Lead With Emotion … Sell With Success!
Lead With Emotion … Sell With Success!
“Being different simply means you have something unique to offer the world.” – MotivationalPictureQuotes.com
Have you ever tried the “Uncola?”
Maybe you’re shaking your head. Or you’re saying “What?”
It’s OK: Many of us weren’t even alive when this famous advertising campaign peaked.
If you’re not in the mood for a history lesson, take my word: This is going somewhere.
The soft drink Seven-Up wasn’t doing well in the 1960s. Its sales trailed far behind cola competitors Coke and Pepsi. The brand needed a kickstart. The Seven-Up Company hired a Chicago ad agency to spur the resurgence.
The J. Walter Thompson firm seized on a timely strategy: portray Coke and Pepsi as “Establishment” products, at a time when the nation was wracked with anti-Vietnam War protests and civil unrest. Seven-Up would be branded as the beverage of youth, opposition and idealism – hence, the “Uncola.”
It worked. Seven-Up’s market share grew substantially, propelled by iconic TV ads such as this one featuring the rich baritone voice of actor Geoffrey Holder (being a keynote speaker, what I wouldn’t give for a voice like his!). A long line of classic, avant-garde advertising on different platforms kept the message going.
Why the success? Simple. The Seven-Up ads touched on an emotion, a need, a desire – specifically, to be rebellious and different. Consumers responded. They did so … because people are emotional buyers.
My last post touched on the concept of emotional selling, which taps into a foundational element of human brain activity. Our minds naturally process emotional responses faster than logic. Hit that emotion … and your chances for sales success grow exponentially.
Of course, we first have to overcome the mistake that every salesperson seems to make: opening a sales pitch with their product or service, or the organization they represent. Oooo, are the emotions taking hold? Do you feel an excited tingle the moment a caller first mentions their newest widget, or insurance plan, or car deal?
Of course not. The mortality rate of these sales calls hovers around 100 percent.
Remember, people buy people, not products or services. So why be shocked when you lead off with the latter, and your call success rate is somewhere less than zero? Maybe because you sound like everyone else? Maybe because you haven’t given the prospect a reason to care?
Let’s take a lesson from Seven-Up and Geoffrey Holder (I love that guy’s voice!). Be different from the competition. Leave a lasting impression. Make them remember you.
As my career as an inspirational speaker has grown, this premise has solidified itself in my mind like no other. Its roots go back much deeper, though.
I worked several years in the financial services industry. It’s where I learned to cold call successfully. I did so by telling a story of personal heartbreak.
My father-in-law was a great guy. I was so fortunate to know him. Being men, we always shook hands. Never hugged. It’s what guys do, right?
He died suddenly at age 60. I was crushed.
I never got to say goodbye. Blamed myself for not being closer to him. My regret knew no bounds.
It was my first encounter with someone close passing unexpectedly. I realized this could happen to anyone, at any time.
I thought about it further. What if they hadn’t prepared financially? Would they leave their family in dire straits, unable to pay bills?
The experience clarified my mission. I would provide financial products to help others … and let them know why I was passionate about doing so.
It worked. Prospects picked up on my emotion. Even if I just called them once, and again a few months later, they recalled “you’re the guy whose father-in-law died” (some remembered “father,” but who’s counting?)
More so, people opened conversations. Many, many had similar experiences. We’d talk. Relationships formed. Meetings followed … and sales.
Think I’d get the same result had I opened calls with “Hi, my name is Paul, and I’d like to talk to you about life insurance …?”
People buy people. Pretty simple, huh?
Still, don’t treat sales like a dating app. A prospect doesn’t care initially about your personal or professional qualifications. Start rattling them off, and be ready for some really short calls.
Rather, focus on your intangibles. What makes you, you?
Every person has unique traits. These aren’t taught in a classroom.
They’re the key to connecting with prospects, though. Put the person in “salesperson,” and see what happens.
My next post will explore these intangibles, and how to identify and use them. Understand that what you’re selling initially is yourself – not a product or service. Every time I take the podium as an event speaker, it’s all I have to sell.
Could we call you the “unsalesperson?” It’s worked before. We weren’t all born with a voice like Geoffrey Holder, but every one of us has something to sell.
(Paul M. Neuberger is President of The Starr Group, Founder/CEO of The Cold Call Coach, and a globe-trotting inspirational keynote speaker. Don’t miss his three-part webinar series, Paul’s Emergency Sales Kit, filled with timely instruction and advice for salespeople during a challenging period. Or, for an even deeper dive, try Cold Call University. Contact Paul at 414-313-8338 or via e-mail at pneuberger@starrgroup.com or coldcallcoachllc@gmail.com.)
