Sell the sizzle, not the steak

Once you convince customers with ideas, they'll sell themselves on the products

Think about your sales call for a moment. This isn't idle reflection; it's an exercise to stimulate you to new levels for this new year. Are you having all the success with your call that you had hoped for?

Let's review for a moment a sales call that happens all too frequently, especially for newly-trained salespersons.

A sales manager listened to a trainee practice his presentation. The young salesman's line was our proven product line—the best in our industry— and the new representative had mastered all the virtues of the product.

He named the sales points: size, dimensions, cleaning, everything that went into the quality; they all went into his presentation. He gave the company sales technique the complete devotion he felt toward us.

As the salesman highlighted the durability of his cookware line, the sales manager gave a sigh of exasperation and stopped the rep. "Just what do you think you're selling?"

"Well … "stammered the salesman in confusion. "I was talking about the product line."

"No, you're not," corrected the manager. "You are selling easy-to-clean convenience … to a customer who would rather be anywhere else but where she is." The salesman squirmed.

"Ask yourself why your prospect would want something in our line?" continued the sales manager. "What's the motive? Fun? Beauty? Convenience? Economy?"

The point that manager was making to his trainee is: Whatever you are selling must be secondary. The idea is much more important. Sell them the sizzle of delicious meat grilling on the barbeque; they'll buy the steak when they're convinced they can't live without the sizzle.

Review your sales call, and turn it around. Make the idea supreme. "This product will free you from so much cleaning that you'll think you gained an extra half-hour to enjoy." When they take that half-hour, durability will be an added benefit.

Customers are motivated by their emotions. What they picture our products doing for them will always influence them more than technical knowledge of our products. Sell to their wants and needs, and then the cold logic will support those desires.

Years— and many, many sales— later, that salesman still practices the advice of his wise old sales manager: "Focus on the prospect's practical or emotional needs," he reminds himself before each call. "And then set the product's specs aside and sell the customer an idea!"

As this successful man learned from his years of experience, once the prospect buys an idea, he becomes a customer. He can't wait to buy the product as well.

Ghostwritten for sales manager.