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The DRIVE system’s perspective on the statement “You can’t sell them until you serve them” relates to the process of authentically understanding and meeting customer’s needs before pitching a product or service. A key step in the S.A.L.E.S. system, which integrates with DRIVE, is starting with the customer’s DRIVE and assessing their needs before leveraging your solutions.
Meeting Needs Before Making Sales: Handling Customers Using the DRIVE System
In sales and marketing, a common saying goes: “You can’t sell them until you serve them.” This proclamation emphasizes the significance of understanding and meeting customer desires before proposing a product or service. The saying aligns seamlessly with the principles of the DRIVE System, which puts great emphasis on authentic comprehension of the motives and aspirations driving an individual, whether a team member or a client.
Understanding The DRIVE System
The DRIVE System, formulated by Woody Woodward and trademarked by Suladio International, is a dynamic personality and motivation analysis tool. It explores the reasons, or “whys,” and ways, or “hows,” behind an individual’s thoughts, words, and actions — their DRIVE.
The system categorizes DRIVE into five distinct types:
- Director
- Relator
- Intellectual
- Validator
- Executive
Each type signifies varied motivations. For instance, Directors are driven by freedom and creativity while Executives seem primarily motivated by control and achievement.
Interplay Between DRIVE and S.A.L.E.S.
The S.A.L.E.S. system is an effective sales strategy that perfectly integrates with the principles of the DRIVE system. It entails the following steps:
- Start with their DRIVE: Initiate by understanding the customer’s DRIVE to build a foundation of trust.
- Assess Their Needs: Investigate deeper by asking pertinent questions, focusing on capturing the authentic needs of the client.
- Leverage Your Solutions: Propose products or services that genuinely meet the identified needs, nurturing sustainable trust.
- Eliminate Their Concerns: Address reservations with patience and empathy, bolstering stability in the relationship.
- Sell them their DRIVE Solutions: Confidently present solutions that harmonize with the customer’s DRIVE, promoting robust, lasting partnerships.
Serving Before Selling: The DRIVE Perspective
From a DRIVE System viewpoint, the phrase “You can’t sell them until you serve them” underscores the importance of serving the customer’s needs or aspirations. This approach is reflected in the “Start with their DRIVE” and “Assess Their Needs” steps in the S.A.L.E.S. model. Before attempting a sale, it’s essential to understand the customer’s primary and secondary DRIVE.
Then, the process of selling must capture the customer’s psychological and emotional state, along with their predominant motivations and desires. For example, a Director will be drawn towards products that enable their free spirit, while an Executive will be intrigued by solutions that present a path to winning and control.
In conclusion, integrating the principles of the DRIVE system with the “You can’t sell them until you serve them” philosophy enhances the effectiveness of the sales process, resulting in more satisfied customers and improved business outcomes. Understanding and serving the needs of customers not only builds long-term trust and rapport, but also optimizes the overall consumer experience, leading to more successful sales.
