A recent CSO Insights study revealed that only 14% of the value propositions salespeople present are relevant enough to get the customer to take action. In other words, most of the time (86% percent of the time, in fact), their sales messaging is going in one ear and out the other. It’s irrelevant.
Think about the last 10 sales presentations you sat through. How much did you remember from each one? How many of them caused you to rush into your colleague’s office saying, “You’ve got to hear this!”? How many of them stuck with you for even a few minutes? Maybe there were one or two outliers, but chances are, most were forgettable. In one ear. Out the other.
Why? They were designed to impress you, not inspire you. They said, “Look how many Fortune 500 logos we have.” “Look how many offices we have around the world.” “Look at all our great products and services.” Impressive? Maybe. Inspiring? Not really.
So how do you inspire? Elevate the sales conversation beyond “Here’s what we do,” to “Here’s how we’re changing this one small, but very important part of your world.” So, don’t just tell prospects you provide “comprehensive IT services”. Explain to them how your whole company was built to take the pain out of IT services by eliminating the problem of fragmentation. This kind of value proposition is highly relevant – it’s about their pain (not your products). And it’s inspirational – it’s about solving real problems (not selling stuff).
It’s what the most successful brands have been doing all along. Southwest isn’t just selling plane tickets; they’re democratizing air travel. Nike isn’t just selling athletic clothes; they’re inspiring amateur and professional athletes alike to get out there and do it. Zappos isn’t just selling shoes online; they’re changing the whole online retail experience by completely redefining customer service.
You don’t make an impression by trying to impress. You make an impression by inspiring. So, next time you’re talking with a prospect, don’t just tell them what you do. Tell them how you’re out to change the world for people like them. You might just find yourself getting inspired.
Ben this post hit the nail on the head. Inspiration moves people. No one wants to be sold these days. Instead they want someone to inspire them to do something better.
Thanks, Jason! You’re absolutely right – inspiration moves people. When companies get this, it really transforms their sales messaging.