The eight roles of customer focused selling
By Kevin Davis

Everyone talks about selling the way customers like to buy. But of the hundreds of selling books that are out there in the marketplace only a few show you how. There are even fewer that are sophisticated enough to appeal to sellers of professional services.

In his widely acclaimed book: Getting Into Your Customer's Head author Kevin Davis shows the successful salesperson is the one who gets into the customer's head and applies a customer focused strategy.

To make the customer-focused strategy easier to use Davis urges sellers to psychologically change roles as they move through the sale process. It's advice all professionals should follow.

Here are the eight roles you should adopt as you turn a prospect into a loyal client:

1. The Student
   A successful salesperson starts by adopting the role of a student and spends time studying how changes in the marketplace are affecting the prospect and looks for opportunities to add value. The prospect's potential value will determine how much time you spend in researching a prospect's business.
   
   
2. The Doctor
   When you meet the client face-to-face your role changes to doctor. Your role as a doctor is to ask questions that diagnose your client's discontent and uncover their needs. Discontent occurs when your prospect acknowledges that there is a gap between where they are and where they would like to be. As a doctor, you diagnose what ails your prospects, and identify the complications which are likely to affect the prospect if they do nothing to resolve their problem.
   
   
3. The Architect
   When your prospect is ready to consider a solution your role changes architect. Here, your role is to design unique solutions.
   
   
4. The Coach
   When your prospect begins to compare your solution to that of the competition your prime aim becomes to defeat in your competitor without cutting prices. A coach gains a winning edge through superior analysis and by delivering a match-winning proposal and presentation.
   
   
5. The Therapist
   When a prospect raises objections and voices fears and concerns you become a therapist. Your task is to sensitively resolve any matter that remains a concern and stands in the way of the sale.
   
   
6. The Negotiator
   If there are any remaining differences you become a negotiator. The goals is to reach a win-win mutually profitable agreement.
   
   
7. The Teacher
   Straight after the customer buys you adopt the role of teacher. Your job is to teach the client how to use your services to maximize the value they are looking for.
   
   
8. The Farmer
   Now that the client is onboard you become a farmer. Your job is to cultivate satisfaction and grow the account.

Davis shows the more skilled you are changing roles in getting inside your customer's head the more effective you are as a salesperson. Research by the veteran sales consultancy and publisher Dartnell found that nine out of ten salespeople reach the end of their sales process before 80 percent of their customers are ready to buy. The big winners in selling are those who master the psychology of buying.

Use Davis' methodology to raise the sales productivity of your practice. His models are easy to understand. Better still, the book is easy to read.

Available for purchase from Amazon.com