Do you know what you are REALLY selling?
You’re probably saying, “Of course I do, what a stupid question.” But stay with me a minute. Most people really don’t know the answer to this question. Now there’s the obvious answer, which is explaining what you do, like in my case, I sell marketing services. Or you might say you sell cell phones or IT support. But is that really what your customer is looking for?
If you’re selling IT support, what you’re really selling is the ability to keep businesses running, and that gives entrepreneurs a tremendous sense of relief.
If you’re selling cell phones, you don’t want to talk about the dual-domain pixels for wide angle viewing…instead, you want to explain how your product keeps people in touch with each other via calls, texts and social media. You might even be talking about the convenience of using it to run a business.
What you’re selling is the benefits of using your products, not the features. And people buy benefits with their heart not their head.
Even most business decisions are made with emotion. Think about it. About a few years ago I decided to hire a business coach. He told me about all the benefits…that we would meet once a week, he would spend one hour with me, he’d learn about my business and coach me through the decisions of running it. This was all great but the reason I decided to pull the trigger was based more on emotion. I had a dream and a goal, and I needed someone to help me reach it.
That’s how people buy. They don’t care about the features of your product or service. They don’t care how large your staff is or how long you’ve been in business. They care about how you can help them. And to do that, you have to tap into the REAL reason they are buying from you.
So, think about it…what’s the real reason your customers buy from you? How do you make their life better? What do you do that makes them healthier, stronger or wealthier? What do you offer that will make them look good in front of their friends? What value do you bring that changes their life in some way?
That’s what you want to focus on in your sales and in your messaging. That’s what should be at the top of your website.
If you can tap into the real problem you solve for your customers and understand the reason they buy from you, it will change your business. It will allow you to connect with them in a deeper way that will cause them to like and trust you, and ultimately increase sales.
About the Author: Meg Huwar is a small business marketing expert and Principal of Brand Accelerator. She and her team work with companies who want to market their business but don’t have the time, experience or staff to do it themselves. Meg can be reached at mhuwar@thebrandaccelerator.com or 412-848-8822.