Features Tell, But The Need Sells

I remember back when I first started surfing, I made a rookie mistake. It was in the beginning of January, so it was freezing cold outside.​​ The water temperature was about 40 degrees, and the wind was 20-25 miles per hour. The waves were pretty rough that day. Not very ideal for a beginner, but I was going out anyway. I did not care about the conditions. So I got in my wetsuit, and started heading into the water. It was not very long until I realized that I forgot my wax. Wax is crucial for grip on the board and not slipping off. There were other surfers out there, so I went around asking if any of them had any wax, no luck. I was already there so I decided to surf anyway. As I'm paddling out, I struggled to get out there without the wax, I kept slipping off my board. A big wave hit me, and knocked me off my board and held me down underwater. I genuinely felt like I was going to drown. I finally got back on my board, and another wave threw me off my board again. I was exhausted and I was freezing. I decided to just get out, I was done. That wax would have saved me from a lot of trouble if I had just remembered it or someone else had some. 

How Does Any Of That Have To Do With Selling?

        Whatever it is that you're selling, your customers usually don’t care about all the features and specifications. Quality matters, but that’s not what sells. Whatever it is that you're selling, you have to convince people they need it. You don’t talk about your product, you talk about their needs. The thing is I didn’t care about the brand or if it was the right wax for the right temperature of the water. I just needed it. If someone had it, I would have taken it, no questions asked. 

Don’t Forget to Apply This To Your Business, Like I Forgot To Apply Wax To My Board.

How do I do that?

1.        What is Your Customers “Surfing Wax” -  what is it that they need? You have to be able to relay to your customer what they need. You have to be able to point out that need directly, instead of giving them a long list of  details about your product or service.

2.      Your Customer is DROWNING – You can be their lifeguard, you can SAVE them. Tell them how they can benefit from you.

3.      Build Trust – I would have taken wax from anyone, because I knew that it would help me. Your customers need to trust that your product could actually help them. If they dont trust you they won't buy from you. It is that simple.

By focusing on your customers needs and showing them how you can actually solve it, you will create a better relationship with your audience, and drive more sales. Remember it is not about selling a product, it's about SELLING THE NEED!