Why it is time to stop selling

There is no money in sales.  No, really.  Think about it: you can sell, and sell, and sell. But at what point do you actually make money? When somebody else buys.  The money is in the action of buying, not the action of selling.  Before you build a sales plan, understand how your clients buy. …

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Why you don’t want to sell quality

Look through the language you use to talk about your business.  Consider your website, your pitches, your business cards, your brochures, the way you introduce yourself at events and in interviews.  Now review all that language asking yourself a single question: what’s the alternative? “Quality” is not a quality message Imagine that you are about…

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How to describe the technical benefits of your service

Your clients want to know what’s in it for them when they buy from you.  They want to know the benefits of using your service.  Note the plural use of the word: there are always multiple benefits and as a business owner or leader, you must know what they are.  Last time (link above) we…

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How to use WIIFM (what’s in it for them)

Trust your customers to know what they want.  And when you sell to other businesses, those are mainly business-related achievements.  But businesses are still run by people, and people are ultimately driven by the WIIFM urge.  Saying “what’s in it for me” conjured too many negative stereotypes, so allow me to debunk this impression right…

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What are your clients thinking about when they buy from you

The answer is: it’s not about you.  So how do your customers buy? Deciding to buy something means knowing that choice is the best option; using the money there instead of somewhere else, hoping it will be a long-term solution, considering what else has to change to accept this new product and more.  The better…

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Yes: Your Clients Know What They Want

It is a common refrain:  “My clients come to me without knowing what they want. But I listen and learn and then I can guide them.” There are two sentences there, and only one of them is correct.  What clients want When I come across a client expressing this sentiment I always pause for a…

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It’s All About Service

value proposition

It has finally happened: it is 2020 and your business advantage is all about service.  Back in 2018, I spoke at Jim Moran Institute Small Business Leadership Conference. My talk was a workshop to focus attention on how customers buy, rather than how businesses sell.  The theme that year was “It’s all about the customer”.…

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The Reviewing Buyer

Each buyer is inspired in a different way.  When buyers come to you, they will talk to you about your own services and try to use your language. But by asking the right questions, you can understand what has really brought them to your door.  Understanding their journey to get to you will allow you…

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The Proactive Buyer

Your clients find you in different ways and for different reasons.  Sometimes they have an urgent need for your service, sometimes a friend recommends you, sometimes they just happen across your website, and sometimes it is something you said.  The more you know about your audience’s buying triggers — in other words, what prompts them to make…

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Value: It’s Not About You

value proposition

Last week we looked at how price and service are intrinsically linked, because service determines value and price is the manifestation of value. Value is a key area where my business mantra applies: It’s not me, it’s you.  There are two key things to know about Value: It is subjective It is what clients buy,…

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