Sell the Sizzle……….

……..NOT The steak.

If you’re in the world of Marketing, you’ve probably heard this phrase once or twice.  But, what does it mean?  Some say it means ‘sell the Benefits instead of the Features’.  Others say ‘Sell clients What they Want…..not What they Need’.

Or (in other words) your customers don’t care about facts, they only care about results and how you can help them ‘move the needle’.

As consumers, most of us buy on Emotion NOT on Facts.  What may work for one client (most likely) will not work the same for another.  If you get lucky and capture lightening in a bottle, don’t try to replicate it and relabel it as something else.  

I’ve been in the media world for almost 3 decades and I’ve seen this happen waaaaaaay too many times.  But, the truth shall set you free……free from your current clients and prospects. 

Don’t waste your valuable time by trying to sell someone on these things.  Ask yourself one thing (& one thing ONLY) – from the customer’s view: “What’s in it for ME?”

For a lot of sales people, they get in their own way by doing the ‘verbal vomit’ of how GREAT they are and how horrible their competition is.  If you present the power of what you can provide, you will NEVER need to sell ANYTHING………your product will sell itself.

I’ve been in sales (in one form or another) for over 30 years, but I’ve NEVER considered myself as a sales person.  I’m a marketer (by trait).  If I don’t do my due diligence, no matter how great the product I’m selling is, that marketing plan will NEVER work.

A mentor of mine once said “It’s easy to sell a client once, but the toughest challenge is to sell them a second time.” 

The next time you’re in front of a prospect, try putting yourself in their shoes.  Forget the details and start writing down the benefits.  It will be an eye-opener for you AND for the person sitting across the table from you.  People like to buy from other people that they KNOW, LIKE & TRUST.

Be THAT person and good things will come your way!