Question

answer in 200 words

What are the implications for a salesperson if, when making a sales call he/she discovers that there is no needs gap present? Illustrate your answer with an example.

Answer 1

Customers do not have right information or lack of full understanding of the situation and the existence of options better than their current state.

As an example, consider how salesperson addresses this situation:

They should position themselves to assist buyers in identifying and understanding needs as a result of their broader expertise and knowledge regarding product use and application. Keep in mind, however, that different people, no matter how similar they are, make different purchasing decisions. You might be very interested in purchasing a Smart Car. But your best friend might want to buy a Ford 150 truck. Marketing professionals understand this. They don’t have unlimited budgets that allow them to advertise in all types of media to all types of people, so what they try to do is figure out trends among consumers. Doing so helps them reach the people most likely to buy their products in the most cost effective way possible.Consumers don’t necessarily go through all the buying stages when they’re considering purchasing product. You have probably thought about many products you want or need but never did much more than that. At other times, you’ve probably looked at dozens of products, compared them, and then decided not to purchase any one of them. At yet other times, you skip stages 1 through 3 and buy products on impulse. As Nike would put, you “just do it.” Perhaps you see a magazine with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt on the cover and buy it on the spot simply because you want it. Purchasing a product with no planning or forethought is called impulse buying.

Answer 2

When a salesperson discovers that there is no needs gap present during a sales call, it means that the potential customer does not have a specific problem or need that the salesperson's product or service can address. This situation has several implications for the salesperson:

1. Limited sales opportunity: Without a needs gap, the salesperson's chances of making a sale are significantly reduced. The lack of a problem or need means that the customer may not see the value in the product or service being offered. The salesperson might have to explore alternative strategies to generate interest or identify potential needs.

2. Difficulty in creating customer value: Salespeople typically aim to create value by addressing customer needs and providing solutions. However, without a needs gap, the salesperson may struggle to demonstrate the value proposition of their offering. The absence of a problem to solve can make it challenging to highlight the benefits and advantages of the product or service.

Example: Let's say a salesperson is selling accounting software to small businesses. During a sales call with a potential customer, they discover that the business already has a well-established accounting system in place that meets all their requirements. The existing system is efficient, accurate, and fulfills the needs of the business effectively. In this scenario, the salesperson realizes that there is no needs gap because the customer's current system is already meeting their accounting needs adequately.

Implications: The salesperson would face the following implications in this situation:

• Limited sales opportunity: Since the potential customer's needs are already met, the salesperson may have a lower chance of closing a sale for their accounting software.

• Difficulty in creating customer value: The salesperson will find it challenging to demonstrate how their accounting software can provide additional benefits or improvements over the customer's existing system. The lack of a needs gap makes it harder to showcase the value proposition and advantages of their product.

In such cases, the salesperson might need to adapt their approach. They could focus on building relationships, maintaining contact for future needs, or exploring other potential pain points or challenges that the customer might have outside of the current scope. The salesperson's goal may shift to nurturing the relationship and positioning themselves as a valuable resource for future opportunities when the customer's needs change or evolve.