Feature Fishing

Now it's time to go fishing. Just hang on, I don't mean taking the day off to head out to your favorite fishing hole. I'm referring to fishing right in the customer's office, verbal casting. Bait the conversation with questions that reveal the customer's needs, expectations, and hot-buttons. Although you have done your pre-call planning on the macro issues, you cannot learn intimate knowledge of your customer's business until you engage in a conversation. During this conversation your objective is to fish around to discover the features on your menu that may be of interest.

I offer two methods of feature fishing: 1) Simply ask your customer what's important when considering a supplier. What specifics is he or she looking for? What are his or her expectations? What makes a good vendor? 2) Suggest some of your more popular features by scrolling through your menu. Ask the customer: "Have you thought about... ?" "Have you considered . . . ?" "Did you know that . . . ?" "Have you ever used ... ?" and so on. It's the same as your server in a restaurant recommending daily specials. The answers to your probes help identify specific requirements, information you wouldn't glean from an annual report or the receptionist. Personally, I prefer a combination of the two methods.