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It's the question I'm sometimes afraid to hear from my wife: "Oh, you're going to the store? Could you pick me up some [detailed, miscellaneous items]?" Forget about the extra trip down an aisle or spending a few more bucks. The real problem is getting the exact item that she wants: the light (not fat free) French vanilla ice cream or the newest version of baked (not regular) chips. By now, my wife has learned a valuable trick to get the exact item she wants: she shows me the empty box. Why is producing a visual the easiest way for her to explain and for me to understand exactly what she wants? And why is it easier for me to remember that exact product when I get to the store? Simple: we think in pictures. Because our minds use pictures to digest and remember information, communication is best when we use images. Unfortunately, salespeople spend too much time choosing their words rather than creating images for their customers. They use words like "best," "quality," and "service" to describe their company or product. These words are used so frequently by salespeople that they have become absolutely meaningless to customers. They mean different things to different people. When salespeople depend on them to convey a certain image or idea to make the sale, the message is unclear and the sale is lost. Only YOU have the understanding of what these words mean to your business because you have the first-hand experience with your company. How did you get this wonderful understanding? You have seen the examples, heard the stories, and talked with customers who love you. Because of this, you have pictures to accompany these otherwise empty words. Your customers, however, do not share these same associations. They don't understand these words as you do because they don't have the same mental pictures you have associated with these words. They don't know about the customer you saved from a difficult situation when the service department was able to rush a team to their office on a holiday to fix their equipment, no questions asked. They don't know about the time your customer won a large account because of the impeccable quality of the products they bought from you. They don't know these things, only you do. It is your job as a salesperson to share these pictures with them in order to fully illustrate what you can do for them. Too many salespeople rely on lists, brochures, FAQs, and comparative charts to aid them in the sales process. They don't understand the power of a good story. Using stories to illustrate the quality and service of your company engages your customers and makes it easy and entertaining for them to digest all the wonderful information you give them. By visualizing your stories, they will have a clear understanding of what your product and company is all about. Creating images also leaves a memorable impression in your customer's mind. Just as it is easier for me to remember a product by its box, it will be easier for your customer to remember YOU by your stories. The next time they are in a meeting and are asked about which vendor to go with, you and your story will be at the front of their mind. The great thing about using pictures is that they not only help your customer understand you, they help your customer relate to you as well. Because stories and images are clearly understood, customers feel more at ease when salespeople use them. Understanding your message clearly and comfortably makes your customer feel good about you, your company, and your product, too. With pictures, it's easy for customers to understand and remember how you and your product exemplify the words that other salespeople only talk about. So grab that paintbrush and start painting! Tom Richard, gives seminars, runs sales meetings, and provides coaching for salespeople. Tom is also the author of Smart Salespeople Don't Advertise: 10 Ways to Outsmart Your Competition With Guerilla Marketing, and publishes a free weekly ezine on selling skills titled Sales Muscle. To subscribe to this free weekly ezine go to http://www.tomrichard.com/subscribe
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