EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

Many of you that follow the Training Buffet, Help Yourself have figured out that I write about things that happen to me. I like taking non-sales related incidents and relating them to sales. I believe that most things we do, most things we say, and most things we experience can be related to selling.

Today I was in a store and they had a display set up with a young woman next to it handing out samples. The sign next to the display said, “JUST LIKE THE NATIONAL BRAND”. This brought to my mind a commercial for Toyotas that I have seen telling me that if so many cars compare themselves to Toyota Camry, why shouldn’t you just buy the Toyota Camry instead of the want-to-be’s?

I had to laugh, let’s face it we have all seen this kind of advertising thousands of times for everything from frozen pizza to airlines and until Toyota said it, how many of us thought about the idea, why should I buy the knock off when I can get the real thing?

When I got home I was in the kitchen and saw a bottle of hand lotion my wife has on the counter top and in big bold print across the entire front of the bottle it said, “HEALS LIKE A CREAM”.  I was already going to write about this subject but now I was really getting excited about the topic.

I started thinking about all the sales calls I have made while riding with reps and how many times I heard a rep tell a customer, “IT IS JUST LIKE ….” and I never thought to correct them. Telling a customer that your product is “JUST LIKE” another better known product is stupid when you think about it. I understand that in most cases the customer doesn’t think the way I am thinking now and they simply go right past the statement, but if just one customer thinks like I am and you lose the sale because of making the comparison isn’t it smart to STOP comparing your product like that?

I can hear your thoughts (really I can) you are thinking if comparing helps the customer better understand what your product or service is or what your product or service does isn’t it worthwhile making the comparison? NOPE! At least not the way you are doing it now.

A better way is not to compare your product with the other product, but to compare the other product to yours. Instead of saying that your product or service is “JUST LIKE” the others, turn it around and say something to the affect of, “There are other products that come close to working like my product” or “There are other companies that offer services that are close to mine” and end with, “but close isn’t the same is it?

By setting your product or service as the judging point, you make the others have to come UP to your standards. Now it doesn’t matter what the other products or companies do or cost, they AREN’T the same as what you are offering.

Is this a small point? ABSOLUTELY! But like with most things, it isn’t the big stuff that will eat your lunch, it is the small things. If we pay attention to the small details, the big stuff will usually take care of itself.

I am sure you may have read other blogs that had information almost as good as the information here on the Training Buffet, Help Yourself. But there can only be one BEST, and you are reading it right now.

Lorin