Why Selling Your Product is Like “Getting Lucky”
You are DEFINITELY getting lucky tonight. You’re wearing your sexiest lingerie, or your lucky boxers. You did your make-up perfect tonight, or you’re wearing the best smelling cologne ever. You’re having a great skin day, or an awesome hair night. You’re on a mission and you won’t be successful if you come home alone.
Presuming you don’t look like Jennifer Aniston or Brad Pitt how’d that one work out for you?
[Stop lying and just tell the truth.]
That’s what I thought. You tried entirely too hard, sounded like a desperate floozy or a timid creeper and came home to a carton of ice cream and Friends re-runs.
You will NOT get lucky if you’re trying too hard.
You will NOT sell your product or service if you’re trying too hard.
WAIT. Before you get discouraged you still have to go out, you just don’t have to wear that ridiculous Affliction T-shirt. Part of selling yourself or any product or service you’re affiliated with is letting people know about your product. If you’re sitting at home playing The Sims you won’t get lucky.
The key is finding the happy medium where you’re not acting desperate and trying too hard, but where you’re still showcasing your best aspects, your own unique selling proposition.
How many times have you been pitched by a salesperson claiming, “We’re really, really prepared to go the extra mile for you. We feel confident that we can provide value starting today. We can even package our services into this extra special discount for you.”
How many times have you been on the receiving end of the 7th e-mail after you politely declined the first one, and haven’t responded to the next five?
How many times have you said, “I really appreciate you showing me your product, but it’s not a good fit for me,” only for the salesperson to come back with, “But, let me just tell you abouthow we worked with… … who is a lot like your brand.”
We’ve all been there; many of you are probably guilty of at least one of these, if not all three.
Think about it from a potential client’s perspective. They’re thinking to themselves, if they are this desperate to sell their product, if they’re already coming off the price, then obviously it’s a sub-par service that we can probably get elsewhere.
Ladies, how many guys have you dated that just would not take a hint and leave you alone?
Gentleman, how many stage-five clingers have you tolerated for more than a few days?
So what’s the solution?
Here, so you don’t have to scroll back up:
The key is finding the happy medium where you’re not acting desperate and trying too hard, but where you’re still showcasing your best aspects, your own unique selling proposition.
If you’re a guy and you have a muscular frame, and wearing schmediums is your thing, do that. (Or maybe not.)
If you’re a woman and jokes aren’t your thing, don’t dress like Sarah Silverman and act like Kathy Griffin. Hit up the dance floor.
Understand what your best features are, and then do your best to demonstrate those to the people you’re trying to “get lucky,” with.
It’s the same with your product or service.
Stuart wrote a great post today on direct marketing vs. inbound marketing. If you’ve read any of my other posts on sales you know which one I’m a proponent of. (Hint: Stu and I think a lot alike.)
You have to leave the house, but you don’t have to follow someone around all night. And you don’t have to shove your product down anyone’s throat.
Find out what your potential target wants and see if you have something of value you can provide. Better yet, just demonstrate all the great things about your product and/or service, and the potential targets will form a line waiting to talk with you.
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So you are saying that my schmedium Affliction shirt isn’t going to get me the chicks even if I am training to be a UFC fighter??? I love the word schmedium and I am going to have to steal it.
Seriously, this is very good advice for entrepreneurs, freelancers and sales employees alike. Most people are put off by people who try too hard, whether it is a salesman or a Jehovah’s Witness. I like the similarities that you are finding with sales and the dating world with your last few posts and guest posts. Great insight.
.-= Benjamin´s last blog ..What Can C3PO and R2D2 Teach Us? =-.
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admin Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:11 am
@Benjamin – It might work if you’re Matt Hughes or Randy Couture, but aside from that I’d refrain from Schmedium Affliction shirts. And you’re absolutely right. It feels like the new freshman trying too hard to impress the senior class. This doesn’t work in that situation, in dating, or in sales. Thanks for your kind words.
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Hi Ryan,
The flip side of trying too hard, is knowing when to say ‘No’ and walking away from a deal or a date.
Saying no is sometimes way too hard! Imagine going back and reporting ‘no sale’ two weeks in a row to the boss!
So decisions-by-default often lead to chasing the same thing/ trying too hard. Even when we know we should walk away!
The good thing is if you know your stuff and stop selling too hard – you may lose a client in the short term but you just might gain respect and probably a friend too.
And on any day, I’d rather do business with a friend who has what it takes AND is trustworthy, rather than a slick yes-man who might take flight at the first sign of trouble!
Cheers
Anita Lobo
.-= Anita Lobo´s last blog ..What did you discover at school today? =-.
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admin Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:17 am
That’s the exact point of Stuart’s post. Sure, hard selling might work once or twice, but you didn’t cultivate a relationship there – the likelihood of retention is negligible.
The alternative is soft-selling and inbound marketing. That’s how you build genuine win/win relationships that benefit both parties.
Most managers would probably be perturbed if you reported no sales two weeks in a row (depends on the product/services really), but I wouldn’t care as long as my team was trying to obtain the RIGHT customers.
Too often I see companies that are in one niche, and then take something that’s out of their core competency or out of their niche all together just because they need the cash flow. Typically, this isn’t the best decision as you won’t provide the same quality of work AND the content you’ve created in the past isn’t as easily re-purposed. Re-inventing the wheel is typically a stupid business model.
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Just play to your strengths. I think we can all learn that lesson (after failing miserably a few times).
If you don’t? You’ll definitely regret it. Or end up looking like a complete jackass.
.-= Stuart Foster´s last blog ..Are you Earning Trust in your Message, or Expecting it? =-.
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admin Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:19 am
Of course before you play to them, you have to really understand what they are … Too many companies and people forget that step.
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I love the idea of playing to your strengths. I think that is key and wish more people got that. With that said, you have to get your strengths noticed. I think a big part of not being an aggressive, sceevy salesperson is marketing your service/product properly.
In my ideal world sales efforts would go in a specific order…
1. make sure you have a good service/product
2. market it so it is known (no spam or mass e-mailing)
3. engage in conversation with potential clients, but don’t push at all
Ryan, let me know if you disagree. Just my thoughts on the subject.
.-= Jake Rosen´s last blog ..Be comfortable talking about the uncomfortable =-.
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admin Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 am
I do agree. I think the construct you outline oversimplifies it, but I think you intended it that way. As I mentioned in my response to Stuart – you have to really understand what your strengths are so that you’re capable of showcasing those strengths to potential suitors.
If you have gross feet, stop wearing flip flops. If you have a nice butt, wear tight fitting jeans. If you’re product can’t compete on sheer technology, make your value add human analysis. We’re on the same page.
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Don’t try to take it hard to the hole if you’re a perimeter shooter. Just to clarify, that’s a basketball analogy
.-= Jackie Adkins´s last blog ..Should You Outsource Your Opinions? =-.
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admin Reply:
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:27 am
@Jackie
I ALWAYS take it to the rack. Just to clarify, that’s also a basketball analogy.
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Carlos Miceli Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I’m more of a hole kind of guy, but rack works.
.-= Carlos Miceli´s last blog ..The Challenge Of Caring =-.
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By concentrating on anything other than your best assets, you end up spreading yourself thin. You are never going to be the best at everything. Play your strengths. Rather than hyping yourself up over something you can’t deliver, spend that time perfecting what you already do great. If you don’t do anything great,you shouldn’t be in business. Or thats why you are single.
.-= Patrick Ambron´s last blog ..UNDER CONSTRUCTION =-.
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October 2nd, 2009 at 1:36 pmA good way to not act desperate and find that happy medium in my opinion would be to find that emotional hot-button for your target customer and utilize story telling to achieve your goal.
This would be an alternative to the list of a thousand features. It’s okay to have a different story for different target audiences, too.
.-= Thomas McMillan´s last blog ..Walmart: Highlighting Value during Recession – Family Night Style! =-.
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October 5th, 2009 at 5:15 pm