There are only 2 reasons why a buyer will buy something.
As sellers, the sooner we understand this the better. But buyers will not make it easy for us.
They put up barriers. They protect themselves from ‘nasty’ salespeople who they think (wrongly I know but so many salespeople sell badly) will take advantage of them.
Our job is to bring the barriers down. To unpeel the layers of the onion and get the prospect to open up about their real reason for wanting to buy.
And there are only 2 reasons. It can be both at the same time but its only these 2 reasons.
The first is a…
Problems can be broken down into one of 3 categories.
- Biological problems such as being thirsty or being warm
- Situational problems such as moving to a new location or starting a new job
- Emotional problems such as feeling unhappy or frustrated
The second reason is desire. Or as I often label it, a ‘want’.
A want to be thinner. A desire to learn a new skill. A desire for larger revenue numbers.
The list is endless.
But the power of the problem is greater than the demand of the desire.
Take the following situations:
- You want to lose weight or you have to lose weight or you could die.
- You want your teeth whitened or you have a major toothache.
- You fancy going out for dinner or you haven’t eaten for 24 hours.
- You want to hire someone to grow or you don’t have anyone to answer the phone in your business.
- Do you want to present more attractive board reports or you don’t have any information to show in a board report.
As human beings though, we are programmed to avoid pain and loss more than we are pleasure and gain. In fact, 7 out of 10 of us will make a decision because of a drive to avoid pain than to gain pleasure.
Tooth agony or unhappiness in front of the mirror? I know which one I would be prepared to put up with and most buyers are the same.
We buy because we want to solve the pain.
But we are often very good at hiding the pain. Very good.
My old cat used to hide the pain he had with injuries. I knew things weren’t right with him but did he want to show me? Nope! Why not? Because he knew I would put him in the carrier and take him to the vet.
The vet would examine him and cause him stress EVEN THOUGH he was trying to help him.
Buyers are the same initially. They will hide the pain and put up a front rather than admit they are struggling and need help.
Like a cat you meet for the first time, buyers need time and some attention before they trust you. They want you to stroke under their chin or rub their belly before they open up. Proverbially speaking of course 😀
They want to feel important.
Make them feel that way and they will maybe let you in and help solve the issues that concern them.
Because that is what good salespeople do. They don’t sell. They solve problems. Problems that even the buyer (just like my old cat) doesn’t realise they have. Or that they don’t want to admit.
Don’t get excited though. Just because you solve their problem, It doesn’t mean they will automatically pay what you want though. My cat would still scratch the vet when he was being given his medicine……
We have to bridge the ‘Value Gap’ to achieve the results we really want. Stay tuned for next Saturday for that.
Just focus this week on the pain, challenges and issues of your potential buyers.
Become an expert in them. Get a PhD in their problems!
It is the only way to sell consistently.
