{"id":19202,"date":"2021-10-29T10:47:36","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T14:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.evopayments.us\/staging\/?p=19202"},"modified":"2021-12-10T10:10:46","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T15:10:46","slug":"value-added-resellers-are-you-asking-enough-sales-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evopayments.us\/staging\/value-added-resellers-are-you-asking-enough-sales-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Value-Added Resellers, Are You Asking Enough Sales Questions?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A VAR is Not A Mind Reader<\/strong>

If you\u2019re a Value-Added Reseller, you know you\u2019re on a specialized career path. But you also know that many core competencies are built around that more universal skill set, sales. And one of the most frequently undervalued sales skills in any industry is the ability to ask insightful questions. For some, sales questions are instinctive, while others formalize them as \u201cthe discovery process\u201d or \u201cS.P.I.N.,\u201d but for many, they\u2019re underutilized.

What if you already have the perfect<\/em> solution for a customer\u2019s needs, but they can\u2019t articulate those needs yet? Maybe a handheld point of sale would be just the right fit to make a retailer\u2019s lines flow smoothly\u2014but the owner hasn\u2019t identified their problems with countertop POS yet. A reseller is not a mind reader, but a reseller can ask more questions.

An Old \u201cTeaching Story\u201d Makes A Point<\/strong>

Business would be easier if everyone had perfect communication skills, but sometimes making up those deficits falls on the salesperson\u2019s shoulders. There\u2019s a corny old story that gets passed around. In it, an overly-eager used car salesman has dragged a customer across a sweltering hot car lot too many times.

After looking at several models, the salesman asked the customer to be more specific.

\u201cI want practicality. Something inexpensive, with great fuel mileage,\u201d the customer replied. So the salesman walked him to a boxy little European economy model that looked like a refrigerator.

\u201cNo, no, no,\u201d the customer said. \u201cI obviously want more comfort than that<\/em>. And I don\u2019t trust the crash ratings.\u201d Better comfort, better crash ratings. Okay.<\/em> So the salesman walked him across the lot again to a larger, more plush car with loud, tacky neon customizations.

\u201cNo, no, no,\u201d yelled the customer, \u201cI want something classy, and with better cup holders. And no sunroof!\u201d

What Does This Story Teach Salespeople?<\/strong>

This story can go on for several more rounds, until the customer has eventually articulated every must have<\/em> and would be nice<\/em>. The frustration becomes more humorous as the listener discovers more and more traits that had yet to be identified\u2014and it can really crack up a table of colleagues if told correctly! (One fun way to tell it is to slowly identify a listener\u2019s own car model.) But it\u2019s not just a joke . . . it is a teaching story for salespeople, including VARs. It demonstrates that we cannot confidently move forward in the sales process without taking note of each important customer concern.

The storytelling component summons up visceral emotional cues of \u201chot, sweaty, unnecessary<\/em> trips across blazing asphalt\u201d to make a point stick in the listeners\u2019 memory. Proposing solutions without a thorough understanding of needs is a waste of everyone\u2019s time, energy, and\u2014in this case\u2014clean undershirts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately for VARs, business is conducted indoors. Unfortunately, POS components are harder for customers to understand than, say, clothing or furniture\u2014which means VARs are operating at a more complex level. One tool for identifying some of the complexities is to break down customers\u2019 needs into categories.

Three Types of Customer Needs<\/strong>

Customer needs can be categorized into three main types:<\/p>\n\n\n\n