101 Best Sales and Marketing Ideas
IDEA 46:
REMOVE FEAR OF RISK
Many buyers are fearful of the decision you ask them to take. They feel insecure, they lack knowledge, they lack experience, they are conscious of acting for others – what will my boss say? – And all these feelings and more amount to the same thing: they are fearful of failure. They worry about the consequences if the product does not work, does not perform as expected, or any sort of short-fall appears after purchase. The good sales person is aware of this, and sets out to diminish this fear during a sales meeting. But is there more you can do?
Idea
When Phoebe was six years old…
She wanted a kitten. This reminds me of a remark I saw on the internet, attributed to Annabel (also aged six): if you want a guinea pig, start by asking for a pony. Never have I come across a clearer indication of the nature of negotiation: 10 more years and she will be a force to be reckoned with. Sorry, I digress. Imagine that Phoebe’s parents went through the first stage and agreed to her having the kitten. They checked out various sources, and soon found that this difficult purchase. What was the right time for a kitten to leave its parents? Had been inoculated, was it healthy? The last thing they wanted was for Phoebe to be upset by her kitten falling sick, or worse, dying.
One breeder suggested that they choose a kitten and take it home. (He threw in some free food for threw first few weeks). Then he would contact them in four week’s time to check the kitten was fit and well. Only at that stage would they pay for the kitten and any signs of trouble would mean they could choose a new one. It was not a guarantee (the kitten might still be sick), but it displayed great confidence. If he could make that kind of offer, it was unlikely that he had not really inoculated the little cat.
In practice
- Consider not just diminishing the risk, but reversing it (as above). Here it means the risk is with the breeder, not the customer. That’s attractive.
- See if you can find ways of reversing any risk your customers may feel they are being asked to take. If you can, they will like it.