The (often overlooked) thing you really should be selling

Pay-off: Stop selling that. Sell this.
Investment: 2.5 minutes
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That thing, idea, or service you think you’re selling – it could be getting in your way. You could be banging your head against the wall (or the competition) making your life much harder than it needs to be.

You’d probably be much better off selling something else that’s easily within your reach…

What they told you to sell

Years back they used to bang on about not selling ‘features’ but instead selling ‘benefits’. “Good point!” everyone said.

Then some smart-arse leant in and added, “yeah, you don’t sell the drill do you? You sell the hole”. And everyone nodded.

Until buyers realised they weren’t happy with just the hole that the sales people were trained to sell. No, they actually wanted to fill that hole with a hook to hang their new original Banksy painting on, because they figured it would look cool above the dining table, filling them with immense pride.

What you sold

So, maybe you didn’t sell them a hole after all? Maybe you sold them the means to a better future?

Maybe you sold them the feeling they got when their friend’s jaw dropped and threw out the word, “Wow!”

Maybe you sold them the dopamine rush – the feeling of excitement and urge to show it off to their next guests when they come to visit.

What you should be selling

But, really, you shouldn’t just be selling the means to a better future. That’s if you want to stay in the game and remain relevant. Because a ‘better future’ usually has a short use-by date.

If you want to survive and thrive, you’re going to need to sell again to that customer. Whether it’s an idea, product or service that you sell, you’re going to want them to come back and buy from you again.

And not just once again. Or twice. No, as Peter Drucker said, “the purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer.”

So, you should be selling the circumstances that have that buyer make a beeline for you and repeatedly buy from you into the future, to continuously create a better future for themselves.(Which creates a better future for you too.)

If you want to play at a level above your competition, then remember what you’re selling;

You shouldn’t just be selling that thing that you thought you were. You should be selling in and creating the circumstances, conditions and reasons for them to come straight back to you for the next thing. Again and again. Because every time they do, their future just gets better and better.

Clear? OK. How are you going to get your ducks in a row to do it?

Give me a shout if you think I can help you, your team or your business.

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