Good idea…Steaks, sizzle…

Good idea…Now sell it!

We always try to offer a really strong favorable attention getting idea to open that sales call. Oddly however, we’ll sometimes struggle to follow on with a sales presentation that builds on and develops that idea.

It was clearly interesting enough to let us move to that next level, so it only makes sense to develop it fully in our following sales presentation.

If we gained interest talking about our full-service capabilities, switching to how effective our products are, while not unimportant, is missing the mark. Alternatively if it was sparking glassware that broke the ice, talking about how we handle emergency service can be likewise off topic and frankly pretty tone deaf.

In the case of either of those examples the secret isn’t to talk about our products and service as free-standing ideas – but rather to present them as the way you’ll achieve the idea they liked.

That means, for example, explaining how thorough service, or a product with sufficient reserves to fight through when the wash tank water isn’t optimally changed, and pointing out how either is key to initially achieving and then maintaining great results.

Next up: Using our eyeballs.

Steaks, sizzle…And selling

So, Tesla sells nifty battery powered transportation, Rolex sells watches that are really accurate and Louis Viton sells really pretty purses right? Nope Tesla sells the future of transportation, Rolex sells a stylish lifestyle and that pricey purse with the distinctive LV logo says she’s a successful woman.

So why do we so often fall into the trap of selling a product versus offering its’ benefits? Probably because its features are kind of where we live.

They’re familiar and easy to tout. But what our services and products actually represent is the cleanliness and even the sparkle that the customers, guests and residents of our customers are attracted to and yes, even demand.

We all know that smart marketers sell the sizzle and not the steak. It’s a saying that we probably learned long before we chose to enter the business. But regrettably it’s an idea that we frequently lapse into ignoring. And when we do, we’re doing so at our peril.

Next up: Price as a benefit.