‘Sell why, not what’ – more inspiration from our Head of Sales
Sell why, not what.
If you have a product that your customers want, selling becomes more a question of why than what. When a customer buys your product, ask yourself: why do they buy it from you, rather than a retail chain, or one of your competitors?
The answer is that they’re buying into your story just as much as they’re buying the product or service they’re after.
Tell your story
As a small business owner, you have a unique opportunity to engage customers with your personal vision; the reason you started the business can also serve as the reason they should buy from you.
Maybe you’re an independent retailer standing up to big chains to restore communities and take back the UK’s high streets. Or maybe you’re a start-up disrupting the status quo with an innovative product, that’s going to both improve the lives of its customers and also encourage a spirit of national innovation and creativity.
Either way, the passion that powers your business should also power your sales strategy.
Figure out your customer’s story
So take a few minutes today to determine what your vision is – a few sentences that sum up the reason your business exists.
Why is your customer buying this product? Why are they in your store in the first place? Find out what motivates your customer, and try to combine your needs with theirs. Hopefully, your business aims to benefit customers in some way (otherwise, you’d better ask yourself again why you started!).
Maybe you’re the closest store to their home or office, maybe they were intrigued by your brand name, maybe they believe in supporting independents. In each case, you need to find ways your business can answer the need that drove them there – whether it’s convenience, price, consumer ethics or just curiosity.
And while establishing this, don’t forget to build it in the bigger story of your business – your ‘why’. Even if your USP is price, let your customers into your deeper story. If you’re cheap, they might keep coming back. But if they believe in what you do, they definitely will.
