How to Know What (and How Much) to Say

BE Succinct  For sales professionals everywhere.

In our ongoing series on BEING Succinct, we've emphasized the importance of clear and concise communication in sales interactions. A crucial aspect of this approach is understanding where your prospect stands in their decision-making process. This awareness allows you to tailor your communication effectively, providing the appropriate amount of information to guide them toward a confident purchasing decision.

Consider:

• How long have they been living (unhappily) with their current situation?

• How long have they been trying to solve this issue?

• How fatigued are they with the process now?

If a three-year-old asked you where babies come from, you would provide a very different answer than you would to a twelve-year-old asking the same question. The amount of detail depends on how much information they need to have their question answered satisfactorily—for them, where they are right now.

The same principle applies to prospects. How much they need to know depends on how much they can manage and how much they need to know to make an informed and confident decision. That depends on where they are in their decision-making process. If they are early in their process, they may need to know more and may ask a lot of broad questions. If they are further along in their process, they may ask more pointed and specific questions that require pointed and specific responses to those questions. 

Understanding where they are in their process informs what you need to communicate. It still relates to their problems, priorities, and pain points, but the discussion should be succinct at this stage and include confirming questions that start to move the conversation toward closing the sale.How to Know What (and How Much) to Say