How to Paint A "New Reality" For Prospects

BY Jessica Helinski

To help prospects get a better idea of why they should work with you, you need to paint a new reality picture. By doing so, you help them envision the outcome that your partnership can achieve. This, according to RAIN Group’s John Doerr, is a huge influence over whether or not they buy from you. “Buyers need to understand what will be different for them and their organization if they purchase from you versus not doing it at all or buying from a competitor,” he writes. 

You need to show buyers how your product or service will change their world. You can paint this reality for them by following Doerr’s three suggested steps.

The first step is to establish the new reality benchmark.

To help the prospect envision this new reality, you must first know what he or she wants and needs. How do they want their future to look? You can ask a few broad questions to get the prospect thinking about their dream reality and what it looks like. Consider asking:

  • What is your current provider delivering in terms of creating the changes you need? Where are they falling short?
  • At the end of this engagement, what will success look like to you?
  • What do you want to have happen as a result of our work together?
  • After working with us for 6 months, what do you see happening/​hope will happen?

Be patient with the prospect; often, his or her response may be “I don’t know.” Help him or her uncover these answers, which will not only give you much-​needed insights, but also establish you as a valuable partner already. 

Once you have a clear picture of this desired reality, it’s now time to translate how you can help the prospect achieve it. Reach Doerr’s article to learn how to implement this step, as well as how the third step brings everything together. As he writes, “When done correctly, the New Reality will demonstrate that you understand what they're trying to accomplish, that your solution will get them there, and the results you can provide will be superior to other options available.”


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