Are You Solving A Problem or THE Problem?
I walked by the Apple store and my phone buzzed in my pocket.It was an alert, from Apple asking me if I needed any accessories for my new phone since I was close to the store. I looked at my phone, turned off my location services, looked up at the big white logo, walked in and bought a new charger. Yet another win for Apple.
Your message has to resonate in order to be heard. Telling people what you do is far different than evoking the proper emotion in the right moment that converts a prospect to a buyer. As salespeople, we are faced with walls of noise. The only way to really be heard is to align your voice with the needs of your people in the right moment. Anyone can meet basic needs, (good service), but you need to solve THE problem. What problem are you solving today? Is it THE problem?
The Needs Of Most People
Tony Robbins categorizes human needs in six buckets: 1) Certainty, 2) Uncertainty/Variety, 3) Significance, 4) Connection, 5) Growth, and 6) Contribution. I encourage you to review his article for context. Service providers typically deal with two distinct client groups: referral partners and clients. Their needs are different enough that they warrant a deeper dive into each group.
Referral Partners
Most service providers, including Realtors, need some combination of more time, more money and risk management. We get time back by making processes more efficient or decreasing the number of phone calls per transaction. Money comes from new business or efficiency and we manage risk by being referrable. Simple right?
Clients
Buying a home is a big deal, a really big deal. Clients are most interested in how your process maximizes certainty, so that their dream of homeownership can be realized or their income goals met. You do this by continually building trust, showcasing your knowledge and doing what you say.
We have a general road map, what do we do next? There are two choices: Option one, plow ahead like you know exactly what everyone wants and get crackin’ on your elevator pitch. Option two, ask some questions and see what people have to say. I like option two, but only if it doesn’t prevent you from arriving quickly at your destination, a killer elevator pitch!
Simple Four Dimensional Discovery
If option two is your game (it should be) it is time to start asking questions. Here is the process I recommend:
Brainstorm 5-10 people in the following buckets: Referral partner you work with now, referral partner you would like to work with, client that has done business with you, and potential client.
Formulate a great e-mail asking for help in answering a few quick questions.
Use Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to build your simple questionnaire.
Send the email and follow up with calls. You will likely need to re-send the link to your form as many folks will just ignore it.
Note: You can also talk to these folks, and fill out the form yourself. The challenge is when you are sitting in front of someone, it is easy to steer the conversation and miss the subtlety.
The Questions
As I have mentioned, I am a reformed over-complicator. My customer satisfaction surveys are one question and I have taken discovery surveys from 50 questions down to a max of four. For existing partners or clients, the best methodology is “Keep-Start-Stop”. For new potential partners or clients you want to know a few things: What is the greatest risk and greatest challenge in their business plan? Also, what is the greatest strength and largest gap with the last transaction or their current partner.
Ask the questions, compile the answers. If you are like me, you will say, “I already know this”. Now, take a deep breath and look closer. Review the language used, the specific words, the tone of the responses. This is where the magic lives. Summarize the answers from your four groups and hang it on the wall. This is how we get to a pitch that rises above the noise.
This is the second in a five part series to help you build your UVP. Check in next week for a discussion of your platform.
Why Your UVP Matters: Your elevator pitch is probably horrible.
Know Your Client: What exactly does your client need to make a buying decision? – This one, the one you just read.
Understand Your Uniqueness: What differentiates you from the rest?