Sales Techniques — One of the Most Powerful Selling Formulas

How would you like a simple formula that instantly makes your ads, talks, emails, web pages and other promotions more effective?

It’s PSC – FBA, referring to:

• PROBLEM — what problem does your product or service solve?
  .
  Even Disneyland is the solution to the problem, “What are we going to do with the kids during vacation?” — or “Where can we go to have an amazing vacation or break, something that makes us feel like kids again.”
  .
  So… what problem do you solve?
• SOLUTION — in a few words, (a) what is the solution you are offering? and (b) why is it better than what your prospect is already doing or considering?
• CREDIBILITY — why should anyone believe you?
• FEATURES — what are the key elements of your product or service?
• BENEFITS — how do these features benefit the prospect?
• ACTION — what next step or action should the potential customer take, if they are interested
  .
  (maybe giving your prospect a deadline to encourage them to act now — because only a few are available, or because the price or offer will soon be changing)?

This formula works because it goes through the thinking process — the same way a prospect goes through it in their mind:

• Have you identified a problem or issue I am interested in?
• What is the solution you are proposing?
• Why is that solution better than what I am using or considering?
• Why should I believe you?
• What are the features?
• How do those features benefit me?
• If I’m interested, what should I do next?

For example…

… Read More [ismember]

[Problem] Are you suffering from back pain and nothing seems to be helping?

[Solution] Well, the Teeter Upside-Down Back Machine for Inversion-Therapy might be exactly the solution you’ve been looking for. Unlike drugs that just mask the problem, it targets your back pain at the source, providing the easy and permanent relief you’ve wanted but were not able to find anywhere.

[Credibility] You’ve seen us advertised on TV; It’s helped millions of people like you, to find relief using it for just minutes a day; We have a AAA Rating with the Better Business Bureau; Read from our numerous testimonials; and we have a no-strings-attached money-back guarantee, so you have absolutely no risk.

[Features] It has unique and patented features, including movable acupressure nodes, a lumbar bridge and a free get-started-fast video

[Benefits] This means you can customize the Teeter to get fast relief for the specific areas causing you the most pain.

[Action] Order now. You get a 30-day in home trial for only $14.95. Ships to you FREE. TRY IT FOR 30 DAYS, then just 3 payments of $99.95.

[Action – Incentive] Plus, order today and you’ll get all these bonuses… video… (etc).

See how this process works.

A Simple Formula for Establishing Your Credibility

For the CREDIBILITY part, here are items to include — the DATES-USA formula: 

D-emonstration — how could you show that your product or service does what you claim?

Infomercials on TV depend on dramatic demonstrations to sell their products.

If you’re old enough, you may remember the “ring-around-the-collar” TV commercials, showing how Wisk laundry detergent solved this embarrassing problem.

Timex watches, with the tagline, “It took a licking but kept on ticking,” often showed a watch being abused and still working.

American Tourister used to have a gorilla in a cage manhandling their luggage, to show how strong their product was, even when manhandled… by a gorilla!

Coaches and trainers will often show a photo of a room filled with participants, maybe even explaining one of their methods in a way that helps people understand how their technique or process works.

In a shocking face-to-face demonstration, the top salesman for PPG glass (safety glass coated with plastic to limit the explosion of glass shards when it’s shattered) would pull out a piece of glass and and ball-peen hammer, and shatter the glass right in front of the potential client, showing how well the product worked. Eventually, he boosted his results even more, by handing the hammer and the glass to the client, and letting them shatter it.

The PPG example shows, especially in a live demonstration, how involving the prospect in the demonstration could dramatically increase its impact.

So… how could you demonstrate that your product or service actually does what you promise?

A-ffiliation – besides you, who says your product or service is any good?

You could include names of clients (especially notable ones), associations you are a member of, awards you have won, recommendations you have received and certifications you have received (Auto-Club Approved-Vendor), some well-known spokesmen (The George Foreman Grill)…

So… besides you, who says you’re any good?

T-estimonials – who is willing to state in public that they are happy with the results? 

A specific statement from a happy customer can be a valuable builder of credibility. The best testimonials contain specifics about what you did and how specifically they benefited.

Also, including the full name adds credibility, as does including a photo or (even better) an audio or video of the person giving their testimonial. With today’s iPhones and SmartPhones, getting a video testimonial is simple. Unfortunately, few people use this amazing tool that is now so easy to get.

So… do you have testimonials on your websites, talks and promotions?

E-motional Appeal – how could you boost the emotional interest of potential clients?

From the name of your product or service to the words and images you use to describe it, to the people and issues you associate with your product or service, all this could increase or decrease people’s interest in it.

Hooters and Playboy Magazine are prime examples of a product name that turns some people on and others off. As Bill Cosby explained, “I don’t know the secret to success. But the secret to failure is trying to please everyone.” This means, naming your product to be appealing to certain people can have significant advantages.

When President Reagan tried to sell the American people on his  missile system, he named it, “The Peacemaker Missile.” If we were trying to squelch his efforts, we could re-name it in the press — “The Baby-Killer Missile.” See how a name or description could motivate people to want or not want something?

Anita Roddick associated her The Body Shop chain of natural, help-the-environment perfumes and cosmetics, to saving the rain forests. This association, in her ads, her stores and on her trucks, endeared people to her in a way that typical advertising could not.

So… how are you emotionally engaging your audience?

S-tatistics – what statistics support your claims?

The Internet makes it so easy to find statistics that are relevant to your claims.

31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time. In fact one-half of working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year (Source: New England Journal of Medicine / American Chiropractic Association).

Isn’t that better than saying, lots of people have back pain?

So… what statistics could you use to validate your claims?

U-nique Position – how does your product or service fit in, compared to what the prospect is already familiar with?

“It’s just like X… except it’s…”

“Shopping at (our) online store is just like shopping at a Target Store, but without all the walking and waiting in long lines at the cash register.”

“Unlike water, Gatorade is loaded with the electrolytes your body needs to recover fast.”

See how effective this technique is, in clarifying exactly what your product or service is like compared with a product or item the person already knows?

How about this…

“Our media program will teach you how to become the next Oprah, without the 20-years of pain and struggle she had to go through.”

See how powerful this “analogy” technique can be?

Here are more examples…

“You have Nordstrom at the high end, Wal-Mart at the low end, and Target right in the middle — with classy items AND low prices.”

“Pork, the other white meat.” This gets people to think of using pork as an alternative to chicken.

“A picture is worth 10,000 lawsuits.”

So… what is your prospect already familiar with, and how do you fit into that?

S-pecifics – rather than generalizing, when describing your product, what specific number or fact can you use?

Don’t say “about half,” instead say 47.3% (if that’s the right number);

Don’t say, “everyone loves this product,” instead say,” almost two-thirds of the people who tried it asked for seconds;”

Don’t say, “our product is available at grocery stores everywhere,” instead say,  “Our Lemonade is available at Whole Foods, Lassens, and other wholesome food retailers;”

Don’t say, “It’s available in white, black and red,” instead say, “It’s available in Jet-Black, Emerald White and Flaming-Sunset Red.”

Specifics make your presentation more credible and stick the image more indelibly into your prospect’s brain.

93.7% of facts are made up on the spot! (this is an old joke, but I still love it. Doesn’t it sound credible?!)

So, what specifics could you use to describe your product or service?

A-nalogy – what is your product or service like?

Remember the anti-drug ads, “This your brain on drugs (egg falling into sizzling frying pan)… Any questions? This type of dramatic analogy could help skyrocket your credibility with potential customers, especially if they accept the relevance of the analogy to your product or service.

Developing a powerful analogy may seem complicated, but it’s worth the effort. One great analogy could last your entire career, in helping to bring in paying customers year in and year out.

Analogies are powerful because they paint pictures in your buyer’s mind. And pictures will often do a much better job than words ever can, in getting a person emotionally engaged and sold on your product or service.

So… what will enjoying your product or service be like, for your customer?

Of course, you don’t have to use all these tools to establish credibility. Still, the more you use, the more effectively you may be able to strengthen your credibility and emotional buy-in with prospects.

Try This On Your Own Product or Service

Don’t just read this and continue to the next article.

Try the PSC-FBA formula on your own product or service. It could be essential in establishing your selling message.

Do it once and it could last you for years and longer — helping simplify your ability to describe what you offer, and getting people interested and inspired enough that they will want to buy from you.

So, for your ads, emails, website and presentations, answer these…

What Problem do you solve: _______________________________________

What solution are you offering (in just a few words): _____________________

How is that solution better than what they already do: ___________________

What is your credibility: __________________________________________

What are the features (details, availability, warranty, etc): ________________

What are the benefits they’ll receive by going forward: ___________________

What can they do right now to get started: _____________________________

 

With the right answers, you may have the essence of a powerful presentation.

[/ismember]

Related Posts

• 

  Abandoned mom makes millions… selling animal-friendly cosmetics
  Abandoned mom makes millions… selling animal-friendly cosmetics
• 

  The 11 Best Internet Business Ideas — for Making REAL Money Online
  The 11 Best Internet Business Ideas — for Making REAL Money Online
• 

  The 12 Reasons You’re Not Getting Enough Web Traffic (and Paid Customers)
  The 12 Reasons You’re Not Getting Enough Web Traffic (and Paid Customers)
• 

  Product Creation Clinic – How to Create a Sellable Online Information Product in 5 Days
  Product Creation Clinic – How to Create a Sellable Online Information Product in 5 Days