Your profession may not be sales. It may be that you are an auto mechanic or a computer programmer or the CEO of a large manufacturing plant. However, regardless of what role you play - even that of a spouse, a child or a parent - you employ sales tactics in everything that you do.

Anytime we want another person (or company) to behave in a certain way, to say YES to our proposal, or to decide on something  in a particular way, then we will employ our internal sales techniques to move that decision in our desired direction.

"Ted, would you like that in blue or red today?"

"Mary, which toys do you want to put in the garage sale?"

And unless we're demanding or dictating what the other person must do, the choice they make will be determined by what is important to them. This is what we call the "What's In It For Me?" Factor.

Before a person will buy something, or select from an array of choices, he or she is really asking, "Will this give me what I am looking for? Will it accomplish what I need? Will it solve the problem I have? What kind of feeling is associated with this decision?"

We must put ourselves in their shoes and consider the WIIFM factor.

In almost every situation, we buy something in order to get a feeling or to fulfill a desire. And yet this is not always evident - even to the purchaser.

A 50's-something, newly divorced man wants to buy a fancy, sleek car. Why? It's not for the transportation - any 4-wheel vehicle will suffice for trips back and forth to work. No, it's for the feeling he will get when he drives that fancy car. Maybe it's a sense of freedom, a feeling of success . . . but it always ties back to that feeling or desire.  Sales teams for Mercedes-Benz and Porsche luxury cars understand this.

When you grocery shop, why do you buy the brands that you buy? Is it a feeling of comfort (buying the same brands your family has always used - even when you were a kid)? Or could it be a feeling of being thrifty, acknowledging that you are a smart shopper (always buying everything that's on sale, on the bargain table and the house brands, even when there are times you don't like that flavor or the healthiness of the contents)?

When I owned a computer retail store, we were fortunate to be trained by the best companies (IBM, HP, COMPAQ, EPSON, TOSHIBA) on the technical aspects of their products. And the most valuable training we received was when they helped us break down the sales process and to orient us on buyer motivations.

These were technical products and in the early days everything was a mystery. It was a whole new language - bits and bytes, drives, disks, RAM, and so on. (Boy, am I dating myself!) Our successful business was a direct result of speaking in laymen's terms to our prospects and in really digging down to figure out what problems they were trying to solve. And then showing them the benefits they would derive from the various products. They couldn't have cared less about how much RAM a system had or how fast the processor was. What they wanted to know was, 'Will this allow me to do my office accounting, print my checks and reports?'

It was important for us to know whether the buyer was looking for efficiency, automating tedious tasks, or wanted the ability to produce mail outs and flyers. Or perhaps the buyer simply wanted something that would allow him to use email so he could communicate with his grandsons.

When you know more about what the customer's intention is, you'll have a better chance of helping him make the appropriate choice. Rattling off the features like a worn-out checklist doesn't usually work in most selling situations when there is a level of complexity to the product.

You may be thinking, well, I sell t-shirts and sweatshirts. How hard is that? The customer will probably already know the size and color she wants. And she'll likely know it's intentional use. As a seller of these garments, you know that if they are going to embroider or paint on the shirts, a heavier weight will result in a more successful finished product. Finding out their need or desire, and then sharing your knowledge, will make a difference to that customer. And it will likely bring you repeated business.

As an exercise, increase your own awareness about the decisions you make and what motivates you to do them. And if you are on the selling side of a discussion, understand that your potential buyers also have these feelings and desires. The more you can discover about their needs, wants and desires, the more likely you'll have success in helping them with their purchase.

When you're offering non-tangibles, such as your consulting services, it is critical to understand the prospect's underlying motivations. As a salesperson, it's up to you to get inside his head and understand what he is looking for. What problem is he trying to solve? How can you be of service?

Remember to metaphorically step into his shoes and ask as if you're him: "What's In It For Me?"

Have a Golden Day!
Coach Darlene