Albert Einstein said he didn't like
talking with most people because most people speak in facts and
figures whereas he tended to think in pictures and metaphors. When
he was developing his theory of relativity, he said he pictured in
his mind what it would be like to be in a space ship traveling
alongside a light beam - at the same speed as that beam. Maybe
that's why he also said, "Imagination is more important than
knowledge, because people don't see the world through statistics,
they see it through their own imagination." Perhaps it's not just
Einstein who "sees" the world through pictures and metaphors; it
might be all of us.
Why then do so many salespeople
resort to trying to convince buyers with brochures, PowerPoint shows
and product presentations filled with facts, figures, features, and
benefits -- when all people really need is to paint their own
picture of what they want? Probably because it's easier to TELL than
it is to SELL. The essence of true selling is asking questions,
telling third-party stories, and using metaphors and "pictures" to
get people to imagine a solution to their problem, preferably a
solution that you can deliver. Remember this Sandler principle: If
you can get your prospect to paint a picture of a product or service
that you can deliver, the sale is almost made.
Here are some suggestions on how to
shift from telling to selling:
-
Stop talking about your product or
service. People just don't care how great your stuff is regardless
of the facts that support it. When was the last time that YOU were
impressed with a salesman's pitch?
-
Start off with some questions about
your prospect's current situation. Let's say you sell security
systems, a good opener might be: "George, you seem to live in a
rather safe neighborhood, but if you could wave a magic wand and
change one thing to improve the security of your home and family,
what would that be?" The point here is to get George talking about
what HE sees as a better situation; get him started painting the
picture.
-
Create some metaphors for your buyer;
here's an example. One of my prospects spent about thirty minutes
telling me what he had done to try to improve the performance of
his sales team, all of which he admitted had little effect. He
asked me what I thought. I wrote down two words - Cut Flowers.
Nobody said anything for a while. What pictures do you think were
going through my prospect's head? Eventually he asked, "Can you
help me tend the garden?"
When your prospect starts revealing
some problems (pain) he is experiencing, don't immediately begin
rescuing him, don't start listing all the ways your product will
solve the problem. Continue the questioning and KEEP HIM IN THE
METAPHOR; e.g.,
-
"George, can you give me a specific
example of what you're talking about; what are some of the weeds
in the garden?"
-
"It sounds like you're spending a lot
of time pulling weeds on the surface, but not eliminating the
roots, is that a fair assessment, George?"
-
"Let's suppose for a minute that you
decide you want to try my (name your product/service) to fix these
problems; tell me what the garden looks like in six months."
Can you see how all of the above
helps your prospect paint his OWN picture - a picture that is much
more compelling to him than YOUR picture (your facts, figures,
features, and benefits)? It takes patience, discipline, and practice
to ask your prospect the right questions and avoid resorting to the
"pitch." Unfortunately, we all love our stuff and we love talking
about it. But that's just intellectual information to the prospect,
not an emotional picture.
Since an individual's motivation to
buy is emotional, not intellectual, try using the above ideas to get
your prospect emotionally involved. Forget the facts and figures;
forget all that knowledge that you want to use to impress your
prospect. Work on stimulating his imagination; get him to paint the
picture of how your product can help solve his problem. If you do,
you have a sold prospect who thinks you're an Einstein.
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Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights
reserved.
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