The oldest adage in sales and marketing?

Everyone LOVES to buy!

But NO ONE wants to be sold :—(

Why come?

Mostly because of how we perceive the sales process. Specifically, the seemingly dubious practices of salesmen (and sales ladies, if the spike stiletto pump fits)…

Famed behavior psychologist and bestselling author, Daniel Pink, says it best in his classic tomb, To Sell is Human:

“We perceive salesmen as either lunkheads with no other option but to work in sales. Or as self-serving snakes intent upon cheating you blind to pad their own bottom lines.”

To better grasp this quote in action, think of the phrase you’ve no doubt heard a jillion times…

“He can selling ANYTHING to ANYONE…he can sell ice to Eskimos!

Now, strictly speaking, no one (who is being truthful) can actually do this. No prospect, no matter how well primed, can be persuaded to buy anything they don’t, at some level, genuinely want.

Let’s take the Eskimos scenario for example…

It’d be pretty racist to assume all Eskimos still live in igloos in 2019. But even if we took that bass akward perspective, I doubt Eskimos use the same ice to construct igloos as they do to chill their ice teas and whiskey sours.

Thus, there IS a market among Eskimos for a Viking, stainless steel, side-by-side refrigerator with a built-in water-maker, and, you guessed it, ice-maker!

The key to selling this choice piece of polar-tech to, well, residents of the north pole?

Being CRYSTAL clear on the benefits this fab Viking frig provides…

“Want to chill your soft drinks and ‘adult beverages’ on demand? Forget worrying about whether you refilled your ice trays or waiting 40+ minutes for those trays to freeze-up. Your Viking frig dispenses ice at the literal press of a button!”

This feature is VALUABLE, even to Eskimos living at the tippy top of the globe.

And the same goes for your business…

What is the VALUE of the services you provide?

Quick Case Study #1

If you’re an attorney specializing in wills and trusts, practically speaking, you draft legally sound estate documents.

But that’s not the VALUE you provide. Rather, you protect your clients’ families, ensuring they’re provided for after said clients are gone.

Also, thanks to your unique expertise, you guide your clients in drafting estate documents that bar the government from taking too big a bite out their assets or having outside forces from intervening in their affairs with dubious intent.

Quick Case Study #2

If you’re a real estate agent, practically speaking your find homes for buyers and buyers for homes.

But again, that’s not the VALUE you provide.

A buyer comes to you with a list of “wants.” Location, bed + bath count, preferred schools, etc… And you can help them find a house that checks all these boxes. But also a house that serves their unique needs. For example, a four-bedroom house might have the right bed count for a four-child family. But if it’s only 1,400 SQFT, your experience selling umpteen home to big families tells you that 1m400 SQFT is not big enough. And in turn, this is knowledge you impart with to your clients.

Additionally, when it comes to negotiating the deal, managing inspections + due diligence, and successfully navigating escrow — you guide your client, holding their hand through each step, putting your specialized experience + expertise to work on their behalf. And ultimately, steering them to a successful close of escrow.

This is the VALUE you provide.

It’s what kingpin marketing consultant + author C. Richard Weylman calls your Unique Value Promise in his book The Power of Why.

How do you become the business “Everyone wants to buy from!” Instead of the business that’s constantly pushing “the hard sell” down everyone’s throat?

Define your unique value promise and communicate that promise clearly and succinctly to your ideal prospects.

Have More Questions?

Next time out, we’ll dig into HOW you define your Unique Value Promise.

But in the meantime, swing by my LinkedIn page and share your thoughts and questions on this topic.