Don’t Talk About Products, Instead Talk About Solutions!

In thinking about creating my latest blog, one of the things that came to mind was a credo that I actually have posted on my wall above my desk. The credo that I created goes like this:

 Think the way your Customer Thinks

 Look at yourself through your Customers’ Eyes

 Listen to yourself through your Customers’ Ears

Speak in terms of what Matters to Them rather than what Matters to You

Help them solve Problems and Realize Value rather than By Products

Remember, it’s all about THEM, not about you!

I also read a really great book this last weekend by Andrew Angus, who is the founder and CEO of Switch Video. The book is called 60 seconds – How to tell your company’s story and the brain science that makes it stick. In it Andrew writes about presenting your business and your company in the form of a story that people can relate to. He also explains that prospects aren’t interested in your product as much as they are looking for a solution. Buyers really don’t care what it is as much as they care about whether it will solve their problem and ease their pain. Instead, Andrew tries to get prospects to picture themselves in the story that is being presented to them. The story presents a scenario of a business problem that they can relate to and see themselves in and then asks them to imagine that problem being solved. Then, they ask them to imagine what that would look like for them and their team, without telling or talking about any product or solution. So, it’s designed to wet their appetite to want to learn how and find out more information.

You see, Andrew is onto something here when he talks about the fact that the prospect is more interested in his problem and your ability to solve it and really doesn’t care what the solution is as long as he believes that you have the ability to do it. So, Andrew suggests that people create videos that tell their company story in 60 seconds and in a way that prospects can relate to and believe that there is a solution for them. So, instead of telling all about the company and their products, they talk about problems and solutions that the prospect can relate to.

I know for a lot of salespeople out there, this is going to be a very different way for them to sell. Most salespeople want to lead with their product and talk about how all of its features and benefits will solve the customer’s problem. But, what we have discovered from the book The Challenger Sale is that customers don’t want to hear about products, instead they want salespeople to solve their problems, educate and teach them something about their business, or their industry, that will help them.

Interestingly enough, this really isn’t a new idea or concept for selling sense customers have always been about the end result. So, if we look back to the credo above, what we’re saying is put yourself in your customers’ or prospects’ shoes, think how they think, see yourself through their eyes and hear yourself through their ears. Speak in terms of what matters to them, rather than what matters to you or your company. The bottom line is: help them solve problems and realize value rather than just buy products and you will be tremendously more successful at getting their attention and making the sale.

At least that’s the way I see it, what say you?