7
The Master Plan
I LOVE TO SELL. I love the art of selling. But I also know that I will always sell more when I give first. A strong brand is built on trust. No one will trust a brand that offers little value while cramming a pitch down their throat. Nobody likes to be pitched to over and over. I'm not saying you can't pitch; by all means, do. You'll have to if you want to survive and thrive.
But you must change your game plan. It is far more effective to give something of value away before you ask for the sale. Most businesses try to sell right out of the gate. Before you ask someone for money, you have to provide them with value first. Inform. Then sell.
No one woke up this morning and said, “I hope someone tries to sell me something today!”
Understand that the person who delivers the most value wins. You beat out your competition by providing more value than them, especially upfront. You must educate and help your audience more than your competition does. Prospects will gravitate toward those who help them out.
I was speaking at an event once that featured a solid lineup of speakers. It was a marketing event where each speaker was allowed to sell their products at the end of their presentation. While eating breakfast with the other speakers, I couldn't help but hear one them bragging about how well he sells from the stage. He was very confident, that's for sure.
As it turned out, this guy spoke right before my time slot. Each speaker was allotted 60 minutes for the presentation ...
