The BEBEDC method: 6 steps to turn a prospect into a customer

The title says it all. The BEBEDC Method, another method for turning a prospect into a customer, you ask? Yes, but this one works, and works well, because it has become one of the most effective methods for establishing a relationship of trust between a company and its prospect, and for closing a sale more quickly. Go beyond the customer's needs and ask the right questions! As Modjo is a fan of active listening, automation and sales performance software, we present a BEBEDC method that will help you close a sale if you follow the 6 steps correctly.

What is the BEBEDC method?

We've already heard of the AIDA method, the MEDDIC method, SWOT and SPANCO or SONCAS. We'll have to get used to it: the world of sales prospecting is adept at using acronyms. The BEBEDC method is particularly well-suited to effective customer listening. Thanks to its cutting-edge levers, it considerably enhances the prospect's potential, by listening to them and respecting their needs and expectations, while saving valuable time for sales teams.

Enough suspense, we're telling you all about the BEBEDC method! Better selling could be its credo.

BEBEDC stands for :

• B for Needs = Needs.
• E for Enjeux = Challenge.
• B for Budget.
• E for Expiry = Expiry date.
• D for decision-makers.
• C for Competitors.

In other words, how do you meet a prospect's needs and challenges, while respecting their budget and deadlines, speaking to the right person and taking into account competitors in the sector to offer them a truly tailored solution? Phew!

The advantages of the BEBEDC method

One of the advantages of the BEBEDC method is that it enables you to quickly qualify a prospect and ensure that you can go further in closing a sale. This ensures that your product meets the customer's expectations and that your sales teams don't waste valuable time.

The BEBEDC method was created by the American psychologist Carl ROGERS , who advocates attentive listening and respect for the customer , with the aim of establishing a lasting relationship of trust. It offers a very interesting advantage: sales effectiveness centered on the potential customer, who is considered as a human being and not as a portfolio. Valued, listened to, trusted and above all listened to, the prospect is more interested in the product or service presented.

By training your sales teams in the BEBEDC method, you can implement a sales process called customer-centric selling, in which the prospect :

• is at the heart of the discussion.
• is ready to listen, because he has been heard.
• is more receptive to your sales proposal.

Principle of reciprocity? Yes, of course! In any case, the method works well and helps improve customer satisfaction (and we all know that a satisfied customer is a loyal customer). It also encourages them to talk about and recommend your company, with all its potential benefits.

What is active listening?

You've probably already had to deal with a salesperson who delivers a memorized speech, accompanied by a sales process centered on the supposed benefits of the product or service. This is passive listening, where the prospect simply listens, sometimes with little attention or personal involvement, before declining the offer.

Active listening is just the opposite! If the combination of "listening " and "active " sounds like a pleonasm, that's because it places listening at the heart of the communication technique. The salesperson takes care of :

• listen to the prospect with interest and empathy.
• rephrase the future customer's comments to prove that he has understood them.
• ask questions that lead to an open-ended answer, not a simple yes or no.
• provide valid solutions.

Active listening is a selling force in itself, and often leads to customer loyalty (a customer who stays loyal to you). Understanding the customer's needs and showing empathy help to arouse interest and enhance customer value.

How to practice active listening in your sales with the BEBEDC method?

Let's get to the heart of the matter and discover the solution offered by the BEBEDC method and its relevance as a new way of selling your products or services.

B - Understanding the prospect's needs for successful prospecting

Before meeting your prospect in person, take the time to visit their website and find out more about their activities. You'll be able to check whether your product or service matches their expectations, so you don't waste precious time. Once this has been done and you've made your first appointment, you adapt your posture to active listening by asking open-ended questions that will enable you to go deeper into the interview. This is known as the funnel method in marketing. This will help you make a proposal that really matches the prospect's needs. Don't forget customer-centric selling, which puts the customer at the heart of the conversation.

Note: if you'd like to find out more about centric selling and this sales strategy, we recommend Michael T. BOSWORTH's book, "Customer Centric Selling", which details the theory behind this practice that emerged in the United States in the 2000s.

As you can see, your aim is to turn a first meeting out of curiosity into an interest in your product or service.

E - Understand the issues facing the prospect

The BEBEDC method really insists on this famous "listening to the customer" approach, where the salesperson has to get involved to understand the company's issues. The salesperson must prove that the proposed solution (product or service) takes into account the economic challenges involved, such as meeting a budget and deadline. These challenges may also be of a commercial, technical, strategic or internal organizational nature.

Here, the salesperson must identify and understand the company's needs, constraints and potential obstacles, and prove that he or she stands out from the competition. So be careful not to act too quickly, and take the time to assess the issues at stake.

B - Budget analysis, the tricky part of negotiation

Ask yourself the right questions! Does your prospect have the financial means to invest? Will your business project remain purely advisory, or can you hope to close a sale? You need to clear upany doubts about the company'sfinancial capacity. If you've taken the time to consider this point before the meeting, you'll probably save time, but the budget will still come up in the discussion. Prepare your arguments!

To achieve this, you need to get the price right. A price that's too high may be out of your prospect's reach, while one that's too low may indicate that the quality of your offer is mediocre. If they tell you about their competitors, as a good salesperson you'll know their average prices and where you stand.

E - Know the deadline and take the time factor into account

The prospect may sign an order immediately, or he may need time to :

• think about your proposal.
• discuss it with his superiors.
• find the right time to take care of them.
• set up in-house solutions to host your solution.
• find financing.

It's never a waste of time to take into account the lead time that will enable you to define the product release date. This will enable you to coordinate the launch of production so that the product is delivered on the right date. Always bear in mind that a delay is always very detrimental to your business!

But timing is everything! Choose the right time to visit your customer. A florist is unlikely to be available the week of Mother's Day, while an accountant is more likely to be available after his clients' balance sheets close after May.

D - Finding the right decision-maker and contact person

First and foremost, the decision-maker is not necessarily the buyer! Some companies have several levels of decision-making when it comes to the act of buying. If a retailer is often the buyer and the decision-maker, it's a different story for businesses. Between the technician to whom you present your project and the person who writes the cheque, there may be several intermediaries.

You'll need to list all the people involved in the final act of purchase, so you can identify them and contact the right person to avoid wasting time. Remember to always be gentle with your contact if they are not the decision-maker. They may have a say in the final choice of direction!

C - Know your competitors to sell better

Here's a valuable indicator! Take the time to find out more about the competition, and don't hesitate to ask your contact if they've already met your competitors. But be smart, because your contact won't necessarily want to give you the information you're looking for!

Take the liberty of asking a few more vague questions related to the competition, such as the time spent researching the product, the average price of a product, the solutions obtained, and so on. This series of questions will help you determine whether you're in a position to provide your customer with a solution. These questions will help you determine whether you can provide a solution for your customer.

Modjo's advice on the BEBEDC method

To conclude this short guide to the BEBEDC method, here are a few tips:

• take the time to get to know the company.
• identify the decision-maker.
• always be calm and attentive to the customer's needs.
• add value.
• never degrade the person you're talking to.
• know your product or service inside out.
• know how to end your date at the right time.

Companies that choose to use the BEBEDC method improve their lead times and are more effective in their sales proposals. Thanks to its ability to take expectations into account and make proposals based on needs, this method is the ideal aid for structuring your meetings and ensuring their success.

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