Asking the appropriate questions not only helps you identify the needs of the client, but allows you to provide him or her with more solutions. Find out how clients go to market, who they work with (e.g., distributors or dealers), and what makes them unique.
"Ask about their unique and distinctive characteristics that set them apart from their competitors," Kiewiet said. "Find out who they perceive to be their competitors and what their market position is in relation to them." He added that you should know what their biggest challenges are currently, and what their idea of success looks like. Understanding their specific successes and failures allows you to steer the sale in the direction of the client's success.
Brendan Menapace is the content director for Promo+Promo Marketing.