Push Your Prospects' Hot Buttons
by Dan McComas

Learn Why People Buy--And Land More Sales

We've all heard or read that the essence of marketing is to "find a need and fill it." Well, unless you have deep pockets or know exactly what the world needs, your marketing efforts will yield a better response if you follow this formula instead: Find a want and fill it.

Most of us have enough food, shelter, clothing, and transportation. We don't need much more. But we want more. We need food. But we want fast foods, diet foods, and gourmet meals. Most of us don't need a six-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home. But many of us may want one. We don't need expensive designer clothes. But we want them. We may need a car. But we want a Lexus or a BMW.

Tip the Want Scales in Your Favor
Jim, a computer consultant, was feeling confident the day he mailed 1,700 sales letters to a list of prime prospects. He was sure that this promotion would have his phone ringing off the hook. But two weeks later, only one call had come in. He then asked me to take a look at his letter. Jim had made a classic mistake: He created a selfish monologue rather than a problem-solving dialogue. By focusing the content of his letter on selling what his service is and not what it could do for the individual, he neglected to address the primary concern of all prospects: "What's in it for me?" You see, people don't buy things, they buy the results that things offer, such as happiness, wealth, popularity, wisdom, comfort, recognition, and safety.

Clients buy my marketing and training services for one reason--to make more money. By generating more revenue, they can fulfill their desire to create a better lifestyle for themselves and their families. Do you know the bottom-line reason why people buy from you? To get the most from your marketing efforts, you must first uncover what a prospect wants, then tailor your pitch to specifically communicate how your service or product can fulfill his desires.

I frequently include the following example in my marketing workshops to demonstrate to attendees how they can talk their way right out of a sale. A jeweler walks into a computer store and is confronted by a salesman who immediately launches into a rapid-fire monologue about the technological wizardry of a particular personal computer. The salesman is on a roll as he watches his cornered prey listen patiently. About 20 minutes into his pitch, the jeweler timidly asks, "But can I use this computer to create letters and fliers? That's all he wants to do. The salesman, however, failed to immediately uncover and address the real payoff the jeweler was seeking. He overwhelmed the customer with too much information. And ultimately sabotaged the sale.

Create the Payoff Picture in Their Minds
People don't buy for rational reasons; they buy for emotional rewards. Your goal is to tap into their subconscious yearnings to create or feed a desire. Your materials should help prospects see themselves enjoying the rewards that you will bring to their lives. In many cases your message will have little to do with what you're actually selling. Take a look at how McDonald's markets its products, for example. The company doesn't sell the quality of its burgers. It sells fun, excitement, and shared love. Mercedes sells status. Clairol, youthfulness. Hallmark, quality and love with its slogan "When you care enough to send the very best."

If you're marketing a presentation-skills workshop to professionals, for example, don't just outline the course content. Develop a message that will make prospects see themselves receiving the payoff--thunderous applause and a standing ovation. If you're a financial planner, don't just tell people how much money you'll save them. Take it a step further. Show them how they can buy something they've always wanted with the extra savings. Perhaps it's their dream vacation home, a college education for their child, or a comfortable retirement.

What's Your Promotable Edge?
In marketing, perception is reality. Once your prospect is emotionally stimulated, he will use logic to rationalize the purchase. This is the time when you must prove the superiority of what you're selling. Provide prospects with testimonials, money-back guarantees, and articles by and about you. By communicating your product or service's unique advantage, you motivate prospects to buy sooner rather than later.

Dan McComas is an author, public speaker, and corporate trainer who delivers keynote speeches and seminars on marketing, sales, persuasive writing skills, generating free publicity and sustaining self-motivation for companies and nonprofit organizations around the world.
He can be reached at promocoach@aol.com