By Dan Kreutzer
June 7, 2010
We all know trust is the key in establishing relationships and closing sales, but how exactly do buyers make decisions and what do salespeople need to know about this process to help buyers make decisions? Understanding this new model of selling based on human behavioral science allows a sales team or representative to go from seller to trusted partner.
Human Behavior and the Buying Decision
The one constant in every sales situation is that there is a human being sitting across from you deciding whether or not they are going to buy from you. The more you understand about how they will go about making that decision, the better you will be able to relate to them.
The new science of sales rests on the fact that all humans will follow virtually the same process when making a buying decision, and that buyers are motivated by their own perceived self-interest. By focusing on these two aspects of the buyer’s behavior, the sales person can facilitate the buyer’s process – and gain the buyer’s trust while doing so!
Cognitive Thinking
Cognitive thinking gets the process started. Chances are this process has started well before the sales person has come into the equation. Cognitive thinking is the process of understanding that there is a problem and that solutions are available, and trying to figure out why a solution is necessary in the first place.
Information Gathering and Divergent Thinking
As they go through the cognitive thinking process, the buyer also weaves through the next two levels of the decision-making model – information gathering and divergent thinking – almost simultaneously. Once you have realized that you have a significant need, it is no longer about the problem, but instead about the solution. As the personal consequences of the problem are realized, the buyer begins to view the solution in terms of their self-interest.
These first three stages of the model are called Discovery because the buyer is “discovering” the nature of the problem, its consequences, and its potential solutions.
For the most part, Discovery can be completed without the need of a sales person. However, if the sales person can become a part of the process with the buyer, acting as a catalyst, there is a much better chance at building a strong level of trust. The sales person and the buyer are discovering together, building a sense of partnership and camaraderie based on mutual understanding.
Convergent Thinking
This is the process where the buyer selects the “best fit” solution based on their perceptions, beliefs and motivation – and that motivation is based on the buyer’s self-interest. Notice this may or may not be an optimal solution in the eyes of third parties. This is irrelevant. They are not making the decision. The buyer is. And he will make it based on his perceived self-interest.
Evaluation
Once the decision is made, the buyer is left thinking, “Did I get what I really want/need?” The evaluation process consists of the buyer gathering evidence regarding the success (or not) of the solution. In some cases, this process can be very quick (e.g., I plug in the TV I bought and it works) to several months (e.g., the entire building process of a custom-built house). It is critical for the sales person to stay involved during this process in order to build long-term and more profitable relationships. They need to help the customer quantify the results they're achieving with the solution, and to make sure the results meet expectations and any problems that occur are solved quickly.
Research into human behavior has provided us with a framework for how people make decisions and an understanding of the motivation driving these decisions. The Buying Decision Model provides a method that sales people can use to build trust with buyers. In today’s world, with increased angst over the economy affecting everyone, trust is the key ingredient in developing long term customer relationships.
Dan Kreutzer is a founding partner at Samurai Business Group and the author of “Put the Win Back in Your Sales: The Key to Sales Mastery – Understanding How and Why People Buy.” He has more than 30 years of selling and marketing experience and has spoken at events across America and abroad. He can be reached at d.kreutzer@samuraibizgrp.com.