In today’s edition, we explore why this simple technique is a way to really find out what it is that you do with the service you sell and why, when you get it right, incredible things can start to happen with your messaging and sales engagement. Let’s get to it.
Stop for a minute this morning and look at what it is you sell.
It could be a range of things.
Photography, insurance, financial advice, marketing, IT, or, as in my case, sales services.
But in all cases, what you have outlined that you sell, IS NOT what you sell. Or rather, that is not what the buyers are buying.
You might think it is, and many who sell for a living get caught up in features, functions, and discussions around moot points which, in the grand scheme of things, don’t really matter.
Prospects do not buy the service you provide. They are buying the OUTCOME of that service.
Put bluntly, if the prospect could achieve what they want without having to speak to you or any other salesperson, they would.
But they can’t (for different reasons), and so they enter into sales conversations which, in many cases, frustrate them. They are pitched at, sold functions or details which don’t really matter.
They are talked at by salespeople who don’t really understand their position and situation, and so when someone comes along who truly gets the outcome of what they are actually selling, they win the deal.
Let me explain in a bit more detail and give you a very simple method to really identify what the outcome is that you sell.
The "Which Means" Method
I have a customer who sells IT support and services. They are very good and work very hard to deliver a great service, but when I started working with them, I changed the narrative.
They have a strong offering related to cybersecurity, which is a big issue for many companies now. But sadly, most business owners don’t really understand what it means when they are being sold the feature or function.
But when they are sold the outcome, things change.
We used the ‘which means’ method five times to really dig into what they sold.
We sell cybersecurity services to help keep companies safe, which means…
the customer has a reduced risk of being hacked or having some form of ransomware attack, which means…
they can continue to operate their business as normal, which allows them to generate regular revenue, which means…
they can continue to stay afloat in business and earn income, allowing them to pay themselves and any people that work for them, which means…
they keep people from the worry of not having money to pay for the basics in their lives, such as food and shelter.
So suddenly, instead of selling cybersecurity services, the company is selling peace of mind to business owners to ensure they can continue to operate and earn income.
By using the ‘which means’ method, or digging further into the actual element of what is being sold, you are able to really find the outcome and what people are buying.
No business owner who is being sold cybersecurity really wants to buy that. Many don’t understand what it even is, but the real outcome (which happens if the service is not in place) is something that they do understand and get concerned about.
By taking this approach to dig further into what that feature or function means, you can really find out what is going on in the buyer’s mind or what the potential implications for them are.
Doing this exercise takes a bit of time, and it needs you to understand the person you are selling to, but when done well, you unearth some gems that you can include in your wider marketing.
I know in my case, I don’t sell sales services…
I sell sales services to help businesses generate more revenue, which means…
they have more consistent and predictable sales coming in, which means…
they don’t have to worry about where the next deal is coming from or whether the business will survive, which means…
they feel less stress and pressure around money and the future of their business, which means…
They can be more present, relaxed, and focused on the people and things that matter most in their lives.
I sell people having a better time with their loved ones, as they are not having to worry about money not coming in, and their business failing.
When sales flow regularly, their mind is free to focus on the people and things that really matter, but when it’s not, it consumes them, which means they aren’t present for the most important people in their life.
So here’s a simple challenge for you.
Take what you sell and run the ‘which means’ exercise five times. Don’t stop at the obvious, don’t settle for the surface-level answer, because somewhere between step three and five… that’s where the real value lives.
And that’s what your prospects are actually buying.
The gold isn’t in the service. It’s in what that service means for the person buying it. And when you get that right, everything changes.
Thanks, as ever, for being part of my community.
Have a brilliant sales week ahead and remember: Eat or be Eaten.
