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Fill In The Blank

Have you ever had someone tell you that they can't buy something because they "can't afford it". Politicians do this all the time. "We can afford to spend money on the thing the other party wants" but they'll spend money on they things they want. All the while, our debt and deficits rise.  But I digress.

One of the rules of sales is that people can afford what they want to buy. If they really wanted your product, they'll find a way to squeeze into their budget, assuming there even is a budget. 

I run into this all in the time when I'm selling life insurance at Surf Financial Brokers. Trying to explain to a young couple with a mortgage and a couple of kids that they need life insurance is hard, and when they say they can't afford it, what that tells me is that they really just don't want it. Especially when they're drinking $7 lattes and looking at their Iphones. 

Here's a simple test to find out if what you're selling is something people want. Complete the following sentence honestly.  "I am saving up for ___________." Is it a car, retirement, down payment on a home? Or is it nothing at all? Kids do this all the time. They save up for skateboards, stereos, college and other things.  If what you're selling isn't in the blank, then you are going to have a harder time selling it.

I'm not saying that you will never sell a life insurance policy or healthy foods that taste like crap, but it will be more difficult and you're going to actually have to put effort into it. If you don't want to have to pull teeth, maybe you should look into a product or service that is easier to sell. I would take an informal poll of friends and family and ask them to fill in the blank. Don't let on why, just try it as a Facebook or Twitter post with the hashtag #ygtbgat and we'll see the results together. 

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