Recently, I heard several friends in sales say that every time they develop a customer, they clearly explain their products and company, but the customer's reaction is always 'we'll contact you when we have a need,' and then nothing happens. Even when they call, the response is the same, and some customers don't even answer the phone. As they told me, they sighed about how customers already have fixed suppliers and are hard to develop. I asked them whether, after meeting the customer, they had asked about the customer's situation. Their answers were consistent: when meeting a customer, the time is so short that they're afraid they won't have enough time to talk about their products (services) and company, so how could they have time to ask the customer? Besides, when developing a customer, they would have already researched the customer's background, so there's no need to ask. Before visiting a customer, it's certainly necessary to understand the customer's basic situation; that statement is correct, but sometimes the information salespeople gather is superficial, making it hard to discover the customer's potential needs. When I said this to a friend, I asked her, 'Do you know which type of salesperson I hate most when I go to a mall to buy cosmetics? I hate the ones who, without asking anything, directly push products at me. When they see acne on my face, they talk about how great their acne products are. If I have acne, I already have acne products at home, so why would I buy another? I came to the mall to buy cosmetics, which means I have a need, but if the salesperson doesn't understand my need and just recommends, the chance of closing is low.' Seeing my friend's confused expression, I had to tell her another example from our own customer development. Currently, competition in the mobile phone industry is increasingly fierce, and every salesperson faces pressure to develop new customers. In a prefecture-level city, a salesperson identified a customer who already represented two brands. After the salesperson talked to the customer, the customer didn't say yes or no, but said that the industry pressure is high, competition is fierce, and our product price is higher compared to similar brands on the market, making it hard to operate. If the company could lower the price, he might consider taking on the brand, but not necessarily the full line. Facing this, the options were to give up or continue negotiating. The salesperson chose not to give up and insisted on visiting once a month. But from the second visit, the customer ignored him. After three visits, he called me to complain, saying that each time he visited, he told the customer about our company's honors and every product, and he guessed the customer could probably recite our products by now. But the customer's attitude toward him worsened each time. He planned a fourth visit and asked if I could find new selling points for our products, preferably something that would immediately attract the customer. I told him, 'Since the customer can recite our products, he already knows our company and products well. Even if I find new selling points for you to present, the customer won't want to listen. His attitude shows he's not interested in what you're saying. Why not talk about something he is interested in?' The salesperson's initial reaction was the same as my friend's: 'The customer only has a short time to talk, so I must say everything I want to say. Besides, I don't know what he's interested in. He's focused on the two brands he represents. How to attract his attention to me is what I want most.' I told the salesperson, 'Actually, what this customer is interested in is the two brands he represents. This time, don't talk about our company or products. Instead, ask him about his current brands. For example, say, "Both brands you represent are doing well, especially Brand X, which made it to the top three in the province. That's impressive. When the brand was less well-known, how did you spot its potential?" Let him talk; you might learn something.' A few days later, the salesperson called me and said he had won the customer. That day, when he went to the customer's office, the customer was facing the computer and just grunted without looking up. After sitting down, the salesperson said, 'Mr. X, I'm not here to talk about my products today; I know you're tired of hearing about them. I just wanted to see if you had time to chat. I'd like to know, with the Brand X you're doing so well with, how did you see its potential back then?' The customer, who had been looking at the computer, looked up and said, 'Some agents see my success and say I was lucky to choose Brand X, but actually I chose it after careful thought and observation of the manufacturer and the industry.' He then talked about how he chose the brand, how he worked when starting his business, his views on the regional market, and his satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the two brands' manufacturers. He talked all morning and insisted on taking the salesperson to lunch. After a full meal, the customer said something the salesperson regarded as classic: 'Now that we're full, if someone came to sell us egg fried rice, saying it uses this kind of rice, this oil, these eggs, and it's delicious, and then says it's usually 7 yuan but today only 5 yuan, would you buy it?' The salesperson said, 'Of course not, I'm full. Why would I need egg fried rice?' The customer continued, 'Then if someone brought a fruit platter, usually 7 yuan and today also 7 yuan, would you buy it?' The salesperson said, 'I'd consider it; after a meal, some fruit would be nice.' The customer then said, 'Now you know why I ignored you earlier. Every time you came, you said your product is cheaper than other brands and has more features, like selling egg fried rice to someone who's full—I don't need it. If I represent your company, and you can meet my needs in terms of support (the customer had mentioned in the morning that he believed a manufacturer should support its agents; although the salesperson thought the demands were a bit much, compared to price cuts or credit, they were reasonable), even if your price isn't low, I'd consider taking the brand, because it's like bringing me a fruit platter after a meal—exactly what I need.' The salesperson noted the customer's requirements, applied to the company, and met most of them, successfully developing the customer, and sales have been steadily growing. I said to my friend, 'Do you know why it's easier to reach cooperation when you let the customer speak? Because when you talk about your product, you're in the "sales" position, which creates a feeling of "pushing." Everyone has a defensive mindset against pushing, and customers are no exception. But if you let customers express their needs and help them meet those needs, then you become their "sales consultant," allowing them to open up and accept your advice, leading to long-term cooperation. How to discover customer needs? The simplest way is to let them speak. But too many salespeople don't want customers to talk, fearing they'll discuss price or credit. We can't rule out such customers, but if you don't let them speak, it's hard to find their needs, and without finding needs, you end up only talking about price and credit.' Of course, to get customers to talk, the questions you ask are crucial, especially during the first meeting; the topic is particularly important. Some salespeople like to start with weather or hobbies to build rapport and gather more customer information. But if the questions aren't right, it's hard to collect useful information. Once, I received a salesperson who, perhaps to get closer, didn't start with his product like others, but asked about my hobbies and what I liked to do in my spare time. At that time, I was thinking about learning piano but was frustrated by lack of time. Since no one had asked, I talked to him about wanting to learn piano but not having time, etc. After complaining for over 20 minutes, a colleague came over and said, 'Secretary, it's time for the meeting.' So I sent the salesperson off. After that, whenever we wanted to get rid of that salesperson, they'd have me do it. So, if salespeople want customers to talk more, they should design questions in advance, preferably work-related, like the question in the earlier example. That's work-related, and even if it goes off track, it won't go too far, and at least you can collect some useful information. When I train salespeople on this method, some ask whether customers might feel their privacy is being probed and refuse to answer. If you ask about satisfaction or dissatisfaction with current suppliers (or represented brands), some customers may be unwilling to answer. Salespeople can also ask about their views on the current market, or invite them to talk about their development history or future goals. These topics, especially their past struggles, most customers are willing to share. At that point, if the salesperson listens carefully and identifies the customer's potential needs, becoming their "sales consultant" is not a big problem. To read related professional articles, reply with the following keywords: Sales Supervisor, Second-Tier Management, Regional Manager, Distributor Management, New Channels, City Manager, Competition, 2015, Manufacturer-Dealer Game, Product Stagnation, Terminal Visit Management, Route Management, Deep Distribution, Internal Management, Sales Skills, Profit Improvement, Recruitment, Distribution, Daily Management, Team Motivation, Trade Promotion, Sales Misconceptions, New Product Launch, Township Market, New Product Pricing, Sales Target Achievement, Closing, Market Visit and Inspection, Baijiu, Beer, Sales Increase, Agency Products, Channel Crossing, KA, Terminal Merchandising, New Market, Market Operation, Learning, Book Recommendations, Inventory Management, New Salespeople, Consumer Promotion, Execution, Old Products, Expired Product Handling, Model Market, Franchise, New Media, Distributor Development, Performance Appraisal, Assessment, Annual Planning, Shopping Guide, Morning Meeting, Display, Transformation, Stock Pressure, Festivals, Distributor Cost Control, Channel Operation, Marketing Theory and Laws, Brand Truth, Order Meeting, Team Management, Training, Debriefing, Debriefing Report.