Technology can be both a wonderful ally or a debilitating foe, especially when it comes to selling in the digital age.
There are numerous studies that all come to a similar conclusion— that buyers know an insane amount of information about your products and services before you ever engage with them. We can thank the internet, and specifically Google, for this. Buyers are more informed than ever, which means that they are careful and conscientious about business decisions and know that, in many cases, they have a wide variety of options to choose from.
Because information is so readily available on the internet, buyers have a tendency to not remember presentations or pitches because they know that they can easily find the information on their own later. I call this the “Google Effect”.
It’s important for your business to be easy to find on Google. However, as salespeople, it is our job to impress upon buyers that we are their most powerful and reputable resource. This requires us to establish a high level of trust with prospects and customers.
Really savvy sellers are aware of this phenomenon and are intentional about creating memorable interactions that establish and build trust.
3 Ways Ultra-High Performers Create Memorable Connections
Ultra-high performers tend to immediately shift conversations with buyers from logic to emotion.
You can’t Google search emotion. You experience emotion. By connecting to an individual on an emotional basis, you set yourself apart as memorable and avoid being lumped in with the masses. You’re more than just a link on a search engine results page.
Ultra-high performers focus on value instead of pitches.
What they do is frame their messages in terms of the impact they can create through solving the customer’s unique challenges. They also map out the path to the specific results that the engaged party is striving for. Not only do ultra-high performers provide a solution, but they also illustrate exactly how that solution will be executed to achieve the customer’s desired outcomes.
This messaging strategy separates you from the competition because they simply are not having these conversations with their targets. This is the one scenario where being alone on the road is a good thing.
People remember stories. It’s in our DNA and it’s hardwired in us.
The power of storytelling dates back to caveman times. It’s how we connect on a deeper level and develop relationships. And, it’s not something that can be “Googled”. You can’t look up someone’s personal story. Ultra-high performers insert stories in almost every message to prospects and customers to bridge an emotional connection.
And this is not a difficult strategy to implement. You create stories every single day through lived experiences and lessons learned.
Here’s an example:
One day last year, I was sitting on the beach watching the waves crash into the people in the surf. Some people let the waves hit them straight on and they fell.
Other people rode the same waves. They adapted to their environment and elegantly glided along the rolling surf. History tells us that there will always be “waves” of disruption.
In every case, people have choices: let the waves crush them or learn how to ride the waves. In every bit of chaos over the course of history, companies or people who made the choice to view the times as an opportunity emerged ahead of the competition.
I use this story to reinforce the importance of training and investing in yourself, even when the timing may not seem right.
The messages you convey through stories matter. Always try to differentiate yourself so that you don’t fall victim to the “Google Effect”.
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Guest Author: Keith Lubner
This article first appeared in www.salesgravy.com
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