Simplifying Sales for your team to TWO YESNO questions... Ep 112

In a discussion about sales techniques, Speaker A emphasizes the importance of conveying value and delivering on promises as the two core components of successful selling. They outline a simplified approach to the "closer formula," focusing on the promise of the product and the seller's ability to deliver results. Speaker A illustrates the differences between B2B and B2C sales scenarios, using the fitness industry as an example to explain how to establish value in a customer's mind by addressing their pain points and aspirations. They stress the significance of stacking value to an almost exaggerated degree and the use of social proof through testimonials to build conviction in the prospect. Speaker A also advises salespeople to understand and articulate the life-changing impact of their product, ensuring customers believe not only in the value of the product but also in the seller's capability to facilitate their desired transformation.

• The concept of selling or persuasion can be simplified into two pieces for teams: the promise and the delivery.
• The closer formula is a more complex method that includes clarifying why a customer is present, labeling the problem, overcoming past pain, selling the vacation, explaining away concerns, and reinforcing the decision.
• The simplified approach focuses on the perceived value of the promise and the belief in delivery.

"And so instead of thinking, because we have the closer formula, clarify why they're there, label them with the problem, overcome past pain, sell them the vacation, explain away their concerns, and then reinforce the decision."

This quote outlines a detailed sales approach known as the closer formula, which involves a series of steps designed to guide a customer through the sales process.

• The promise must be perceived as valuable enough to warrant the exchange of money.
• In B2B sales, the promise of value is easier to establish than in B2C.
• The delivery aspect is often where B2B sales fall short, as customers must believe in the company's ability to fulfill the promise.
• In B2C sales, establishing the value of the promise can be more challenging, necessitating a focus on the customer's pain points and the importance of the problem.

"The first piece is the promise, and the second piece is the delivery. Okay. For someone to buy what you're selling, they have to perceive the promise as valuable and perceive the promise as valuable enough in exchange for the money."

This quote breaks down the sales process into two fundamental parts: the promise of value to the customer and the seller's ability to deliver on that promise.

• B2B sales can directly relate the promise to monetary gain, making the value proposition straightforward.
• The challenge in B2B lies in convincing the customer of the seller's ability to deliver on the promise.
• B2C sales, such as selling fitness or weight loss, require amplifying the customer's attention on the problem to establish the value of the promise.
• The sales process involves making the customer aware of the problem's importance, which they might typically ignore or downplay.

"And so from a b to b standpoint, it's really easy to establish a promise of perceived value, because you literally can just say, like, you pay us ten grand, we make you 100. Does that sound worth it?"

In B2B sales, the value proposition can be clearly quantified in financial terms, making the promise straightforward to communicate.

• The sales process is likened to political campaigning, where attention on an issue increases its perceived importance.
• By focusing the prospect's attention on the problem, sellers can make the issue more significant for the prospect.
• Sales involve overcoming the prospect's coping mechanisms that prevent them from confronting painful emotions related to the problem.

"And that's essentially what we're doing in selling process, is putting your prospect's attention on the problem so they become more aware of how important it really should be to them..."

This quote emphasizes the strategy of directing the prospect's focus to the problem at hand, thereby elevating its importance in their decision-making process.

• If a prospect says no, it can typically be attributed to either not perceiving the value or not believing in the delivery.
• The salesman's job is to bridge the gap between the prospect's needs and the belief that the product or service offered will fulfill those needs.
• Establishing the value of the promise is often more challenging in B2C sales, which is why understanding the prospect's reasons for engagement is crucial.

"And so if you are selling and someone says no, you can basically narrow it down to one of two things. You either don't perceive what I'm saying is valuable or you don't believe that I can get you there, right?"

This quote identifies the two main reasons a prospect may decline an offer: a lack of perceived value or a lack of belief in the seller's ability to deliver the promised results.

• The concept of value stacking involves emphasizing the profound impact of a transformation on a person's life.
• It's important to quantify the value of health improvements, such as extending one's life or avoiding pain and insecurity.
• Fitness professionals often overlook the true value they offer, focusing on the product ("widget") instead of the transformation ("promised land").
• A vivid picture of the promised land should be communicated to potential clients to illustrate the benefits clearly.

"And so what we're doing is we're continuing to stack value."

This quote introduces the concept of value stacking, which is the process of building up the perceived value of a service by highlighting its various benefits.

"How much would someone pay for one more year of life? A lot."

This quote emphasizes the high value people place on health and longevity, which is a key selling point in fitness.

"But the reality is that the widget is just a vehicle to get them to the promised land."

The quote illustrates that the actual product or service (the "widget") is not the end goal but a means to achieve a larger transformation (the "promised land").

• The "promised land" is a metaphor for the ultimate goal or transformation that the service provides.
• Selling the dream of a better lifestyle, such as enjoying food without guilt or looking amazing among friends, is crucial.
• It's important to teach clients skills, like counting macros, that lead to sustainable habits and freedom from constant dieting.
• Fitness professionals should communicate how learning these skills will positively impact the client's life.

"And you have to have a vivid picture in your mind when you are selling to explain to them what the promised land really is."

This quote underlines the importance of having a clear and compelling vision of the transformation to effectively communicate it to clients.

"Like, what would that kind of freedom be like?"

The speaker is prompting the listener to visualize the benefits of achieving their health goals, which is a powerful sales technique.

• Salesmanship involves framing the fitness programs in an appealing way to the target audience.
• For example, renaming a program to "big booty boot camp" instead of "squat and deadlift seminar" can attract more clients.
• The essence of the program remains the same, but the presentation is tailored to what the prospect finds valuable.

"If I'm talking to you about how to do programming, if we have a six week squat and deadlift seminar, no girls are signing up for that. But if I have a six week big booty boot camp, tons of girls are signing up for that."

This quote shows how the same fitness program can be marketed differently to appeal to specific demographics, highlighting the importance of salesmanship.

• The ability to articulate the value of the transformation is crucial for successful sales.
• Salespeople often lose sales because they fail to communicate the promise effectively.
• Discussing the prospect's personal history and struggles can help personalize the value proposition.
• A "damaging admission" can be used to build trust and show understanding of the prospect's challenges.

"So to bring this home for your salespeople, if they are losing sales, most of the time, it is because they have not been able to articulate the value of the promise that we are making."

This quote identifies a common issue in sales—failure to convey the value of the product or service—which can lead to lost sales opportunities.

"So there, I put a damaging admission in, and then all of a sudden, they're like, wow, he's really talking to me."

The speaker discusses using a "damaging admission" as a sales technique to create a personal connection and show empathy to the prospect.

• Being direct and serious when discussing sensitive topics like weight can have a strong impact on the prospect.
• Using directness can convey the gravity of the situation and the importance of the transformation offered.

"Look at the person in the eye and you're like, don't laugh. It's not funny."

This quote demonstrates how a direct approach can be used to address a prospect's self-deprecating humor about a serious issue, emphasizing the importance of the transformation being sold.

• Coping mechanisms can be used to cover up the need to take action.
• Laughing about not reaching goals can be a form of coping.
• Recognizing the need for change is essential for personal transformation.

"is a coping mechanism that we use to cover up something that we know that we need to do, right? So right now, you know that you haven't been getting to where you want to go, and so you cope with that by laughing about it."

This quote emphasizes the idea that humor can be a way to avoid confronting personal shortcomings or the need for change.

• The value proposition lies in understanding the gap between current state and desired goals.
• Reiterating the value of solving the problem can be persuasive.
• Offering a transformative outcome justifies the investment.

"The value proposition is in the gap, right? It's in that, why are you here? And what's the problem that we're trying to solve? And then where do you want to go? And you continue to stack and reiterate the value to the point of ridiculousness."

This quote clarifies that the value proposition is about bridging the gap between the present situation and the desired outcome, and that it's important to emphasize this value repeatedly.

• Conviction is necessary for clients to believe in the possibility of change.
• Social proof, such as testimonials, can strengthen conviction.
• Testimonials show success stories of similar individuals who have achieved their goals.

"And so it's like, what would it take for you to believe? Would it take having lots of people who are just like you, who wanted to get to where you want to go, who have already done it? Well, that's why we have this big wall."

The quote suggests that seeing others who have successfully achieved similar goals can help build belief in the service or program.

• Limiting beliefs can prevent people from taking action.
• Asking questions can help uncover these beliefs.
• Understanding past failures is key to overcoming doubts.

"And then if that does not convince them, then there is a limiting belief that you need to uncover, which is why asking questions like, why don't you think you would be able to achieve it?"

This quote emphasizes the importance of identifying and addressing the underlying doubts or limiting beliefs that prevent individuals from committing to change.

• Regular check-ins and measurements can provide necessary accountability.
• Emotional support is crucial for maintaining progress.
• Without accountability, it's easy to revert to old habits.

"So probably needs to be a little bit more than that. And you probably needed more communication to keep you on track so that the moment when you actually fell off, from an emotional standpoint, you could get right back on, rather than waiting a month when you'd already pretty much made decision to stop."

The quote highlights the need for more frequent and supportive accountability to prevent relapse and ensure sustained progress.

• Learning to cook and becoming self-reliant are important for long-term success.
• Dependence on meal services can be a pitfall.
• Acquiring skills leads to independence and sustainability.

"They're giving you fish rather than you learning how to fish."

This metaphor illustrates the difference between being provided with a solution and learning the skills necessary to create one's own solutions, emphasizing the importance of skill acquisition for lasting change.

• Discusses the importance of resistance training in increasing metabolic rate.
• Highlights the goal of being able to eat desired foods while maintaining ideal weight.
• Emphasizes the concept of balance in diet, not extreme restriction.

Muscle so that you could build your metabolic engine to burn more.

This quote explains the purpose of building muscle through resistance training to increase the body's ability to burn calories.

So that when you actually get to your ideal weight, you're actually burning more calories, not less.

The quote underscores the advantage of having a higher metabolic rate that continues to burn more calories even after reaching the target weight.

Wouldn't you like to get to your size two and eat the cake that you like?

Speaker A suggests the appeal of achieving weight goals while still being able to enjoy favorite foods.

I'm not saying you're going to eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I am saying that you do need to be able to have those things so that you don't have to say, I will never eat cake for the rest of my life.

The quote conveys the idea that moderation and occasional indulgence are sustainable for long-term dietary habits.

• Explains the necessity of making a product or service valuable to the customer.
• Stresses the importance of understanding and communicating the true impact of what is being offered.
• Encourages the use of emotional and generational impact as a part of the value proposition.

On top of that, just to show you that I put my money where my mouth is, if for any reason between out in the end of the eight weeks or whatever it is you feel like you're not getting the service and the value that I'm promising you right now, I'll give your money back.

Speaker A offers a money-back guarantee to establish trust and show confidence in the value of the service.

We've done this a lot of times you can trust us.

The quote builds credibility by referencing past successes and experience.

Generational health. Not generational wealth, but generational health. What kind of legacy are you leaving your kids?

Speaker A introduces the concept of 'generational health' to emphasize the long-term impact and importance of the service being sold.

You're coping with the fact that you realize that you have failed, but that's why you're here. And we're going to change that.

The quote is used to address potential customer objections by acknowledging past failures and offering a solution.

• Outlines a strategy for simplifying sales conversations.
• Encourages asking customers direct questions to address their unique concerns.
• Suggests using evidence of past successes to reassure customers.

So the next thing is, if you feel like you are a special snowflake, which is possible, why do you feel like you're a special snowflake?

Speaker A encourages questioning the customer to understand their unique concerns and past experiences that may affect their decision-making.

Usually it's because of a past failure they don't understand and so you need to explain to them why that was a failure and why this will be different this time.

The quote suggests that sales teams should educate customers on why previous attempts didn't work and how their offering is different.

• Motivates the sales team to remain passionate and not become desensitized to their impact.
• Reminds the team of the emotional significance of their work to each individual customer.
• Encourages the team to maintain a sense of urgency and importance in their sales approach.

Because we're so numb to it. Because we've taken so many people through this transformation that we don't even have an emotional attachment to it anymore.

Speaker A acknowledges the risk of becoming indifferent due to frequent exposure to successful outcomes, which can diminish the perceived value of their work.

But the thing is, that person on that day is life changing to them.

This quote reminds the sales team that each customer's experience is unique and significant, warranting genuine enthusiasm and care.

• Expresses a desire to create content that resonates with the audience.
• Seeks feedback on the style and substance of content.
• Encourages audience interaction with the content through tagging, commenting, and liking.

If you guys do like this tag and comment so I can know if this is more of the style that you guys like, I can make one, whatever.

Speaker A invites the audience to engage with the content to gauge interest and tailor future content to audience preferences.

Hope you all are having an amazing Tuesday. Two times Tuesday wanted to give you a tactical Tuesday piece of content.

The quote shows an effort to theme content for engagement and indicates a regular schedule for content delivery (e.g., Tactical Tuesday).