The Client Letter
August 14, 2012
Sedona, Arizona
Partly Cloudy 77 Degrees
Yesterday, my 5 year old, Talula, made her first cake. She described the final product as a vanilla cake. Although it was a pretty unique creation, it actually didn’t taste too bad. Considering she had no recipe and that she’s FIVE, it was actually quite successful.
People love cake. People love cookies.
Walk down the street offering cake and cookies and even the worst salesperson in the world would probably have some real success.
Walk down the street with a big bowl full of cake batter, however, and things probably won’t go as well.
Excepting the genetically unique individuals (like some of my kids) that actually LIKE eating batter out of a bowl, most people would rather have the finished product.
For many years in my business, I sold batter. I sold the “inputs” that I was good at doing.
I walked around with a big bowl of “what I do” and offered it up to people.
I guess this is how I really honed my ability to sell because I sure didn’t help myself with how I presented my service.
People will pay a lot for a cookie. They will pay far less (and be less excited) about buying the batter.
When you’re selling the batter, you end up talking quite a bit about the batter.
This doesn’t help you. If someone wants a cookie, they don’t want a lecture about how the batter was made. They just want the cookie.
Talking about your “batter” destroys a lot of mystery about what you bring to the table. Don’t do this to yourself.
Take an Apple iPhone for example. There’s a product that’s surrounded by a great deal of magic and mystery. But if Apple walked everyone through the grueling multi-year process that was required to create the iPhone… well, some of the magic would disappear. That’s why they say LESS and just offer you the magic cookie.
It’s the same thing with a magician. The trick is magic. Knowing the secret removes that magic from the situation. It is a complete “downer” when you get the secret explained to you.
Your clients don’t want batter. They want cookies. Sell the cookies. Sell the cake. Do you know what those are for your clients?