Sales Training:
Sell The Solution, Not The Product
By Tom Egelhoff
 Who was the first person to
fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean? The correct answer is Charles
Lindbergh, a name most people would readily recognize. The second
person to do it has probably been relegated to Trivial Pursuit®
game card.
But surprisingly you know the third person to fly solo across
the Atlantic and that would be Amelia Earhart.
So the question I have for you is this. Was Amelia the third
person to fly solo across the Atlantic or the "first"
...? Exactly she was the first woman
to do it.
Instead of wallowing in third place obscurity, she found a
category to be first in that separates her from her competition.
This is the power and magic of positioning.
Positioning is the technique of marketing and advertising
your products or services in such a way that it groups your competition
together and sets you apart as something better at the same time.
It's a very powerful technique. Here's how to use it to your
advantage.
Why do
customers buy what they buy?
Every first year business student would probably answer, "We
buy things because we need them." Oh really So you really
NEED that Snickers bar. You NEED the fancy wheels on your car.
Are you getting the message? We buy things because they make
us FEEL something. When emotion and logic come into conflict
emotion always wins. I need the Snickers bar to give me energy.
I need the fancy wheels to increase the value of my car. We make
emotional decisions and then create logical arguments to support
them. As much as we would like to think we make logical well-informed
decisions - we don't.
How does
all this tie into increased sales?
When customers buy things they are often looking for the solution
to a problem. The old "find a need and fill it" thinking.
Positioning a "solution" to your customer allows you
to solve the customer's problem and eliminate your competitors
at the same time. You can do this by not only presenting the
product solution but a "package solution" that only
you can supply. It might be a combination of products and services
that your competitors can't deliver in quite the same way. They
might be able to do something similar but not exactly the same
way that you can.
Solution
positioning has two very powerful advantages
When you solve a problem in a way that others can't you can
charge more for that solution. If you can offer the customer
a way out of their painful emotional problem they are more than
willing to pay a premium for the remedy. When we go to the doctor
and we are referred to a specialist is there a perception that
we are going to have to pay a little more for that service?
Advantage
Two.
The second advantage of solution positioning is that it makes
price shopping harder for the customer to do. It focuses the
customer on finding the solution to the problem rather than dwelling
on its price. Solution positioning decreases the number of resources
the customer can call on to solve the problem.
The real value to the customer is solving the problem in the
customers mind. If you can do that then there is no reason for
the customer not to buy from you. If you can solve my problem
with your solution package and it eliminates my emotional discomfort
in most cases I would pay more for that package.
Keep pricing
fair
Please don't misunderstand the message of the above paragraphs.
I am not suggesting that you take advantage of people or engage
in price gouging or unethical pricing practices. I am suggesting
that you create package solutions at fair prices that deliver
value and service to your customers that will keep them coming
back to your business.
The last
word on solution positioning
Think about the last time you bought something. What solution
did the product or service provide? Would you have paid more
for the same result? Take a good look at your products and services.
List the benefits of each product or service first. Then come
back and list what customer problems you solve. Which are your
most profitable solutions? That's all customers are really looking
for. Provide the solution to their problem and your business
will always be strong.
(Return
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Listen
to a radio interview with Tom and Entrepreneur Magazine - Click
Here!
This article may be reproduced for your non-profit
group or organization provided it is not altered in any way and
the following is attached:
©1998 - 2004 Eagle Marketing PO Box 271 Bozeman, MT
59771-0271
http://www.smalltownmarketing.com - (406) 585-0219 - Toll FREE
(888) 550-6100
email: tommail@smalltownmarketing.com
Based in Bozeman, MT, Tom Egelhoff is the author of How To Market, Advertise & Promote Your
Business Or Service In A Small Town, and The
Small Town Advertising Handbook: How To Say More And Spend Less.
He is also a seminar and workshop presenter
and trainer. He may be reached at 888-550-6100 or PO Box
271 Bozeman, MT 59771-0271
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