Make This One Shift And Everything Will Change For Your Sales & Marketing

Sometimes the simple shifts we need to make in sales and marketing can be the hardest. Our wagon wheels tend to stay in well-worn paths.

This one shift is worth the extra effort to break free.

Here’s the shift that many sales and marketing approaches needs to make:

Shift from talking about you to talking about the problem you solve for your prospect.

Here’s what this means, and why it matters.

When you talk about you, your prospect cannot hear you very well. Prospects are looking to solve a problem. They want to know how you’ll help them slay their dragons. When you talk about you, or your company, or your product, instead of talking about how you’ll solve their problem, you make it hard for your prospect.

Prospects should be the hero of the story. You should be the guide ready to equip them to win the battle. You are Mr. Miyagi not Daniel.

Lack of clarity on solving the prospect’s problem also leaves sales and marketing (and product) teams frustrated and blaming each other when things aren’t going well. This isn’t any fun!

Life’s too short to be pointing fingers.

There is a simple shift you can make – whether you’re a solopreneur or an enterprise organization.

We know that prospects care most about their problems. We know they need help solving their problems. So, put you, your company, and your product to the side (at least for a minute) and talk about the problem you solve for your customer.

If you’re already doing this, great! You can stop reading here. If you think you are already doing this, even cursory glances at websites, marketing cadences, sales conversations, and product releases suggest otherwise.

It’s why many sales and marketing messages start something like this:

• We provide unparalleled service…
• I do this for my clients…
• Our new feature…

Notice these all-too-common statements are you-centric instead of prospect-centric. They may benefit your prospects, but it’s about you. If you're open to it, try these three things to help shift your focus to the problem you solve for your prospect:

ONE: Every time you have the urge to say “we,” “I,” or “our,” change it to, “this,” “it,” or “you’re.”

TWO: Incorporate the words: “ability to,” “allows,” or “enables…”

THREE: Create compelling messaging that speaks to the problem you solve for your prospect.

Notice the difference when I use these language suggestions:

• This simple shift in your sales and marketing efforts provides you the ability to transform your messaging to attract more prospects and win you more business.
• Unlike many sales and marketing tips that lack actionable steps for your unique context, this shift enables you to put these principles into use right away so you see tangible results, fast. You’re able to hit the ground running.
• It’s a subtle shift in your messaging that allows you to capture the attention of your prospects and outsmart your competition, providing you more opportunities to help more customers.

Notice how this messaging is all about you (the reader of this post). I never talked about me. I highlighted the problem I solve for you – how to attract more customers, win more business, beat the competition…etc. I could go on and highlight how this approach enables you to align your sales, marketing, and product teams. In short, this is the ability you will have if you make this shift.

Here are three shortened versions of the above that highlight the problem solved:

1. Attract more prospects with this formula (problem = not enough leads)
2. Stop rolling the dice with your messaging (problem = poor clarity and missing your target audience's concern)
3. Outsmart the competition with your messaging (problem = losing to competitors)

The formula is simple – make sure your prospect and your prospect’s problem (not you, your company, or your product) is the subject of the story you’re telling.

This one shift enables you to get the attention of your prospect much more effectively. If this is done across sales, marketing, and product, it changes the game entirely.

Bonus – when you do make this shift, everyone will feel good about selling because you’ll be solving people’s problems. Helping people feels good!

I hope this helps.

PS - I’m finishing up a book on sales. It’s a little different than traditional sales books so it may not be for you. To learn more, visit FeelGoodAboutSelling.com