I've watched a lot of videos on how to sell. Ranging from the emotional aspect of sales, behavioral aspect , and even problem identification strategy. Haven watched all these videos, and practiced some of the technique, I've come to the conclusion that the effective way to sell is not to get people to buy from you; the effective way to sell is to clearly communicate your "why"
When your WHY (for more clarity on the why of a business, read Simon Sinek's book : Start with Why) for a product is clearly communicated, you attract customers that not only see the need for the product, but also believe what you believe about the product. It is now fair to say that the WHY of any business is worth understanding in order to sell it's product.
I am on the opinion that sales is an art. Art not being define by painting a picture of what the potential customer stands to loss if he or she doesn't buy from you; but an art being the priceless privilege of rendering help to your fellow human being in the form of products and or services. The truth of the matter is: most of us – including myself, engage in sales to meet ends need. We often talk about the features, the sophistication of a product and the quality. Some of these products we haven't tried ourselves. We sell because it is the only way out. But the question is: does this approach to sales build trust and connection with the potential client? Does the potential client, in any way, trust you? Do you in anyway worry about the client or you're just praying and hoping he buys from you. These questions forces me to look at sales from a different perspective.
To sell a product, one must examine closely the idea behind the product. In other words, neglecting the tangible product, what was the reason for inventing the product. Questions like these forces you to see the idea behind the product and to actually sell the idea not the product. In sales, the idea matters more than the product.
Allow me share with you a personal anecdote of one of my first ever written sales proposal. It was about a book, titled "The Richest man in Babylon " and it goes like this:
The gap between the rich and the poor is growing wider by the day. The rich are becoming richer while the poor are becoming poorer. The truth of the matter is, this gap is created not because the rich are more competent, but because they knew something that the poor don't. The Richest Man in Babylon isn't just a book, it is an avenue to liberate men from the shackles of poverty. It is a book packed with timeless wisdom on financial education, literacy and independence. If you want to change your financial status, if you want to be greater than your parents, if you want to give your children the life you never had, this book could be the stepping stone. Remember, the gap between the rich and the poor is created not because the rich are more hardworking but because the rich understands that laws that govern wealth. It's high time you stand up to who you are, to who you are meant to be. The Richest Man in Babylon provides you with that opportunity.
This was written a long time ago but you can see that the why of the product, which is bridging the gap between the rich and the poor and also providing everyone with the required knowledge on how to break free from the shackles of poverty and how to become wealthy, was emphasized. Now, I'm not saying that the features of a product shouldn't be communicated, what I'm saying is the why of the product should be emphasized more than the features.
Products and services are valued if they satisfy our innermost needs. Every purchase by a customer is a silent question of do I matter? How does this product and or services elevate the standards I have of self? These are but few questions that a customer asks before buying a product. With that being said, it then means that communicating your product in a manner that highlights the customer's intrinsic needs, both social and emotional, put you ahead of your competitors.