Recognize the big fears and daunting problems your audience faces. Address these audience fears head on…if you want to move people into action. Learn the secret key to unlock bigger, easier and faster sales.
You know your product and service inside and out. You already are deeply familiar with how what you have to offer saves time, eliminates hassles, and will make your client’s work life a breeze.
There’s only one teensy problem. Your client doesn’t have a clue about the benefits. They are afraid of all kinds of other things.
For instance: complexity, technology, hassle, commitment, cost, service, and image. Just to name a few. Notice how cost is in the mix—but not the be all and end all reason for resistance.
As a professional communicator, it’s up to you to break these niggling fears out of the closet. By shedding light on the true reasons why clients are dragging their heels, you’ll reveal how quickly and easily these questions can be solved. One by one.
Fear is the most influential emotion most people feel. Often it’s so intense that we don’t even know it’s gripping us. We just shy away from trying something new. We opt to stick with the same-old-same-old methods. Even when we admit (in private) that they aren’t working and we’re losing competitive ground. Why? Because admitting our fear seems too scary to do.
That’s why it’s very helpful if you expose the fears in a calm, centered and objective way. When speaking to clients and prospects, tell stories of clients who had a particular fear…and now are laughing that this little thing ever stopped them. Share your own experiences of fear to show that you understand. Explore how you recognized what was holding you back, overcame the fears, and now experience valuable rewards from taking action.
This does not need to be a deep, dark sharing of personal secrets. Rather, a conversation about the natural phases of trying something new.
Let’s say you’re selling a new software system to streamline updates between professional service providers and clients. You know it’s a terrific asset. You know that anyone using this system will quickly recoup their money, and rapidly build loyal customers. You’ve seen grunt work diminish and profits soar.
What is the fastest way to get your clients and prospects to listen? Show and tell your story. Show a personal example. Give your example a name and face. If you need to protect the identity of your clients, be upfront. Tell what happened for your clients and for you. The more you make your message authentic, personal and real, the faster people will listen.
“I’d like you to meet ‘Sarah’ in the Chicago area. She believed that hand-written notes would never be replaced by email communications. Why? Because ‘Sarah’ hated technology. She was terrified of sharing her data or starting a new system.
Anyone else feel that way? Show of hand. Yes, that’s my hand in the air. I know I was the biggest skeptic when I first started. It’s hard to believe now…that I’ve seen a 57% increase in client retention and a 77% increase in billable services in the last months.”
As you can see from this short example, weaving in value statements with hard numbers is a powerful way to provide evidence for fence sitters. The more your examples weave together stories of clients, your personal experiences, and commonly held fears that you and others have overcome, the more people will open up.
Interested in giving powerful presentations that unlock sales success?
Milly Sonneman is a recognized expert in visual language. She is the co-director of Presentation Storyboarding, a leading presentation training firm, and author of the popular guides: Beyond Words and Rainmaker Stories available on Amazon. Milly helps business professionals give winning presentations, through Email Marketing skills trainings at Presentation Storyboarding. You can find out more about our courses or contact Milly through our website at: http://www.presentationstoryboarding.com/