Want to sell more? Follow this simple rule.
People buy results. Period.
Ultimately nothing else matters.
They don’t care about you. They don’t care about your expertise or experience. Unless it pertains directly to a result they want.
Sure, people buy from those they know, like and trust. But initially you’ll only get their attention because you promise and deliver proof you can solve an issue they’re grappling with.
Put another way, a prospect will respond for only two reasons.
They either want:
- A result they don’t yet have.
- Or they have something they don’t want and need to get rid of the issue.
Your job is to ensure this message gets through loud and clear right up front in your marketing and sales material.
And it doesn’t matter whether you sell toasters or million dollar homes. The principles are the same.
You are an enabler to helping them get what they want. It is your ability to suss out their issues, help them figure out the payoff of solving them and then proving your solution works which will ultimately determine your success.
Here is our formula for doing this.
Start with the “why?”
Why? Because people will only move if they have a big enough reason. By our very nature we’re all creatures of habit. The comfort zone will be your biggest hindrance.
The pain or gain must outweigh doing nothing.
Your goal is to elicit this. Find their pain. If it’s not obvious, bring it to their attention. Show them what they can gain.
Dig deep. Don’t stop with the first superficial reason. You must find emotional drivers. What they can personally gain or lose.
Remember, you’re selling to a person, even if they work in a “corporation”. Someone who ultimately personally has something to gain or lose if they make this decision.
Many rookie salespeople mess this up. They’re too eager to talk about their wonderful solutions without first ascertaining there is a real problem the prospect wants to solve and is willing to invest money/time/effort to do so.
Only once you have agreement there is an issue to be solved, move into the “what” – detailing what you do to solve it.
You now outline the concept, principles and philosophy behind your solution. How your solution fits together. Always bring it back in terms of how you’ll get the results they want.
Next, outline “How” you’ll actually deliver.
This is the process you undertake to ensure a successful outcome.
Important point: This is also where you set the engagement ground rules.
Delivering a solution is a two way street. You play your part. Your client must play theirs.
Time and time again we’ve seen projects go south because suppliers weren’t strong enough to state and enforce what involvement they expected from a client to contribute to their success.
You are the expert. Act like one.
Now reinforce the outcomes in their mind – the “What if?”
How will they feel once they’ve got what they want?
And how will they know? Ask for what evidence they’d need to know they’ve got it. Make sure you deliver to these criteria.
Finally, this methodology universally applies no matter what the circumstances. It’s based on the fundamentals of how people work through information.
To wrap up. You are selling results.
Everything else is filler.
