What do prospects really want in an IT provider? Sure, price is always important, but your prospect may also value rapid response, industry experience, or superior customer service.
But you won’t know unless you ASK. That’s why uncovering a prospect’s buying criteria during the discovery meeting is critical.
The discovery meeting is step 2 of the 5-Step Process to Closing an MSP Sale. Sitima Fowler and Ray Green, MSP sales experts who teach this process, explain how to guide prospects to discover their own buying criteria with you, allowing you to create a tailor-made proposal.
If you missed the previous installment on how to use the wedge technique during the discovery meeting to separate yourself from the competition, read the article here and watch a role-play video for practicing your technique.
Why You Need to Know Your Prospect’s Buying Criteria
Salespeople may feel awkward probing for buying criteria. But if you don’t gain that knowledge, you won’t be able to give the prospect exactly what they’re looking for. And if you lose the sale, you won’t know why.
He Said: Asking questions about who your competition is or how the prospect is going to choose their provider may feel uncomfortable. But ask yourself: Does the discomfort of strategically asking these questions outweigh the discomfort of getting ghosted after calls?
Also, be sure to have this conversation face to face; it’s much harder after the discovery meeting.
She Said: Often, less experienced salespeople will automatically assume that the prospect is going to decide on price. Be sure not to project your own assumptions onto the prospect.
That said, price might be the first thing the prospect says when asked about what they’re looking for, but that’s because many people don’t know how to buy IT services. If you don’t dig deeper, you risk making a sale at a discounted price when you could have sold for a lot higher!
What Prospects Are Really Looking For
Here are some common buying criteria, beyond price.
She Said: When I used to go on MSP sales calls, there were always a few common criteria that came up, such as knowledge and ability to fix issues. Prospects were also interested in low employee turnover, client reviews, and testimonials. Rarely, they asked to see how many certifications I had. That all comes back to knowledge—they wanted to see if my staff can do what I say they can. They wanted to pick an MSP with longevity and knowledgeable techs.
Also, 90% of the time, prospects did not think through these criteria in advance. Usually, I was the first to ask why they were choosing one MSP over the other! That’s why you’ll typically hear that they’re choosing based on price first—they don’t really know what else to say. That’s when you have to keep digging deeper.
For example: “Are you looking for the cheapest option?” Usually, they’ll say no and mention other factors like value, quality of service, and responsiveness.
He Said: By asking these questions, you’ll not only uncover their criteria but you’re also demonstrating confidence by asking in the first place, as opposed to shying away or making assumptions.
Questions to Ask to Discover the Prospect’s Buying Criteria
Here’s a look at the specific kinds of questions to ask while unpacking a prospect’s buying criteria.
She Said: First, you’ll transition from the previous phases of the discovery meeting by saying something like, “Now that I have an idea of how you’re using technology to run your business and a better understanding of the problems you’re frustrated with, I want to make sure that I’m clear on what you’re looking for in a new IT company. What’s most important to you when selecting a new IT firm to work with?”
You’re looking for about three criteria. Once they tell you what’s most important to them, be sure to get clarification on what that looks like for them. For example:
- What does [X buying criteria] look like for you?
- Why is [X buying criteria] important to you?
- How do you know when you are getting [X buying criteria]?
- Can you give me an example of what you mean by [X buying criteria]?
Make sure the prospects are very specific with their answers and give you at least three criteria. After each answer, ask, “What else is important to you?” Continue asking that question until they run out of answers. Next, ask, “Out of all these things that you’ve told me, which one is most important?”
He Said: The power is in those follow-up questions. That’s when you can really open up the discussion and have conversations that you may not be able to have later.
See the role play video below for a sample conversation.
Tailor Your Proposal to the Prospect
Once you know the MSP prospect buying criteria, you can tailor your proposal.
She Said: Because it was usually the same five or six buying criteria that I heard across prospects, I had prepared slides and would include just the ones that a prospect had indicated were important to them in the proposal.
For example, if low employee turnover was important, I would remind them that this was one of the buying criteria they mentioned, then go through my MSP’s rigorous hiring process, training, culture, compensation, internal career path, and average employee tenure. This validates the prospect’s requirement and shows them that your MSP does meet their buying criteria.
He Said: You’re now two steps ahead of a competitor, because you’ve both challenged the prospect to think through their own buying criteria and tailored the proposal specifically to them.
Plus, if someone’s not being responsive, you can personalize your follow-up based on their buying criteria. Specifically, you can ask whether they feel like you missed the mark on any of the things they were looking for.
Ask the Questions, Win the Sale
Asking your prospects about their buying criteria enables you to address any lingering concerns before they come up and to tailor prospects’ proposals to their unique needs, increasing your odds of winning the sale.
