Many businesses are walking around trying to solve people’s problems. It’s a commendable mission, it's even the point of business- to create value for others by solving their problems.
But we’re often missing one crucial detail: we are solving a problem the clients don’t know they have. And if your customer doesn’t know they have the problem you are solving, they will not buy your solution.
So what do we do?
Sell people on what they want, then give them what they need.
This mantra can change the way you play the sales game.
As the expert in your field, you have so much information that your customer needs to know. But your knowledge goes deep, much deeper than our initial understanding of what you do. If you include all the nitty-gritty details, and try to explain why we need something we don’t understand, you will have a hard time making the sale.
This doesn’t mean lying. Chances are, you already are selling what the customer wants, bundled somewhere in your list of services. But the purchase is based on the initial pain point, and the company that convincingly promises to solve that pain point is the one the customer will hire. And the client will be willing to pay a premium because solving the problem is their most important goal.
Example:
Brett Lavender is an exceptional public speaking coach, but he teaches communication skills that go way beyond public speaking and help his clients excel in all aspects of life. After all, when you are a great communicator, you instantly benefit in relationships with friends, family, and even strangers.
Being a great communicator is so valuable that Brett wanted to focus on selling that skill set. But how many people actually think their biggest challenge is that they aren’t very good at communicating with their spouse, their colleagues, or their boss? And how many would be willing to pay to improve their skills? Not a whole lot.
On the other hand, tons of people have a desire to improve their public speaking skills, and they’re willing to spend a lot because they know it will pay off.
When you work with Brett on public speaking, you understand and then receive the benefit of becoming a great communicator. But Brett is going to have a much easier time selling the skill of public speaking, because that’s what people want. Once you work with Brett, you understand the value of improving your interpersonal communication skills, and no doubt will want to work on those, too.
But Brett’s unique approach to public speaking is such a huge differentiator that it sets him apart from the competition and makes it much easier for him to sell his services.