Focus on the problem, not the product
Your prospects don’t care about your product
There’s a reason salespeople rank near the bottom of all the respected professions lists. They’re often seen as a nuisance, or at least as —a waste of time. Why do they always seem to be getting in the way? Because they always talk about themselves.
Think about the way you were likely taught to sell:
You have a product
It solves a particular problem
Go to the people who you believe have that problem.
Assume they have it and want to solve it.
Talk about your product in a way that positions it as the solution.
Book a meeting where you do “discovery” (which is really just to qualify that they’re ready to buy and they have the money).
Tell them all about how great your product is.
Ask for the order,
Cash the commission check.
Sound familiar? Seems pretty straightforward, except things tend to go south between steps three and four, don’t they?
You’ve likely tried to make up for this by reaching out more often, or with multiple channels (phone, email, social media). You’ve undoubtedly “followed up” with your prospects by asking them if they’ve received your earlier communications. Ultimately, you’ve given up on these prospects and moved on because if they were really interested, they would have called you back by now.
They weren’t interested because you aren’t interesting. Nobody cares as much about your product as you do. As fascinating as you think it is, your prospects just don’t care. They don’t have the context (yet) for why they should be so enamored with it. You’re going to need their attention in order to create that context, and you’re certainly not going to get it by talking about yourself.
They care a lot about their problems
What your prospects do care about are there problems. I would argue that they care more about their problems than the solution at all, let alone the specifics of yours.
If they think for a second that you might be able to provide them with any insights about how to make their business lives a little easier, they’ll be willing to pick your brain for some answers. This is your opportunity. You just need to be willing to be patient and let your product take the back seat for awhile.
Ask great questions
Ask questions that get your prospect talking about the issues they’re facing, what they’ve done to try to overcome the obstacles, and how things worked out.
One of my favorites is, “How have you handled this issue in your business?”
I like it because it presumes success. You’re not pinning them into a corner and making them feel bad about having the same issues everybody else has, which really telegraphs your intentions and makes you come across as salesy. You’re assuming they’ve already succeeded, and successes are another thing your prospects like to talk about.
They can answer this question in one of four ways.
We don’t have this issue anymore (you should ask them to share their success story).
We have this issue, and we don’t know how to handle it (you should ask to speak with them because you can share some insights).
We didn’t realize until just now that we have this issue, thanks for making us aware (here’s a real opportunity for you. You should definitely share some insights and help them avoid disaster).
We don’t have this issue, or we just don’t care about it (well, you can’t win ‘em all),
These conversations quickly turn into sales conversations, which often lead to sales. But the key is to get the discussion started on the right foot. Engage the prospect about their problems, and only bring your solutions into play when it’s appropriate. That’s how you build a reputation as someone worth talking to, which will get more calls returned more often, and a virtuous cycle is created.
