Perhaps your not going to be surprised when I write that the answer is yes you do need to be honest about all communications with prospects and customers alike on ethical grounds. However just for a moment put ethics aside, what is the other compelling reason to show honesty and integrity when it comes to what you say but other rival options to customers.
Simply put, the fact remains that people use products for a reason or reasons
which in my experience are normally more than reasonable and represent the areas of customer satisfaction and met aspects of their customer need.
An important component of selling discussions with clients is to find out:
1. What they are using and
2. Why they like it
Once you have this information sadly too many sales people give into the temptation of being critical of the choice that the potential customer is currently making. How do I put this succinctly?
Don't be scared to admit the truth about rival firms as it will do nothing but raise your credibility and position you as an honest broker which is a must to eventually sell to anyone.
Assuming the reasons the person has given you to use the product are reasonable, admit it as such and acknowledge the utility these features provide. As I said earlier not only does this provide 'street cred'
but it also makes the customer feel better about themselves for making a wise choice.
Job well done and now you can move on to those aspects that the current product option is not well performed which will open up an opportunity for you and your product. So again don't worry about not acknowledging the positives. Simply be truthful, concise and transparent. The fundamentals that drive all long term successful business communication.
And until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Regards,
Daniele.
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