Why you are probably selling the wrong thing (and how to fix it...)

In the movie The Princess Bride, also known as The Best Movie Ever (and I only say that because my opinion and millions of sensible people agree), Vizzini keeps using the same word..."Inconceivable!"...over and over to express his amazement at a boat that seems to be following them as they attempt to sail away with the recently kidnapped Princess Buttercup. His hired swordsman, Inigo Montoya, is kind enough to point out "I do not think it means what you think it means."

Please allow me to be your Inigo for a moment.

If you are like many small business owners, you are sailing along in this little ship you've made...perhaps escaping with your own captured princess. You have this really cool idea/process/widget/whatever. You are marketing as much as you can, telling anyone who will listen about all the cool things your cool thing.

If you are like most small business owners, you believe that you are in the business of selling [insert whatever it is you do].

• Cars
• Financial services
• Carpet cleaning
• Childcare
• Whatever

You are wrong.

You aren't selling what you think you are selling.

Customers don't buy "the thing." They buy what "the thing" will do for them. The problem that it will solve. The time it will save. The pain it will relieve.

• Car salesmen are selling the peace of mind that comes from knowing you can safely get where you want to go...and perhaps in style (which is also selling a little bit of vanity?).
• Financial coaches are selling the peace of mind that comes from knowing you won't be reliving your college years in your retirement by eating Ramen for every meal.
• Carpet cleaners are selling the fact that you can finally stop saying "By all that is holy, what IS that smell?!"
• And let's face it, childcare workers are just giving you a break.

If you take just a minute to think about ANY product or service, you can easily get to the root of what that "thing" is really providing.

Brian Clark over at Copyblogger.com suggests 4 things to help do that. They are basically:

1. Make a list of all of the features of the product or service.
2. Ask "why" is this feature on that list.
3. Then ask "how" does it benefit your customer.
4. ​Finally, take a good look at what deep emotional need that benefit is meeting.

We're not as logical as we'd like to think we are...most of our decisions are based on deep-rooted emotional motivations, which we then justify after the fact with logic. - Brian Clark

So whenever you tell customers about whatever it is you are selling, get past simply talking about the features. Start talking about the benefits. Those are the things that will meet "the need behind the need." If you do, I guarantee you'll start doing a lot less selling and a lot more helping. And the dollars will follow.

​But it's really as you wish. You can take the advice or not. I'm just your helpful sidekick with a sword and a fantastic accent.

Contact me if you'd like some help. I can help you craft a message on your site or marketing material that will let your customers be clear on exactly what you can do for them.

(Just remember to never get into a battle of wits with a Sicilian.)