It can be difficult to get your client to understand you, your product or even the concept of what you are trying to sell. For sales professionals we have to figure out how to get our message to these people in a way that is not just easy to comprehend, but efficient too.
There's an expression I've heard over the years from managers and mentors alike which goes something like "Sell the sizzle, not the steak". The imagery of the aroma of a steak cooking on the grill makes me want a steak. However, if someone walked up to me and said, "I sell steaks. Would you like a steak off of my meat truck?" the chances of me purchasing will drop. Don't get me wrong, I love steak, but the approach and allure of the sizzling juices on the grill are much more enticing.
Selling the benefits instead of the features is one way to get our clients to understand what we are offering. Sure, a realtor can go over the features, or in their case, the amenities of a house. Tile floors, open spaces and good construction are vital bits of information. But the realtor must also let their client know how the house can be a "home", touching on the more emotional aspects of raising a family in a structure that will elicit memories for years to come.
The best way of doing this is by sharing stories. Relating these stories do two things: As I mentioned, a good story can touch the emotions of a prospect, but they also give good examples of how the product or service you offer can be useful.
When I was in college I was enrolled in a business law course. The professor would give not one, but two examples of every concept he explained. That second example would help me understand whatever we were covering much more than just the one example. Funny, but that is how my brain works. I still use this concept today.
Sometimes when I am trying to explain the benefits of cash value insurance, I don't just go over the mechanism of what makes the policy build cash, but how other clients have used that cash. I discuss the gentleman who would use his policy's loan capabilities instead of bothering with a bank (much less paperwork). It was a good story, but I would also tell about how the policy's cash value helped another client supplement their retirement. Not one, but two examples.
As you can see, I didn't just explain the loan feature, but I included a person who actually used it and told how they used it. The secret sauce here is to make it relatable to the person you are trying to sell to. A single parent struggling to make ends meet can't relate to the story of a high dollar investor, or vice versa. Having plenty of stories to tell about all kinds of clients should be a focus of your sales talk.
If you are new to the business, you won't have a lot of stories to tell. That's fine. The best way to find stories is to convince your co-workers, namely the veteran sales people*, to share some with you. There is nothing wrong with telling a prospect, "We had a client in our office who used this product to..." and fill in the blank. Your prospect doesn't care if it was your client or not, they just want to know if they product is going to be of use to them or not.
Learn to tell stories. Watch others share their stories and "borrow" from them. Make the stories relatable to your client and watch your production increase. In the meantime, stay healthy!
*Offer to take a veteran co-worker to lunch or a cup of coffee to pick his or her brain. It's worth the investment.
Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
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