Tweet

Sales Tip-Find the Pleasure or Find the Pain

Guest post by: Greg Beverly

Article Overview: You can instantly increase your sales conversion rate by digging deep enough to find your prospects' pleasure or pain.

Sales Tip-Find the Pleasure or Find the Pain

You can instantly increase your sales conversion rate by digging deep enough to find your prospects pleasure or pain. Now, we are not going to debate which of these sells better, pleasure or pain. Some of the brightest minds in sales and human psychology disagree on this point and I have found my own experience and those of my clients and students to be inconclusive. Personally, I believe that it depends upon the prospect or even the circumstances. But with the right questions, you'll know what motivates your particular prospect and use it to help them buy.

Anytime a prospect comes into your store or invites you to their store or office to discuss your product or service, they have an interest. And they have an interest for a reason. If they currently don't have your product or service, then there is something about living without it that is causing them pain or they are imagining the pleasure that will be theirs if they buy.

Perhaps they already own a variation of your product or service, then they are most likely not completely satisfied with what they have and it is your job to find out why.

Here is a real life example of using this principle. I have a client who sells computer systems. She was invited to a prospects office to discuss upgrading their current equipment. When she walked in it was obvious that the equipment was old and outdated. But rather than immediately launch into how much more efficient a new system would make the office, she asked questions instead and found the real issue.

It seems that as far as the owner of the business was concerned, he had no problem with the efficiency of his current system. It actually did all he wanted it to do. His employees were happy with it as well. That is except for one.

It seems that the owner's wife came in two days a week to help out. She had been doing so for several years with no problems. However, she recently began taking some computer classes in the evening to help her to help him. In doing so, she had been exposed to better equipment and now knowing what she was missing had become frustrated with the outdated equipment in the office. And she was letting him know about it.

Now, she knew what to address. She knew that the owner himself was happy with the system he currently had. She didn't have to "sell him" on the fact that the equipment that she provided would "would increase efficiency by 27% and save the company $20,000 this year."

No, all she had to do was show him how it would make his wife happy! By taking the time to ask the right questions rather than assuming, she made the sale and made it quickly. She found his pain…the pain of his wife constantly insisting that he needed to upgrade. And she showed him how she could alleviate that pain.

No efficiency figures, no cost benefit ratios, no latest and greatest software and hardware demonstrations. Simply, "Your wife will be very happy with this system and therefore so will you!"

So simple, yet so rarely used. We have so much knowledge of why our product is the best that we can't wait to share all of it with our prospects. The truth is, most of them don't care. They only care about what you are going to do for them. Help them find pleasure or help them avoid pain. And in this case, the prospect was looking for someone to take away his pain. And taking away his pain was as simple as making his wife happy. Case closed. Sale made.

Related Articles
  Fear is more incapacitating than pain. The paradox is that what we fear most is pain.
  The Push You Need
  It’s Not A Mountain, It’s A Molehill
  Why do People Really Buy
  Stimulate Sales With These 3 Internet Home Business Ideas

Article Tags:



Related Forum Posts
Re: What works for you? - If you love your work, then there is no pressure. So, pressure builds up when you work for someone else. Actually, Pleasure and Pain are both side of one coin. You need to have both in order to succeed in life. Take risks and rewards are higher. Take less risks, the rewards are less. So, understand your capacity and take charge. Thanks, Robert
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Re: Best way to start a business? - Find a good mentor.
Re: How can I promote my site? - I agree that SEO is the best way but you should not rely on it solely. Find a few different methods that work for you and use them together.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Tips for the Novice Traveler

Angel Investors Where Are You?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.