Are you in Business Development ? - 6 Things Customers Expect from you

Gone are the days when it was sufficient to know your own products and services to be able to impress clients and develop your business. The key now is how well you know your client's business and his industry and what keeps him awake at night.  Here is a list of 6 things which your customers expect from you.

1. They want you to take trouble to prepare yourself for the meetings and then listen well.  Buyers want you to know enough - even before you meet them first - to be able to ask the right questions and then truly listen to the answers. The buyers rightly believe that only those salespersons who understand and diagnose the situation well can recommend appropriate solutions. They like salespersons who take notes, summarize, and restate and recheck. They don't like people to whom all their problems look like nails because they happen to be having a hammer to sell !    
2. They like you to first, and quickly, come to the point and  begin talking about how you can help  resolve their specific business problems, achieve specific  goals which they have already set for themselves ,  do it more efficiently than what they can do for themselves or through others, and narrate actual examples of what you have already done for someone in the industry? Knowing features and functions of your products is an entry standard today but not a qualification to sell. Today, top sales performers understand the buyers'  business and personal goals better than their competitors and outdo them by  personalizing their presentations. 

1. Do you tell the truth and keep your promises ? Your customers keep track of what you say you'll do and whether you actually do it. If you offer to send a white paper or list of references, be sure to do it in time and never request an extension.  If you don't know the answer, don't make it up. Tell them the truth.
2. Avoid wasting time.  Schedule your calls, have a stated objective for each meeting, and be sure the time spent results in value for the client every time.   Provide clients with useful background materials, typically from reputable outside sources. Consider giving your buyers relevant information from newspapers, magazines, websites etc.
3. Make your customer a hero. Top performers know what personal factors drive each buyer's behavior, whether it's ego, desire for a bonus, the potential for promotion, or some other factor. Do what's necessary to make sure an important buyer regards a particular sale as a personal win .
4. Remember there are multiple customers.