Customers do not buy a solution because the solution itself is interesting; they invest in what that solution delivers to them. For example, an organization does not buy software because it works well, but because it ensures more efficient processes, better information, or greater control over the organization.
Yet many commercial conversations start exactly the other way around. A customer explains the situation, and the salesperson immediately starts thinking about a suitable solution. That feels logical and efficient, but in doing so, you skip an important step: what ultimately needs to change as a result of this solution?
That is where the real commercial value begins. Whoever thoroughly investigates that question has a different conversation about the solution, the investment, and the desired result.
A solution only has value in the right context.
The value of a solution is determined by what an organization wants to achieve with it. The same product or service can be very valuable to one organization and hardly relevant to another. The solution is the same; the problem and the desired result differ.
Value arises from the relationship between a situation and the desired change. The clearer that change becomes, the greater the perceived value.
That insight aligns with years of research into complex sales processes. Studies conclude that successful salespeople pay close attention to understanding problems, consequences, and impact before presenting their solution. The business significance of an issue proves to be a key predictor of the final decision.
Yet precisely that part of the conversation often receives less attention than the solution itself.
What happens if you rush to a solution?
Anyone who presents a solution too quickly runs the risk that the customer will primarily evaluate the offer. For example, a customer mentions that processes require a lot of manual work. The salesperson immediately demonstrates how their software can automate this.
This quickly leads to a conversation about:
- functionalities;
- specifications;
- implementation;
- delivery time;
- price.
These are all relevant topics, but one important question may remain: What benefits does solving this issue bring to the organization?
As soon as those consequences become visible, the meaning of the solution also changes.
Look beyond the problem
Describing a problem is different from understanding its impact. For example, an organization might indicate that customers have to wait a long time for a response. That is a clear observation, but it does not yet provide a complete picture of its business significance.
Therefore, investigate what lies behind that observation:
- How much time does this cost employees?
- What impact does it have on customer satisfaction?
- What does it mean for revenue or customer retention?
- Which opportunities are being missed?
- What risks arise if the situation remains this way?
In this way, the client formulates themselves what a solution should deliver. This gives direction to the subsequent conversation, because a product or service is ultimately the means to realize that desired change.
The solution gains value because it contributes to a result that is important to the customer. Therefore, a strong sales conversation begins with curiosity: first understanding what the customer wants to change, and then determining which solution fits. The most important commercial question is thus: “What change does this customer want to realize, and what makes that change valuable?”
Whoever works from that question makes the step from solution-oriented selling to value-oriented selling.
Value is created even before the quotation
The value of a proposal is largely determined before the quotation is written. During the sales conversation, the supplier helps the customer to clarify the issue, make the consequences visible, determine priorities, and make the desired change concrete.
In this way, the sales conversation itself already generates value. The supplier becomes more than a party offering a product or service; he helps the customer to better understand the issue and make a better decision.
This also makes the difference between providers clearer. When two suppliers offer a similar product or service, the one who builds the most relevant insight and trust during the process often gains a significant commercial advantage.
Strong products and services therefore acquire their commercial significance even before the quotation. The quotation subsequently serves as the translation of a conversation in which the issue, the desired change, and the appropriate solution have become clear.
Take a look at your own sales conversations
Look back at your last three client meetings and ask yourself where the emphasis lay. Were you primarily focused on explaining what you offer and discussing which solution fits? Or were you mainly exploring what is really going on, what impact that has, what the client wants to change, and what that change should achieve?
The answer shows how much room your sales conversations offer to make value visible.
Where does the real value lie for your customer?
Strong products and services gain their commercial significance when the customer clearly sees what they can change. That is why, in Armin’s commercial training and development programs, we work on conversations in which professionals go beyond simply presenting their offerings.
You will learn how to use targeted questions to explore the client's situation, impact, and desired change, and translate these into a solution that truly aligns.
In this way, a sales conversation becomes more than a presentation of a product or service: it becomes a conversation in which the customer clarifies the value of the solution for their own organization.
