C3 - Customer-Centric Conversation

 

C3 - Customer-Centric Conversation

Traditionally, sales conversations focused on the company, its products, and how they compared to competitors. However, today’s customers usually gather information about a company and its offerings from the website before a salesperson even arrives. Customers are often clear about their needs and know what product or service they want. They may have previously interacted with competitors or conducted comparative research after a sales call. As a result, much of the information that salespeople used to provide is now in the hands of customers.

So, what role does a salesperson play now? This is where C3—Customer-Centric Conversation—comes in. Instead of focusing on the company, salespeople should prioritize understanding the customer's needs, preferences, issues, and problems. By asking probing questions to learn more about the customer, the salesperson can centre the conversation around their needs and solutions to their problems. When customers perceive that the conversation addresses their specific wants and how a product can solve their issues, they become more engaged in buying.

Customers may occasionally seek information about the company, product quality, or competitors to establish trust. When the customer asks these questions, it's akin to feeding a hungry person; they are more likely to focus on the answers. In contrast, the traditional sales approach often involved the salesperson doing most of the talking, failing to create the "hunger" for information that encourages active listening.

To implement C3 in your business, research your customers thoroughly, prepare relevant questions to ask them, anticipate their questions, and approach the market with this knowledge. You will find yourself having meaningful conversations, which is the essence of customer-centric dialogue.

M.L. Narendra Kumar