Mark Walker, JM Walker Group

I finally have the courage to face the truth. This is a breakthrough for me and maybe it will help you.

GAP analysis is nothing new, of course. We have an invaluable GrowthGAP® Self-Analysis tool on the GrowthANSWERS web site. Very simply, the GAP is the difference between where you are (current state) and where you want to be (future state). If my prospect cannot define the GAP they are experiencing and tell me the cost to his/her business of this particular GAP or the financial benefit to the business of closing the GAP, then we are not ready to talk about solutions!

What this means is you and I must discipline ourselves to say something like, "Our recommendations and the investment required are not really significant until we can agree on the value of a solution to your business." Then we might have to say, "You and your colleagues need to answer these three vital questions for yourselves before we can proceed:

1. Where are we now, and where do we want to be? (Defines the GAP)
   
2. What are the consequences to our business if we do not get there? (Close this GAP) This needs to be expressed in dollars and cents terms.
3. What will we gain when we arrive? (GAP is closed) Again, make it tangible.

This is not to omit any intangible benefits such as the following statements; "We will be a happier place to work," or "Our clients will be more loyal." We need to peel back that onion and find out how those intangible benefits make a tangible difference. We need to ask questions like, "What will that mean in terms of customer retention?" or "What is the life time value of a client to your business?" or "What evidence have you seen that tells you this situation exists?"

Frequently we can help identify a GAP by being ready with estimates, industry averages, survey results or using a formula they can plug numbers into to help gain perspective on the costs of a problem and value of a solution.

Always gain agreement before suggesting a solution. Your summary might be something like, "Ms. Jones, if I understand the situation (achieving your goal, solving this problem) will mean between $250,000 and $750,000 to your bottom line over the next 24 months; have I got that right?" (Gain agreement or clarification.) If you do not achieve (that goal or problem resolution) you will probably lose 25% of your market share. (Gain agreement.) Then ask, "Is there anything else?"

Here is the key. Avoid making a "proposal" or "quote" until the prospect has identified the GAP and assigned a value to it. Otherwise your prospect is focused on the price or cost of your solution instead of the value of your solution to his or her enterprise.

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