Make Being a Rock Star Easier

Guest Contributor: Mark Nissley
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In the previous two posts, we took a look at the importance of the story of a rock star. Now that we've recognized that, it's time to make our pitch. This is much simpler than most might imagine, and I believe, a very different tactic than selling to large organizations or fortune 500. There are three important points. I'll address the first in this post.

Rock stars want one thing: to be a rock star. There are many facets of this persona, but basically it's about the music and the lifestyle. Most don't want to be bothered with the logistics of touring, the newest technology in stage design, nor the managing of their money. If you want to get a rock star to buy into an idea, it's usually got to be something that makes there life easier or promotes their lifestyle as a rock star. This is where agents and managers make their money.

And this is where you'll make your money. In a way, small business owners are the opposite of a rock star. They are saturated with the details of running their business. But ultimately, most business owners want to be treated like a rock star. That's where you come in. You are going to be the manger that makes their life easier. If your product can do this, you are golden.

Have you ever told a rock star how to make their music better? Imagine the response you'd get. If not an explosion, I'd guess for a stone cold glare. On the same token, don't pitch a small business owner that you'll make their business better. It may be true, but they don't want to hear that. They gotten themselves to this point, thank you, they know their business. They don't want to waste their time with some "expert". They'll tell you so, or you'll get the stone cold stare.

No, what a small business owner wants to hear (at least at first) is how you will make their busy life a little less busy and a little less expensive. Tell them how your product will take tasks off their list. Tell them how your product will help them talk to less people every week. Tell them how your product will help manage their business, so they can manage less. Tell them how your product will help them immediately have a bit more time to go to their kid's soccer game. And tell them that it can do this tomorrow. This is the language of a small business owner.

If you go in with the "next big thing", the comprehensive business solution, or any solution that may require more work from them, or a big learning curve… well, you'll see that cold stare again. This is not to say that you can't sell these, but take a look at HOW you are selling them. Work up to your big products by presenting things first that make their life easier. We'll talk more about this in the next post: "Bar by Bar". The important thing presented today is that you examine and reshape your presentation, to get your foot into the door. Make the small business owner feel like the rock star they really are by living a life of a bit more, and immediately.