A good part of the value you create for your prospective clients happens through the discovery work you do together. Making your number only happens if you help your prospective client improve their business. If you don’t know what their business really needs, you massively reduce your chances of providing them the help they need. Here are four reasons you absolutely must uncover your prospective client’s “must-have” outcomes.

1. There is money only for what’s important

If you want to be compelling, find out what your client already finds compelling. Even though businesses have cash, they aren’t spending it on anything that isn’t aligned with their highest priorities. Aligning your initiative with what is already important to your prospective client massively improves the likelihood that your solution gets funded. 

2. People only change when they are dissatisfied

Your prospects aren’t going to go to the trouble to change unless they are going to be better on the other side. People change when they need a new and better result. When your prospect has “must-have” outcomes, you can be certain they are motivated to change. “Must-have” outcomes are always around the biggest areas of improvement your prospective client needs.

3. People really only buy outcomes

You don’t sell a product, a service, or a solution. You sell the outcomes your buyer gets when they purchase those things from you. Focusing on product isn’t how you compel your buyer to take action now. Instead, you have to focus on what they really want—and what they really need—and that is outcomes. What change are their trying to make? What result are they after?

4. You need consensus around what matters

The bigger and more important the outcome, the more likely there will be more people involved. This is what consensus is so important: different stakeholders will have different ideas about what outcomes are most important. Unless and until you uncover their individual needs, identify and gain support of the stakeholders, and help them with their outcomes, your deal won’t be on solid footing.

As you look at the opportunities you are working now, ask yourself whether or not your initiative should command the necessary budget, whether is speaks to their real business challenges, whether the outcomes are what they really need, and whether or not you have met the needs of the individual stakeholders you serve.

Make your sales number with even more tips in this Salesforce e-book.