This is an article about sales and connecting with your prospects, but first I am going to tell you a story.
I had been feeling pretty good overall, but then suddenly, everything was bothering me. My feet were sore, my shoulders were achy and my thumb hurt. None of this was particularly unusual, since these were the things that I generally saw my chiropractor about; what was unusual is that, all of these issues had been a lot better until I found myself tossing and turning all night because I couldn’t get comfortable.
I had an appointment with my chiropractor. When he asked me how I was, I told him that I had had enough. I was tired of my shoulders and everything else hurting me. He replied, “It’s mold.” It seems that the flowers were starting to bloom, there was more mold in the air, and I was sensitive to it. Add to this that any sugar or carb I ate aggravated the situation even more. Eliminating the issue with mold would not fix all of my problems, but would alleviate the sudden increased inflammation and tenderness I was experiencing.
So what does this have to do with sales? Everything!
I bet you are amazing at what you do and sell solutions to your clients’ problems. Unfortunately, that is NOT what they are looking for. What they are looking for is a solution to their symptoms.
What I know for sure is that when I went into my chiropractor’s office I was not looking for a cure to mold, which was, in fact, an underlying cause to my problem. What I went into his office for was a cure for my aching shoulders. I was tired of being in pain and wanted a good night’s sleep – I wanted a solution for my symptoms.
If I had been flipping through a magazine or searching online for a cure, I would have passed by any type of marketing or advertisement about mold. I would not have known, or even considered, that there might be a connection.
Your clients are experts in what is bothering them - their symptoms. They are not experts in the cause of their symptoms, although they probably think they are.
It is vital that, when you talk with your prospects, you meet them where they are. Talk about what they believe they are experiencing as opposed to what you, because of your expertise, know to be the root cause. Think about it, if they knew the root cause of their problem, they probably would have fixed it themselves.
Remember, they are the expert in what’s bothering them, you are an expert in why it’s bothering them. You must listen to them. Help them find solutions to their symptoms. Give them what they want and, once you’ve done that, you’ll have plenty of time to help them with the underlying problem and give them what they really need.
What do you think? How can you change the conversation you are currently having with your prospects?
Carrie Greene is a speaker, author & business coach. She is a business strategist & who helps entrepreneurs get clear on what they want and creating simple plans to get there. She is the author of "Chaos to Cash: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Eliminating Chaos, Overwhelm & Procrastination So You Can Create Ultimate Profit!" Resources at http://www.carriegreenecoaching.com/