of the exchange. This method even allows the promotion of new, more human values and less material from the company.

• Have to structure the sales process

The aim of this method was not to establish an amicable discussion like one might have on the street. This approach is formalized to allow the company that uses it toharmonizing to all sales teams.

• Combining the actions of the Sales and Marketing departments

Often separated, these two services nevertheless have an action supplemental. The Customer Centric Selling tool promotes The collaboration and Communication between the two parties. This distribution guarantees a good commercial performance And the Continuity of services for the prospect.

But it also has limitations.

Initiated in the United States where sales relationships are uninhibited, France is suffering from a slight setback. In this philosophy, the French have more interest in understandinggeneral idea of the book rather than wanting to apply to the letter the Methods described.

Likewise, Customer Centric Selling completely ignores telephone or physical prospecting. Although essential for capturing interesting profiles, this tool does not address this stage.

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Customer Centric Selling Method: Conclusion

By making the effort to focus its commercial approach on the customer, the entire company benefits from the results.

• The managers

Thanks to Customer Centric Selling, they include more about the sales process and the importance of Take the time to know the prospect. La sales pipeline Will be more adapted to the needs of salespeople. The team development is widely in favor of the application to Management of this method.

• Marketing

The Marketing department will be able to create sales supports plus adapted to their application to customers, and therefore to the action of salespeople. Depending on the market, the Marketing teams will be able to provide advice and support to the other teams.

• The salesmen

Obviously, salespeople in the field benefit particularly from Customer Central Selling. They Mastering more the sales cycle. With this method, salespeople assess the situation prospects with them even before approaching the offer. The tool makes it possible to significantly boost sales success rates.

These sales techniques avoid making efforts to unnecessarily present the benefits of an offer. Customer feedback is generally positive. They like to feel valued in the sales process.

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