Sales Information |
Dropped Jaw Syndrome, Your Fastest, Most Reliable Market Test
Business owners should be more like doctors. Forget selling and start asking your customers where they hurt. Broken leg? Ulcer? Empty wallet? Don't sell, diagnose. And what are you as a doctor looking for? Well, of course: that ever-illusive, yet ever- profitable disease called Dropped Jaw Syndrome. OK, it may not be in any medical book. But Dropped Jaw Syndrome, however rare, is known to anyone who's ever tried to sell something. The customer walks into your store, listens to your pitch and falls into an awestruck trance. "I'll take three of them." Joking aside, the dropped jaw, or at least its symptoms, are the fuel behind every sale. When a customer is persuaded to buy, their reaction isn't logical. You've connected with the part of their brain that decides if you and your product are believable, the limbic system. Sure, you still need to persuade with facts, but logic is a distant second to their desire to buy, their reflexive dropping jaw. Diagnosing Dropped Jaw The key is finding the dropped jaw, tracking the symptoms back to their source. But it's there. And it's quite easy to find once you stop thinking about your product for a moment and focus on the customer... I mean, patient. Don't believe me? Well, put on a white coat, hang a stethoscope around your neck and do some market tests of your own. But this is a test you have to do face to face. Forget the demographic studies, sales plans and benchmark reports, and get in front of a customer. Now, take his temperature, make your pitch. And follow it through the customer's reaction. Did his jaw drop? Hmm. You must have done something wrong. Try again, but listen like a doctor searching for a heart murmur. Ask a question, offer information, and then hear the subtleties of his response. And when you're diagnosing a customer, instead of trying to sell your product, something changes. You become more attuned to the subtle dropped jaw and related body language. And you ask more accurate questions. You notice which of the claims and benefits penetrate the customer's protective indifference, sparking real interest. Of course, most salespeople already do this to a degree, but it must be done intentionally, consciously. The true advantage of Dropped Jaw Syndrome comes from changing your role for a moment, from selling and telling to assessing what customers want, even when they can't say it in words. Demand that you live up to their desires. Because if you're not dropping jaws, you're in danger of falling behind the competition. Worse, you're probably overlooking your company's uniqueness. Diagnosing Your Pitch In searching for dropped-jaw reactions, some companies have made unbelievable claims central to their promotions. We've all seen the TV commercials where "Crazy Joe" says he's so insane he's practically giving away the furniture in his store. Better are claims that are striking and stand out from the competition, but don't over-promise. Consider "Have it your way" (Burger King) or "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking" (Timex). In establishing your own unique proposition, the dropped jaw test is quick and reliable. Customers, whether they know it or not, are very good at distinguishing between businesses they trust and those they don't. Let them tell you how you're doing. Building Customer Confidence I discovered the Dropped Jaw Syndrome years ago. It started with my claim that I can assess the health of a business by looking only at its business card. And when I would point out the subtle messages on their cards, most of them unintended, people's jaws would drop. The value of the dropped jaw test is the perspective it imparts. By listening to the customer or putting yourself in her shoes, you're more likely to notice the "small potatoes" signals you're sending. Such telltale signs aren't based on the business size or age. But once you recognize them they can be easily repaired. As you play doctor, it's your job to notice what hurts the customer and cure it. When you find ways to make your customers jaws drop, you'll take their pain away. And that will make your business a healthy one. ©2003 Lynella Grant About The Author Dr. Lynella Grant is an expert on the signals that make up the body language of a business. Author of The Business Card Book and Stop Looking Like Small Potatoes. Visit http://www.giantpotatoes.com. Off the Page Press (719) 395-9450 mailto:grant@giantpototoes.com
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Plan For Your Next Trade Show Appearance To Be A Success Most people who consider trade show planning think of it in terms of logistics planning. In other words planning for details like finding an exhibit, producing graphics, shipping the exhibit to the show, ordering services, etc. Throw Out Your Selling Language - Unlock Your Natural Voice I was sitting at my desk last week when my phone rang. I picked it up and said, "This is Ari with Unlock The Game. Smooth Sailing (Selling) In The Second Half of The Year You can make a difference in the second half! You can't do it by doing the same things the same way.You can make a difference in the second half every year! You can do it by thinking differently and being different. UK Sales and Marketing Terminology Terminology / AcronymsABC figures: This is the independently audited sales figure for all recognised publications in the UK. By using the ABC figure, you can quickly establish how much the advertising will cost per 1,000 readers. Recommending Products Vs. Selling Them Some of the best sales people I have ever met, were able to meet all of their sales goals without ever selling a thing. They simply recommended their products to their customers. Top 10 Ways to Sell your Product or Service While you Sleep - Part 1 Have you wasted valuable time and money on promotion that doesn't work? Have your announcements and news releases been ignored? Have you been too quiet about getting the word out how your product or service will help solve people's problems? Most of us are passionate about our work. We put a lot into coaching training; we know that we want to help others to create a better life or business. How To Get Your Mail Past The Gatekeeper And Into The Hands Of The Decision Maker GUARANTEED There are several ways to get your information into the decision maker's hands.Use "The Stealth Mail Method". How to Build Sales With Extended Benefits An area that can become profitable for many businesses in building the offer within sales copy is selling (or "upselling" customers with) extended services, products or packages, also often called the "extended warranty."Extended warranties are subtle forms of insurance policies that guarantee a product or service's performance, especially after an initial period of time. How to Make Sure You Sell More! Make sure you target women. It's true for almost anything you are selling. Selling Commodities "How do you create a perceived value to differentiate yourself from the competition, when you are both selling a commodity?" That's a question I'm often asked in my seminars. It uncovers a problem that is spreading to almost every industry. Exporting to Europe: Not the Challenges You Think If you plan to do sell your product or service in Europe the problems you encounter may not be the ones you expect. It's easy to focus on perceived difficulties, such as the so-called 'language barrier', while not noticing the real pitfalls - until it's too late. YOUR Future Profits -- Protect Source With CARE At 21 years, just out of Business College, I went into the mail-order business. Spent 4-1/2 years in this venture and learned many valuable lessons about building customer relationships. Peddlers, Hucksters, & Empty Suits Ever feel like you were "just a salesperson"? I think anyone who has been in sales for awhile has thought or felt this at sometime in their career. In some fields, sales is such a dirty word that they've created euphemisms to try and reclaim some dignity. Selling the Difficult: How to Sell What People Dont Understand How to Buy I'll play a seller, using conventional selling methods, selling something difficult to understand; you be the prospective buyer. As we go through the process together, note your reactions, how your beliefs are being challenged, what 'objections' and emotions come up for you as I try to 'sell' you. The Never Ending Sale Once you have added a new customer to your book of business, plan on keeping that customer until you have all of their business, and the business of their family and friends.This way you can ensure having their business forever. How To Shorten The Selling Cycle And Reduce Buying Stalls The main reason for buyer resistance and selling stalls boils down to one simple fact: the reasons for not buying are bigger to the prospect than the reason to buy.If you sell an intangible product or service, it may be even tougher to close down a sale because your product or service is not something people can see, touch, or feel. The Importance of Good Sales Leads An important part of your business plan should be to generate a steady stream of qualified leads. Making sure that leads flow into your "pipeline" will be one of the most vital aspects of your overall business. How Can Fundraising Consulting Help Us Raise Money? If you need to hold a fundraiser and don't know where to begin there is help out there for you. It is time for you to seek fundraising consulting advice especially if your fundraising event is going to be on a larger scale. Want More Sales? Write A Barry Bonds Sales Letter I'm not a baseball fan. Never have been. Use Pain To Get Commitments Whenever I speak with new salesreps and entrepreneurs, I hear a similar frustration: "I call a lot of prospects each week, most of which are really hard to get a hold of. When I do get someone on the line, I am thrilled just to talk to them. |
home | site map | contact us |