,
12 tweets,
3 min read
Read on Twitter
One of the most humbling things in life is sales - I feel everyone should spend a year in sales early in their careers - including the #VIP's of them all, #SoftwareEngineers! If you don't, you will never develop empathy for the customers.
Some of my biggest learnings was during my stint in sales - especially in a foreign country - early in my career. Some tips...
1) You have to take rejection well
2) People don't see your product the way you do
3) Most people don't care about your product
5) Price doesn't matter
1) You have to take rejection well
2) People don't see your product the way you do
3) Most people don't care about your product
5) Price doesn't matter
1) You have to take rejection well
9 out of 10 times you're lucky if people don't slam the phone on you when you call them to introduce the product you are very passionate about. How come they don't care - well - that's life! Over time, you'll learn to deal with it!
9 out of 10 times you're lucky if people don't slam the phone on you when you call them to introduce the product you are very passionate about. How come they don't care - well - that's life! Over time, you'll learn to deal with it!
2) Customers don't see your product the way you do
We keep thinking about our product features as significantly different from others - but in the customer's frame of mind the cubic milli-meter you temporarily occupy in their brain is shared with several others!
We keep thinking about our product features as significantly different from others - but in the customer's frame of mind the cubic milli-meter you temporarily occupy in their brain is shared with several others!
3) Most people don't care about your product
Again we are always passionate about our product - but customers need a problem to be solved and are looking for an aspirin to solve their problems!
Again we are always passionate about our product - but customers need a problem to be solved and are looking for an aspirin to solve their problems!
4) The best product need not win
It is rare that the best product wins - functionality, technical chops etc. are often required but rarely the differentiating factor that wins you business. Customers care for a lot of things - but you must understand their view of the "best"!!!
It is rare that the best product wins - functionality, technical chops etc. are often required but rarely the differentiating factor that wins you business. Customers care for a lot of things - but you must understand their view of the "best"!!!
5) Price is rarely a formula for success
As in everything we all do in life, rarely do we buy a product just because of price. Sure after choosing you, people do negotiate, but the final decision is rarely because of price in a non-commoditised sector.
As in everything we all do in life, rarely do we buy a product just because of price. Sure after choosing you, people do negotiate, but the final decision is rarely because of price in a non-commoditised sector.
6) Understand what motivates each customer
Functionality, affordability, current value, option value, service and support, reliability, who we are dealing with are all factors with to pick a product.
Functionality, affordability, current value, option value, service and support, reliability, who we are dealing with are all factors with to pick a product.
7) Engineers should spend time in sales and customer service or use the product - that's the only way to get true customer empathy!
I strongly encourage engineers to try this out - the best product suggestions I find come from engineers closest to (being) the customer!
I strongly encourage engineers to try this out - the best product suggestions I find come from engineers closest to (being) the customer!
What do you think? Which part of an organisation has the most empathy for a customer - especially in software companies?
Its true that some engineers are keen to know the customer - and can be very good at handling them. Companies hesitate to put engineers in front of customers because engineers might blurt out "that's easy for us to do" and the sales guy is thinking "I was going to charge him" ;)
Its true that you don't want sales guys writing code - but my key point is that the closest any employee is to (becoming) a customer, the better their chance of doing their core job well!
