Perspectives
The most violated rule in sales
Last year, there were millions of electric hand drills sold throughout the USA. Yet, not one of those buyers wanted a drill! They wanted a hole. So, “big deal” you say.
Well, the big deal is this. Go to your local hardware store and start looking at drills. If you’re lucky enough to have a salesperson assist you, they’ll tell you about the drill – what size motor it has, how it’s insulated, if it’s rechargeable, while we’re standing there thinking to ourselves, “Will it drill a hole?” You see, we buy what a product or service does for us, not what it is.
The purpose of my example is not just to be humorous, although I hope you think it is. Let’s apply that concept to your business and see how it plays out.
The technique is to tell your prospect a benefit when you recite a fact in describing a product or service. We don’t buy what a product or business “is.” We buy what it “does for us.” I don’t want power steering on my car; I want the ease of operating it. Most people repeat what happens in the hardware store for their own business.
They tell about what it is and leave off the benefit so that the customer has to make that transition for himself. That doesn’t create ZING! Is that happening with you?
Recently, I had an air-conditioning unit go out in our commercial building. The technician told me about the size of the replacement unit, when he could put it in, and the cost (the facts). What I wanted was to have happy tenants that would renew their leases and recommend the building to friends. I also wanted to be able to focus on my business and not be distracted by problems created by the air-conditioner not working (the benefits). He never mentioned those things. So you see, I had to do the real sales job for him. The hurtful part is I didn’t get a commission after doing all the sales work.
Next I had to decide if I trusted him and his company to perform up to standard and provide a fair price. Fortunately for them, I have dealt with them for a year and know they perform as they promise and are competitive.
Credibility is critical when we’re purchasing a product or service. That’s especially true if it’s the first time we’ve dealt with a company or their representative. We’ve been told to “Let the buyer beware,” so we’re cautious. A typical sales phrase is “we have great service” or “we’re the best.” In the back of the buyer’s mind they’re thinking “Who says so besides you, Mr. /Ms. Salesperson?”
Top producers provide factual, specific information in order to create credibility. For example, to be even more effective the air-conditioning representative could have said; “Jerry, it’s a four ton unit (fact) which means even on the 100 degree plus days in Arkansas your tenants will stay cool (benefit). It comes with a service contract (fact) so you can be assured it will continue operating effectively, eliminating breakdowns and tenant complaints (benefit).”
His credibility could have been strengthened even more with an understatement. The formula for creating an understatement is to first tell what you can’t do. Then tell what you can do. He might have offered; “Jerry, we can’t guarantee you’ll never have heating and cooling problems again (what he can’t do). We can assure you we’ll respond within four hours to any breakdown insuring you keep tenants happy (what he can do).” Utilizing an occasional understatement makes us even more believable.
Consistently use facts and benefits along with an occasional understatement. That creates ZING for you and your business.
Jerry Wilson is a partner with the ACTS team. He has personally worked with over 4,900 companies in increasing sales and enhancing leadership skills. You can contact him at: jerry@aligningchange.com.
