THE ABCs OF SALES
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Before I finish the story let me reminisce of a time when I first got into multi-level marketing. I sat through a presentation about how I could get rich selling long distance service for the home phone. Being a technical-minded person, I simply wanted to know how much the long distance rates were. I simply felt like to compete with the AT&Ts, Sprints and Verizons, the rates had to be far superior. Why leave a guaranteed successful company for a half cent per minute with a lesser-known?
There were charts and graphs and tables and everything you could have asked for to show customers were going to save money. If you called at 6:50pm with Company X, you'd be charged Y cents a minute unless you talk for Z minutes. Well with Company A, you're charge is only B cents for C minutes then it's only D cents unless E happens and F this!
And that's when I heard the magical saying: "Numbers tell, stories sell."
Instead of pulling out scietific studies proving you'll save 2/5 a penny per minute if you talk for way too much time, the concept was tell a story. When asked about saving money, we'd reply, "Well, my auntie signed up for this service last year and she sayd she has saved on average 15% on her long distance bill." Of course there are going to be those technical-minded people who want to break out the calulator. But for the most part, people simply want to know one thing: Are they really going to save money? And nothing shows they'll be saving money better than showing all the other people who are saving money already. Human nature almost forces people to commit to something that everyone else is already doing, especially if they're going to save money.
Try this around February: "I'm not exactly sure what he does, but I went to Mr. Anonymous and my tax return was 15% higher than last year." Do you really think anyone is going to care how he does it? The bottom line is, "Am I going to get back more money?"
But you choose to stay with this knight in fading armor because of the other things he does. He does still cook on a regular basis (and I'm not talking about Hot Pockets) and every now and again you still are surprised at work with a bouquet of flowers. In your heart you accept him for who he is and your decision is made up. Your brain justifies it by noting the good things he does.
You don't focus on falling in the toilet at night or someone jacking you at your car when you leave his place. Instead, you just know inside that you feel those pitty-pay feelings inside and that's all you need to feel.
When you saturate your presentation with a bunch numbers, facts and figures, you miss out on an opportunity for the customer to essentially "fall in love" with the product or service. People don't fall in love with 1.9 cents per minute. People fall in love with phone bills going down every month.
Whatever the product or service you sell, you have to figure out how people make emotional attachments to it. Even if it's just the results people fall in love with. If you sell insurance, people fall in love with the security in knowing the family will be okay in case of an emergency. It's not the $3 they save for not going to Company I. If you sell mattresses, people fall in love with a good night's sleep and the disappearance of back aches in the morning. People definitely don't fall in love with coil counts, gauge ratings and the number of spirals in each spring.
Mr. Anonymous says he complete agrees that the diamond is flawless, but he's going to wait. It's not that he's not impressed, but he simply feels like he can wait to decide whether or not to purchase this flawless diamond that he has been looking for.
As he turns to go to the door, the owner steps in and asks Mr. Anonymous if he (the owner) can mention a few things about the diamond. Mr. Anonymous says he's heard everything about the diamond's flawlessness, but says, "Why not?"
The owner then mentions how the clarity of the diamond allows people to see its true beauty. The perfect color, the symmetry and the perfect cuts gives those who look at it a feeling of absolute awe at how beautiful the diamond is. How can Mother Nature produce such true beauty. The owner stresses how just glancing at the diamond brings smiles to people's faces. There's just something about its flawless beauty that brings smiles to people's faces and warms people's souls.
Mr. Anonymous gave in and bought the diamond. It wasn't that hard of a sell; Mr. Anonymous wanted the diamond anyway. It was just a matter of justifying paying the dough for such a perfect diamond.
When he left, the salesperson asked the owner what he (the owner) did so differently to get Mr. Anonymous to buy the diamond. The salesperson went over all the fine details and convinced the customer it was indeed the most perfect diamond.
The owner said to the salesperson, "The difference is that you know diamonds and can teach anyone anything about them. I, though, love diamonds and can get anyone to also fall in love with the diamonds."