Be The Same, Before You Are Different
People need different, but are afraid of it. Here's how you handle that.
Today’s post is sponsored by ActiveCampaign and Mindstudio.ai.
Never seen before!”
“First of its kind!”
“Bleeding edge!”
“Be the first in your field to leverage this technology.”
You see ads and promotions and promises like this all the time.
So much so, you may be tempted to use similar techniques to sell your stuff.
Before you do that, you need to understand people in general, and your customers in particular.
Most people are risk-averse, thus the sayings,
“Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM.”
“The devil that you know is better than the devil you don’t.”
“One in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
“It’s easier to sell an aspirin than a vitamin.”
Earlier, I wrote about how you need to adjust how you sell to match how they buy and that you need to meet them where they are.
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Along those lines, for most of your prospects, you need to convince them that you are the same before you show them how you are different.
“Wes, WTH? I’m not the same. If I’m the same, why do they need to talk to me? If I’m the same, won’t I have to sell on price to win the business?”
Easy, Sparky. You’re on the right track, but in the wrong lane…and going the wrong direction.
Let’s use CRMs and all-in-one software for an example, since I’ve been selling that since 2007.
Let’s say a prospect reaches out and needs help choosing the right solution for himself or his business.
A lot of times, I get an email or they start the call with, “Which CRM should I buy?” or “So, you sell ABC software. I’d like a demo.”
That’s like calling a realtor and asking, “So…you’re in real estate, huh? Which house should I buy?”
Anyone who answers that question is just looking to take your money. It’s like getting a prescription for meth from a doctor on a telehealth call when you say, “Hey, Doc, I have a headache. Can you prescribe me something for the pain?”
COME ON, BRUH!!!
Anyway…
In response to, “Which CRM should I buy,” I reply with, “I have no idea. What do you have now? What do you need your new platform to do?”
They reply with a big brand, “Oh, we use HubSpot/Salesforce.”
I reply, “That’s a great platform. Why do you want to leave them?”
(DO NOT start bashing the competition. More on that tomorrow.)
They reply, “Yeah. They’re fine. They’re just too expensive for our team. We’re not using their key features. We just need something simple and more affordable that everyone can use.”
I reply, “Yeah. I hear that a lot. That’s a great platform, but they charge accordingly. Other than the price, what are some of your most-used features or favorite things about your current platform?”
They reply, “We love the Google/Outlook integration. We love the dashboards and reporting. And we need a good mobile app.”
I reply, “Gotcha.”
(After a little more digging, I then show them the platform I recommend and how it integrates with Google/Outlook, its reporting, and the mobile app. Then I ask them for some more favorite features and demo them. When they seem satisfied and we have the big rocks covered, I show them that it’s 50% less or 80% less with no contract and SHUT MY TRAP!
There’s no need to get into the nuances and subtleties of the platform I’m recommending.
There’s no need to show the gee-whiz features if they didn’t ask about them or express a strong need, want, or desire for that capability.
When selling anything—ANYTHING—there are usually only one to three to maybe—MAYBE—five things the prospect actually wants and must have.
It’s usually ONE thing FOR SURE.
Two to three things that are important, almost vital, that could be deal breakers.
Two to three things that would make the decision much easier, but they’re not show stoppers.
Then three to ten things that are icing on the cake.
Find those one to three vital criteria and prove you meet the requirements.
Then AND ONLY THEN can you start to show what makes you different and unique and better and superior.
Which reminds me of the concept of “Close First, Then Present.” I’ll write about that soon.
There are only two ways to make more money in sales:
Sell at a higher price and/or
Sell more stuff.
You can both raise your prices and sell faster when you put proven processes in place that create predictable pipelines and profits.
When’s the last time you reviewed your processes?
When’s the last time you had a neutral expert review your processes?
Want to do that soon?
Check out 12 Weeks To Peak™.
It’s just what the whisperer ordered.
Market like you mean it. Now go sell something.
~Wes
Precision. Submissions. Commissions.
P.S. Want feedback from fellow closers? Drop your story in The Whisper Room.