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The Decision2Buy process is a set of four questions or stages that assist in the selling process by learning from the prospect what their needs and value (What’s in it for me?) criteria are. The questions are:

1)Who are you? Who makes or provides the product or service? Who are you, the company and person? and, what’s in it (the benefit or value) for me?

2)What do you do? What product or service do you provide and what’s in it (the benefit or value) for me?

3)How do you do it? How and what makes your product and service so special and what’s in it (the benefit or value) for me?

4)Who do you do this for? Who is your customer and is it relevant and what’s in it (the benefit or value) for me?

Inherent in each stage is the personal or professional need/desire factor, the What’s in it for me? driver. In every sale there has to be a value in one form or another whether it’s personal, physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, social or functional. If the value or benefits are obvious to the buyer there is motivation for the action of buying.

In the act of buying, we all consciously or unconsciously use a mental checklist to determine value. This process is true whether we’re buying a tube of toothpaste, a car, a service or product for business. There is always a Decision2Buy process and value/motivation criteria (What’s in it for me?). When purchasing complex or expensive items, the processes are more investigative, participatory and usually longer in duration, but they are predicated on the same foundational steps. Risks and costs vary and the ramifications may be greater but the actual buying is processed and concluded in the same manner. People rely on this process to sort, verify and match needs and desires through to the completion of the buying process. As in most things human, there are different styles in completing the transaction and working the process, emphasizing different stages, circumstances and timing.

It is a fact that when we contemplate purchasing, we always ask the same questions iteratively until we make the purchase or decide not to do so based on the value provided in the answers. Buying always starts with the most basic of questions (Who are you?) and builds upon those answers to build trust. The Decision2Buy process ultimately relies on understood information that has come prior in order to develop a path to the future and desired values.

“LISTENING IS KEY TO LEARNING THE DECISION2BUY PROCESS.”

In the Decision2Buy process, the value to the buyer may not be what the salespeople are proposing unless the salesperson is intently listening and learning from the buyer. Millions of people purchase cars because of the looks of the car, not because it has 220-horse power, all electric interior and leather seats. All we have to do is look at advertising for automobiles and we see they are focused on certain attributes, size, performance, utility etc. This is true because inherent in Who are you? is the not so subtle question of What can you do for me? and “How can I best spend my money on what I want?”

It is all about the buyer, not the seller. The seller can change the color, interior or the horsepower, but seldom can the seller change the buying process and criteria of the buyer. This is true in cars (though not through any lack of trying) and in almost every other purchase made in our daily lives.

If we listen, understand, question and think about the client’s needs, problems, goals, objectives, company charter etc., we’ll always have a chance to sell to a stated need or objective. These factors will shift from person to person, or company to company, but the process of listening and learning about the needs are the same. We must elicit a conversation with buyers, listening and thinking about the communicated information. Once we have overcome the most dreaded of all salespersons’ fatal errors, already knowing the answer to every question, we can truly listen to our clients. It is not a flaw to assume we know our buyers’ hopes, desires and needs prior to meeting with them, it is fantasy. It is critical to ask questions and learn about how your buyers do business differently than their competitors and how this is manifested in their specific Decision2Buy process. I don’t have to be a guru in any specific technology, market segment, industry processes or standards to listen and learn. We were all born with the ability to listen but have tried to shut it down since we were children.

Listening to people is the most critical of all skills and from my observation the most difficult, no matter what you sell or do. People like to talk about themselves, whether it is work related, cultural, social, economic, or purely for the pleasure of hearing themselves speak. Listening is a trained skill and a developed habit for salespeople because it is the only way to learn from their buyers. As a result, salespeople have the opportunity to develop good questioning techniques based on the buyer’s need.

I learned long ago that if I’d take notes during a conversation, I would have the opportunity to think about what was being said. For some people taking notes in a meeting is the kiss of death, but for me it does a number of good things that assist me in being a better salesperson and consultant to my business partners. It reinforces what I heard. For me, note taking forces a focus on what’s being said because I am not relying upon memory or interpretation of what was communicated. The process allows the mind to focus on the important factors the client is presenting. It allows the listener to hear the inflection and emphasis of meaning and relevance more clearly as it is spoken.

Note taking takes practice to learn what to note and what to just let pass, which in itself is worth the exercise. It allows the listener to hear the many meanings of the spoken word and the importance of those words. Taking notes allows time to think about the next questions (write and think, novel but a good listening technique). One goal while taking notes is to be thinking like your client. The client may be a logical thinker so the notes will be linear in nature, but if your notes are nonlinear, is it the client or was it your style of taking notes? I always take notes in the flow of the conversation, only key words to trigger conversations and feedback. In most cases the notes allow me to get the client to go into more detail, generating more information than would have been gained otherwise.

I use this process to reinforce a point of value and generate more deep thought in areas the buyer had not thought of as an extension of the information shared. The notes tell me a lot about a buyer, for example if they’re able to communicate in a manner that’s simple and effective versus complex and disjointed. This also allows me to communicate and share information back in a “common language” manner. Further investigation into listening styles is outlined in this book when we address communication styles.

From my notes, I also build analogies or have the client explain them in analogies or previous situations thereby reinforcing positive situations. I can endear myself to the client by understanding what was said and its relative importance to them. Like with your spouse or family members, you will find it is a key validation that they are important and valuable. We all want to be considered interesting or at the least worth listening to.

Functionally this information will also keep the buyer focused on the goals in the sales processes. Using this information with the buyer creates an opportunity to build a sales action plan that addresses their needs.

One critical learning experience addressed often in this book is that of listening better. It takes effort and must become a habit. I know we’ve all heard this before, but did we listen? Yes and no. I have read studies about adult communication focusing on the bi-directional content of communication. They conclude that only 7 percent of all verbal communication is heard and understood as intended. This is a manifestation of our lack of communication and listening skills. We have too much ambient noise and distractions to listen well. Clearly we’re not able to listen or communicate clearly for maximum understanding. Is it that our society does not value honest, clear and concise communication? Probably not. It is probably because we are living in a time and land of spin that allows for any number of permutations of the same information. Yet we, who live and die by making a living by listening, must quickly overcome this inadequacy. Have you ever wondered why some salespeople seem so intuitive in what they say and so at ease at what they do? It is most likely because they have mastered the skill of listening and focusing combined with a genuine interest in what’s being communicated.

The skill of listening is to hear what’s actually being said, not what we want to hear or what we think they should be saying. Is this an epiphany? If so, good. Now start listening, learning and applying what you learn.

Listening at its deepest level is done with your brain versus your ears because your ears are only the conduits for sound, not an analytical tool. Listening is more than what we suppose and can be understood within a more holistic approach. Listening is really being able to hear noise, understand its meaning and analyze it to make sense of the noise and what the sound is or means.

Listening is not difficult if you are trained, but with so much ambient noise going on in our communication, it has become a challenge to focus on listening. One reason we don’t hear well is because our minds are trying to filter all the clamor and noise around us. For instance the first time you hear a piece of classical music you may be amazed at the depth and complexity of these new sounds. The mind vaguely tries to understand the music as written appreciating the sounds, cadence, rhythm, which in turn assists us in listening closer.

Listening is a learned skill that is re-learned throughout our lives. Amazingly, we were great listeners as infants but were trained to stop listening by our upbringing and from the sheer avalanche of noise. Salespeople must learn to listen like children again. Here are some simple ideas and exercises that will help you listen to your buyer more effectively:

1)Listen with a clear mind and make no judgments.

2)Be prepared to listen, not to teach or otherwise have a fixed agenda.

3)Take notes in your meetings.

4)Ask questions that are relevant and get the client to speak about themselves and the processes they use to gain success.

5)Listening will indicate how to relate to the buyer in their terms. Hear their voice and inflections which will indicate the process of buying they want to use.

6)Be positive and willing to smile. A smile makes a huge difference and demonstrates your interest in what’s being said.

7)If you don’t understand, ask for more information and listen to the answer, they will be stating it more clearly the second time. This will get you closer to the buyer and their value needs.

8)If you listen and learn actively, the buyer will tell you what’s in it for him and his motivation for buying. You may not think you hear it but it will always be there.

9)Clear the slate as every conversation is new and unique and not something you can search your mind to find a perfect “been there, done that” similar situation.

My favorite exercise to work on my listening skills takes little time but works amazingly well. Go to a park or other outdoor spot so you are not close to cars or homes. Walk into this place and get comfortable. Stop and listen. Don’t move, as the full concert of sound is so subtle it takes time to adjust to hearing it. The mind immediately starts to associate distances and sources of the sounds. Once over the initial phase of hearing familiar sounds the mind will start to hear other sounds that in many cases were not even remotely heard at the beginning.

Humans have control over listening and filter out sound almost unconscientiously. Listen to what you hear and remember that this listening filter is always on unless we consciously work at opening the filters. Listening when selling is being open to the sounds of communication and the physical language associated with it. By doing this, we can effectively communicate and better relate with others.

“WE ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS RUNNING OUR INTERNAL CALCULATOR TO CALCULATE THE VALUE OF CONTINUING WHAT WE ARE DOING VERSUS DOING SOMETHING ELSE.”

Now that we know the key to selling is listening, we need to understand how people buy.

The Decision2Buy is simple on the surface but becomes complex as the movement of needs shifts with satisfaction. In this process, the primary questions we ask when purchasing become the branching where the process moves once questions become answers. An analogy for this is when meeting someone for the first time. In every instance we ask them the Decision2Buy questions: Who are you? In this context the question is “What is your name?” Once we have asked that we evaluate the answer for our value factors, or What’s in it for me? The reason for this is that we are always, always running our internal calculator to calculate the value of continuing what we are doing versus doing something else. These calculations are constant. We are helpless to turn them off completely and only through practice and discipline can the perspective of someone else, a buyer, be initiated so we can understand their personal internal calculator.

The challenge and beauty of the Decision2Buy process is that there are millions of values from which to choose and they are ever-changing as information is processed by the calculator in our brains. Every situation has different variables. A standard second question to ask when meeting someone is: “What do you do?” Again our calculator is going full speed calculating the value of the answer and what, if any, further value can be generated by continuing the conversation. In this manner not only are we able to validate not only the value to ourselves but also the value to others becomes more clearly defined. When the answers are not a validation of a perceived need, the process either stops or diverts.

Proceeding down this avenue, typically another question or investigation is asked to dig deeper. For example, one might ask, “How do you do that?” Again, this is a calculator question. The calculator is always trying to figure value. Information gathering and the selling process are common because understanding the calculator is paramount to any forward movement. The knowledge of who, what, and how they do it becomes the baseline for calculating the value to the buyer.

When meeting someone for this first time, the next value proposition is commonality. Once the knowledge base is in place, the next critical step for validation is “Who do you do that for?,” “Who do you work with?” or a variation of this question. These questions address the need for a common understanding of an inherent knowledge from a common ground. The value of association is critical to reaching a form of likeness in order to move toward more complex communications. The calculator is still running on commonality, facts and associations that can be realized by both parties.

In breaking down these phenomena, the following chart identifies the starting points and the progression of thought. It also demonstrates that the process is based on interactive processes as well as values that merge, divert and change with each additional interaction or action.

The most important question to answer when buying stuff is always What’s in it for me?, because that is all that matters at the moment of purchasing. Everyone, absolutely everyone, uses this calculated thinking process though not always in the same manner. Sometimes we jump around as we gain value and want to move forward to gain more in a specific area. Think of it as yes and no statements. If a good answer has value, it becomes a “Yes, please continue.” If a “No,” either the same or similar question is asked or the interest wanes as no What’s in it for me? seems to exist.

Everyone has a What’s in it for me? scenario with components that are available to choose from because all buyers have basic needs to satisfy. In a larger sense, the process is repetitious and only based on answers to questions that are of value to the buyer based on their own internal calculator.

In a business environment we need to integrate our sales opportunities into our sales forecast, meaning what are we selling, to whom, when and how. This diagram demonstrates the steps of a generic sales forecast model and where the four basic questions need to be primarily addressed.

SALES PROCESS PAYOFF

DECISION TO BUY PROCESS MACRO VIEW

WHO ARE YOU (AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?)

When we meet a person for the first time it can be a good experience or not depending on what we take away from it. The take-away may be dependent on where, when and how you meet. For the sake of our analogy let’s assume we meet someone in a business context.

The first thing that typically occurs in this encounter is both parties introduce themselves. This action allows each person to reach an initial level of comfort or discomfort depending on how the introduction goes. When the answer or value to this encounter is satisfactory, listening and interest capacities increase immediately.

The Who are you? introduction is the starting point in the buying process. The “who” part of the introduction must be answered in a manner that can be understood by both parties. The human need is not just to know a name, it’s to understand who “you” are as a composite, a question that has many answers. When meeting people for the first time it is normal to ask Who are you? and What do you do? These questions set the playing field for all further communication between the two people. The answer automatically is calculated against the value scale. If there is value, the opportunity to proceed is granted and the act of communication is continued. The inherent meaning of who you are is to establish a common ground and a value positioning for both parties. In dealing with business situations the real questions being asked are “Who are you and “What do you do for whom?” The key areas that need to be satisfied are value based and familiarity generated with an emphasis on the dissemination of information.

In the Who are you? stage the buyer is addressing:

•Trust

•Credibility

•Relevance

•Reputation

•Stability

•Value

•Quality

•Validation

•Risk

•Uniqueness

•Product

•Industry status

WHAT DO YOU DO (AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?)

In making buying decisions, it’s a constant move from one area to the next, so that once comfort is attained in one area the next thinking stage is intuitively investigated. The What do you do? stage incorporates another set of concerns focused on different criteria, but is built upon what has already been learned in Who are you?

As we move to What do you do?, we move to a different set of questions, values and needs. In addressing this question, the buyer is attempting to discover areas that make something special. This sequence of questions is an attempt to validate that the buyer is purchasing something from a company or person who knows what they are doing relative to compliance, process and procedure, or as they suppose it should be done.

For example you would never look to BIC, the French manufacturer of consumer products, to buy a car, nor would you look to Ford to buy a 39¢ ballpoint pen. The What do you do? questions drive a thought process to validate that the company the buyer is looking to spend money with is in fact viable and reputable. This is true whether the items are purchased for personal use or in the business environment. If we validate that the company has the knowledge and wherewithal to produce a good product, we are comfortable that we have reached a validation of this stage.

The fact is, when buyers asks the question, What do you do? in the sales process, they are also specifically looking for the answers to What’s in it for me? This is an attempt to validate that the company is knowledgeable in what they profess to do and are reputable. The buyer needs to be assured that the money spent will provide value and performance as they anticipate. If there is a validation, the buyer will move to further investigate this option. If the validation is not met on each of these levels, the buyer is forced to find another option and view the solution with suspicion.

In the What do you do? stage the buyer is addressing:

•Products offered

•Quality

•Service

•Market perception

•Uniqueness of product

•Experience

•Specialization or identity in the market

•Skills

•Customization or flexibility

•Cost

•Perceived value

HOW DO YOU DO IT? (AND “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?”)

The question here is not only how you do it, but why and to what end. If the buyer is confident that the solution offered is designed by a knowledgeable company with a reputation for quality, the initial risk factors are mitigated. If the buyer is continually asking questions in this area, it may be an indication of a real buying interest or a deeper concern with the answers. Just as in the prior questions, the buyer is continually using information for validation to allow movement forward in the buying process. If it seems redundant that the buyer is still validating the key decision buying criteria, realize this is just how decisions are made. The questions provide value-based answers that will generate more information to feed the calculator.

For example, when you meet someone do you always take what he or she says at face value? The answer may vary depending on the situation but in almost every case, your mind is evaluating the same factors a buyer is evaluating when they hear what someone does and how they do it.

In the How do you do it? stage the buyer is trying to address the following:

•Trust

•Process

•Quality

•Dependability

•Flexibility

•Stability

•Relevance

•Uniqueness

•Cost

•Service

•Value

•Commitment

•Competitive factors

•Knowledge

•Creativity or innovation

WHO DO YOU DO IT FOR? (AND WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?)

In our scenario of meeting someone for the first time, the question is usually stated, “Who do you work with when you do what you do?” This is a simple way of trying to confirm value in the calculator that the answer is a common reference that can be perceived as value to the listener. This in turn allows for additional commonality and the opportunity to share this likeness with stories about common contacts or companies. The value process begins with a common reference and knowledge. It could be an industry, a company, people or places, they all provide a commonality. “Who do you know who uses your stuff that I may know?” is one simple example of this dialogue.

In the sales world there are few more powerful strategies than telling a good story of what one client did with the solution you are selling and having the buyer know the company or people there. It is personal knowledge and that is high value. The common foundation can be either life experiences or foibles we all suffer. The fact that a story can be so powerful is validated by all great sales stories floating around in our society.

A couple of examples include:

The Wal-Mart story of Sam Walton driving an old truck for 20 years and eating breakfast in the same café is classic. This shows he was a common guy like the rest of us, though his family has a bit more wealth than mine.

Bill Gates’ narrative of building an empire to compete with the world after dropping out of school and starting a software company in his garage.

Rags to riches are the most obvious, but sales stories are the grist of who you work for and demonstrate the value or What’s in it for me? Whether these stories are true or not should not prevent us from recognizing that stories are dreams attained or aspirations achieved. Through stories the salesman delivers to the buyer greatly enhanced value.

In the Who do you do it for? stage, the buyer is trying to address the following:

•Relevance

•Industry knowledge

•Industry reputation

•Respect in the market

•Innovation

•Quality

•Stability

•Cost

•Focus

In the following chapters the Decision2Buy process will be investigated in great detail as it pertains to selling solutions that generate revenue. The balance of the book will assist you in integrating this process into your everyday selling opportunities and maybe your personal life, too. Continue on this quest that drives your internal calculator by understanding your What’s in it for me?

THE FIRST RULE OF MY SPEAKING IS: LISTEN!

LARRY KING