As I explained in yesterday's post, customers buy to feel good, at least as an over-arching buying motivation. The higher the cost of the product (using each customer's unique definition of "higher cost"), the more this is true.
Doyle and Terri want to add a fourth bedroom to their home, and in the process increase the size of their kitchen. Having a fourth bedroom and a larger kitchen will feel good to Doyle and Terri. Overspending will not feel good, but neither will underspending (using Doyle and Terri's definitions of "feeling good"). Using their feelings as a radar, they settle in on a comfortable amount they're willing to invest in the project (they've wanted to commence this project since they bought the house ten years ago; but if felt better to hold off on the project than it did to do the project...until now...once again, feeling good drives the decision).
Both Doyle and Terri may very well have different perspectives about feeling good. Terri's ultimate "feeling good" moment might be feeling the warmth of the heated tile floor in the new kitchen on a brisk winter day, while Bob's feeling good moment is sitting by the fireplace with his cup of coffee while reading historical biographies. If the salesperson can identify these instances of good feelings, sometimes she can tip the "feeling good balance" in favor of moving forward with the home improvement project, instead of the balance being tipped to the "let's hold off for now" side of the equation.
What gets lost for many salespeople in the buying process is the connection of the selling process to the desired end result: a customer who feels good enough about what he's proposing to buy it. The negotiating on the pricing of the new addition, the details of the flooring, cabinetry, and lighting all offer opportunities for distraction from the over-arching purchase-determining factor. It's not features customers buy, it's the feelings those features provide for the customer.
So while the prospects are toting tile samples all over town so they can look at tile with different cabinet options, it behooves us to remember that we need to identify what "feeling good" means for each of our prospects, and how we can talk the language of good feelings with them, and encourage such talk from them. It's not just about how well the tile matches the new cabinetry (after all, that's subjective). It's not only important to ask, "What finish are you thinking of for your new cabinets?" but it's also important to ask, "How do you want your guests to feel when they see the new cabinetry in your newly remodeled kitchen?" and "How do you want the kitchen to feel when you're using it?"
So the pursuit of good feelings enters the interaction like this:
- Doyle and Terri will determine whether spending $110,000 (but using a $50,000 loan in the process) on a new addition feels better, or leaving the $60,000 in their investment portfolio (without an additional loan) will feel better. Whichever option feels better to Terri and Doyle will win.
- Or, the feeling good decision may be about investing $60,000 in something, whether it be their home remodel or, say, buying a new car. They may have already allotted $60,000 to a purchase of something, so now their issue at hand is to decide on what to spend it. Both products have different feeling good profiles for each prospect, and these profiles will help them make a decision on where to put their money. Let's assume our prospects have chosen the home over the car, again noting that the reason they've done this is because the home project feels better to them. [If I'm trying to sell them a car, you can make absolutely certain that my strategy will be to identify ways the new car purchase can make the prospect feel better than adding on to their house).
- Doyle and Terri will interview four design-build firms to do the work. The degree to which the preliminary designs ignite their "feeling good" sensors will drive their decision of who to work with.
- The prospects will also go through a process of feeling good or not so good about the various construction firms they're exploring. They'll do the same thing with the salespeople from the various firms. At the end of the day, they will make their decision (over a six-month period) based upon their need to feel good not only about the project, but also the contractor and the contractor's representative.
The old saying says, "sell the sizzle, not the steak."
But sizzle won't move steak out the door. What will is the promise of good feelings. I say forget about the sizzle, and sell what makes the prospect feel good, because that's how he'll become a customer. One prospect may feel good about buying a budget cut steak with a USDA grade of "choice," while another customer may feel good about buying the most expensive dry-aged prime-grade beef tenderloin money can buy. The sizzle doesn't determine the outcome, the desire to feel good does. And those are just two shopper's perspectives on steak. In reality, there are dozens of other feeling-perspectives that will drive the decision to buy or not to buy steak.
Sellers are in the business of good feelings.
If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training.
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