Human beings are not always rational.
Many decisions we make are not based on logic, but rather on emotions; they are made in order to either gain pleasure or avoid pain. In other words, how a person feels about something plays a major role in their decision to do it or not.
When purchasing products, people don’t buy things because they know; people buy things because they feel.
Think about all the things we “know” but don’t do - we know we should eat better or exercise more if we want to get healthier, we know we should make those calls today if we want to grow our business, and we know that having a difficult conversation we’ve been putting off will take care of a problem that’s causing us a lot of stress.
We know, but we don’t always do.
This is one of the most important things every salesperson needs to know. People don’t buy your product, they buy what your product will do for them. In other words, they buy the benefit to them, not the description.
As a sales trainer, I see this all the time. I watch a salesperson read through the script, describing all the features of a product. They talk about how it’s the best on the market, tell you that it just won an award, and how their company has been around for 60 years. When I hear this, there is nothing I want to do more than jump in and tell them that nobody cares! None of those reasons are going to move a potential customer to take action. Those things are all about you, your company, and your product. What the person listening to you actually wants to know is how your product will solve a problem they currently have, make their life better, or make their job easier.
People will buy from you when you help them see the real and direct benefit to them. When a person can see themselves already using your product to make a positive difference in their lives, they are more apt to take action.
Remember, what will actually get them to “convert” - it’s not what you want them to do, but rather WHY they would want to do it.
There is a difference between what you get and what it gets you. When you describe the features of a product, you are letting them know what they get. However, when you can show them exactly how it will work in their lives with results they already want, you are letting them know what it gets them. The second is what moves people to action.
If you want someone (or even yourself) to do something, make them feel. An example of how powerful this can be is the fear of missing out, or FOMO. The feeling that we might miss something if we don’t “do that” or “get this'' is powerful enough to move us to action. In the end, it’s often the feeling, not the logic, that makes the decision for us.
Move from selling the features to selling the benefits in everything you do. Use it in your marketing copy, your personal and professional conversations, and even when you talk to your kids.
Keep in mind, this approach isn’t just for sales. We ask people for things all day long: I want you to listen to this podcast because it will inspire you, I want to connect with you so I can refer others to you, I want you to attend this event because I may ask for your input on the next one, I want you to buy this product because it will save you four hours every week, I want you to pick up your dirty laundry off the floor because the girl you like is coming over for dinner tonight with her parents.
There are things we want or need others to do and, if we are not clear on what’s in it for them, they may not be inclined to do it. But if we can think about why they would want to do it, we’re more likely to get the result we want.
Make a habit of getting clear on two things before you communicate - what you want them to do and why they would want to do it. Be direct and clear. Going into every “ask” opportunity knowing the answer to both of those questions will not only make you a more effective communicator, it will also increase your sales and move more people to happily do what you are asking them to do.
XOXO!
Belinda