Are you encountering prospects who seem to know plenty about you, your company and your products before you talk with them? When they have so much information in advance, how can you show prospects your value? Prospects believe time is money. When they agree to talk to you, they expect you to be laser-​focused on helping them reduce their pain. Be prepared.

Jim Mitchell, in his SellingPower post, writes that prospects don’t want to encounter friction in the buying process. Too many prospects fear encountering a seller who wants to quickly tap into their bank account and leave them with a product or service that might not meet their needs.

Mitchell cites Forrester Research showing that only 8% of B2B buyers think vendors are focused on truly solving a client’s business problems. And according to CSO Insights research, only 23% of prospects believe vendors rank among the top three resources of who can help them solve a business problem.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The Selling to SMBs Survey from SalesFuel, shows that you can develop a successful relationship with prospects. But you have to give them what they are looking for. At least 44% of buyers will talk with a sales rep who provides relevant ideas to help their business.

Show Prospects Your Value

You likely have a prepared sales pitch. And it’s all about how to sell to the prospect, right? What if you turned that concept around and focused on finding the right solution to ease the prospect’s pain? This means you’ll have to study their business in advance of showing up for your first meeting with them. Study the industry, too. This strategy allows you to understand the issues they and their competitors are dealing with? A broader understanding of the industry indicates you’ve taken some time to think about their challenges as business professionals.

Once you confirm the prospect’s key challenges, dig deeper by asking questions that pertain to their situation. At that point, you’ll understand how their business compares and contrasts to other clients you’ve helped. They may appreciate hearing about how other businesses have solved similar problems.

Or their situation may be so unique that you need time to think about ways to help them. Be honest. Ask for time to put together a proposal that will be customized to help them.

Remember that selling a solution is not how to show prospects your value. Your goal is to develop a long-​term relationship. And once you’ve established trust, you’ll be able to continue working with them.