Customer Needs Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real CSM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Customer Needs Assessment flashcards as text
A sales manager notices that a prospect keeps referencing their competitor's faster delivery times during needs discussions. This signal most likely indicates a _____ need.
Answer: Stated need focused on operational efficiency
When a prospect explicitly references a specific operational gap (delivery speed), they are expressing a stated need focused on operational efficiency.
Which questioning technique is BEST for uncovering the financial impact of an unresolved customer problem?
Answer: Implication questions
Implication questions (from the SPIN model) help prospects quantify and articulate the cost or consequence of leaving a problem unsolved.
A sales manager reviews call recordings and finds that reps spend 80% of discovery calls talking. What is the MOST likely outcome?
Answer: Critical customer needs remain undiscovered
When reps dominate discovery conversations, they cannot gather sufficient information about the customer's actual needs, leaving key pain points undiscovered.
A B2B prospect says, 'We're fine for now, but things might get busier in Q4.' A skilled sales manager would coach reps to classify this as a _____ need.
Answer: Latent need
A latent need is one the customer is aware of but has not yet prioritized or acted upon, which fits the prospect's forward-looking concern.
When conducting a needs assessment with a committee of buyers, the sales manager should FIRST identify:
Answer: Each member's individual role and how the solution affects them
Understanding each committee member's role and how the solution impacts them individually allows the sales manager to tailor needs assessment to multiple stakeholders.
The primary purpose of a 'needs-payoff' question in SPIN selling is to:
Answer: Get the prospect to articulate the value of solving their problem
Needs-payoff questions encourage the prospect to express the benefits they would gain from a solution, building internal buy-in for change.
A sales manager coaches a rep who frequently rushes from discovery into product demos. The BEST corrective coaching advice is:
Answer: Complete a documented needs summary and get prospect agreement before presenting
Gaining prospect agreement on a documented needs summary before demonstrating ensures the presentation is relevant and confirms mutual understanding.