“Answering your customer’s three critical questions: why change, why you, and why now?” – Bob Apollo

Bob is the founder of Inflexion-point Strategy Partners. He is a keynote speaker, mentor, and one of the most critical influencers in sales.

Bob sheds light on how B2B sales have evolved over the years. He also shares from his decades of experience of mentoring and working in sales how a salesperson can upgrade them to cater to the evolved b2b sales customer.

As buying becomes more and more complex, three things need to answer by the salesperson before the customer attempts to buy from you. They are

• Why change

• Why Now

• Why you

Why Change?

Why should your customer change the way they are doing things? Why change the status quo? Whenever the contrast between the current state and the desired sate is low, the change of status quo is less likely to happen. When the results are of immense value, and the customer recognizes them, the change happens. If the customer finds the current direction is far more risky and dangerous than they may have realized, and their future potential is far beyond their current state, then the changes take place.

Help them see not only the obstacles in their path but also the way to remove them. Show your customers that you will be the key to remove the barriers as you helped them discover it. Remember, do not manufacture problems.

Four factors that define change are:

• Current State

• The future

• Obstacles

• Cost of inaction

Why choose you?

The next big question in line after the customers identify with the problem and understand that they need to change is, why to choose you. Before choosing, they have to get the answer to the following questions:

• How else could they solve the problem? What are the other alternatives to you?

• How you approach the problem differently?

• What are your unique benefits?

Why should they act now?

Build a case of urgency, what is projected return on investment, and why do they need to start now? Be strategically relevant and tactically possible. Have the evidence of your achievements so that it gives them the confidence to invest in you now.

Create a believable value story. There are four part s of the value story:

1.       Current Situation

2.       Future outcome

3.       Obstacles

4.       Cost of inaction

There are three elements why someone would choose you

1.       Solution options

2.       Distinctive approach

3.       Unique benefits

Two reasons why should they act now:

1.       Business case

2.       Decision confidence