Towards or Away?

October 24, 2016

Not too long ago I asked if you were an aspirin or a vitamin.

Another way to consider this is the concept of towards vs away.

In the art of persuasion, negotiation, and selling—and all of life is sales—the one thing you must have is movement.

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.

While most (amateur) salespeople think their ideal prospects are those who are grounded, knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and studiously looking for a way to improve their current situation, i.e. “towards” a better solution such as a vitamin to avoid headaches, they would be mistaken, which is why they are amateurs.

Professional salespeople know that their best prospects, those who will buy quickly, pay a premium, never complain or ask for a refund are those moving away from a big pain or issue, i.e. the aspirin buyers. 

I’m at a resort in Scottsdale today about to speak to a room of aspiring speakers and I went to the gift shop to buy some mints and what do I see prominently displayed on the shelves and at the check out counter? Aspirin. 

Expensive aspirin.

Aspirin in small quantities so you have to buy multiple packages at the high price. 

Why do they offer aspirin in such small packages at high prices?

Because this resort knows its audience.

These are travelers who are probably eating too much, drinking too much, sleeping too little, and therefore have headaches.

They are moving away from a headache and since the resort gift shop is the only choice the guests will pay whatever the resort charges to make the pain go away. 

Sure, the guest could hop in their rental car or call an Uber or walk the one block to one mile to a convenience store to buy a bottle of aspirin, but what’s their time worth?

What will Uber cost? How bad is their pain?

The key to making every sale is to position yourself in such a way that those moving quickly away from pain find you and see you as their only solution.

That’s why I say there are two types of sales:

  1. The easy ones, and

  2. Those you don’t get.

Good Selling,