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>(I don’t have the space to detail every nuance of >these concepts. Otherwise, I’d be practically writing >an e-book in non-e-book format.) > >There are 2 main categories of offers- Solutions & >Partial Solutions. A partial solution is something to >make a full solution possible. Example: A store >building is big enough to have a wider & deeper >selection but the sales floor is too small. The owner >can’t afford to remove a wall & renovate a room. >Different marketing methods can increase sales & open >some space (partial solution), plus bring in money to >pay for the remodeling (partial solution). Then more >inventories can be displayed to increase customer >self-service & sales revenue (result of the full >solution). > >They Know They Can Do More, But They Don’t Know What >Or How. > >People may not know what they’re missing because they >don’t know something is possible. But if people think >they’re missing something valuable, especially if it’s >rare, they may want it more. (You can do research >about the social psychology concept of social traps.) >People may not know how to make something happen, even >if they know it’s possible; like the example in the >previous paragraph. > >Because they’re busy, some don’t want to think about >what they may be missing & don’t want anybody to >present the ideas. Unless something is a threat or >causing significant pain, some don’t want to be >bothered about it. Opportunities are nice when people >have more time—but they never get more time. > >Stephen R. Covey’s 4 quadrants are useful in helping >determine what people may pay attention to, but a >major point is: many squander time & energy on >Urgent/Not Important tasks. Why? These tasks seem >relevant to their goals. There are psychological >concepts in these, but I don’t have space to describe >them. Example- In an article I read this week, a woman >was quoted as saying, “You can’t play Bingo for 4 >hours without smoking.” >Appeasing a destructive addiction feels urgent, but >it’s important NOT to appease it. But she’d be >unconvinced by any logic. > >People are more apt to achieve a goal if each step of >the path is unified. In project management, there’s a >critical path of things that depend on completion of >everything before it. The other tasks should be >completed, but they don’t impede the previous tasks. >Example: When building a house, it’s best to finish >the roof to protect the interior, but the interior >could be finished before the roof is installed. But >installing the roof before installing supporting walls >won’t work. These tasks can be put on a flow chart to >map tasks & measure progress. > >A Scale To Weigh Importance & Relevance > >Here’s a sample scale & the meanings (I wrote these as >if a project flow chart was made, but I know most >won’t have charts or develop things as projects.) >Irrelevant (to any of their goals, not even on the >“flow chart”) >Beside The Point (a very unimportant option, focusing >on it could delay progress) >Slight (If there’s time & money, it could be included >if it seems worthwhile.) >Unconnected (It’s a nice option & could be related but >it isn’t on the critical path;) >Imperative (a very important option, not focusing on >it would delay progress) >Central (without this there’d be no progress) >Innermost (without this there’d be no project) >Life Dependent (This level is added to put things in >perspective, but some goals affect survival.) > >I realize the woman quoted above would probably rate >prolonged suicide in the form of smoking as imperative >or higher. But this scale can be valuable; though >some, with little or no common sense, will rate things >foolishly. > >If prospects rate what you offer at level lower than >imperative, don’t try to sell it until you link it >with something they rate as imperative or higher. >(more on this below) > >Sometimes Needs Are Only Important, Then Can Become >Urgent > >Most people have some kind of priorities. The first >sentence (headline/opening statement) of your >marketing messages/sales presentations should be about >how they experience the problem you can solve. How >they currently experience a problem affects their >priorities. Example: A business owner needs more sales >(important), but especially when taxes are due >(urgent). > >They may not have organized their priorities or >(consciously) realize what’s most important. The >importance of a priority varies depending on each >situation. Eating & drinking are among the highest of >course, but not so urgent when a stomach is full. > >For business owners, it can be different. They’re >deluged by messages for their businesses, families & >personal lives. Maybe a business owner isn’t doing >what others profitably do, but the market may be >nearly saturated (reduced urgency) & the investment to >start doing something may be less than any profit. > >They know there are other things to consider than how >popular a product/service is or how rare it may be. It >also depends how interested they are in a >product/service. Example- I’ve heard & read many >times, how rich I could become by selling real estate. >But I’d be bored with it quickly & it’d be hard to >persuade anyone to buy something I’m apathetic about. > >If I desperately needed a lot of money, somebody may >show me how selling real estate would bring money I >need to accomplish what I value. Then I could motivate >myself to do what I’d ordinarily avoid. > >Relevance + Urgency + Importance = Value > >Relevance is related to urgency & importance. All 3 >combine to form value. Yes, they can mean the same >thing depending how they’re used. A common example of >relevance is: Many doctors play golf, but advertising >a medicine in a golf magazine isn’t wise unless it >relates to playing golf. Advertising a golf club in a >medical journal isn’t wise unless using it reduces the >likelihood of injuries. > >Golf is still important to them while they’re using >their medical knowledge, but it doesn’t apply to their >current activity. It won’t help them get the result >they want. > >A similar situation: A business owner usually focuses >on business issues while working. So, a solution for a >family related problem might not hold his/her >attention during business hours. But if a solution, >for a business problem, could also solve or prevent a >family related problem, it could be very relevant. > >While I’m writing this, I’m also wondering what my >sons are doing. My computer is relevant to writing, >but not to supervising my sons. If somebody offered me >a computer with great word processing ability, plus >multiple cameras, video connections & software to >coordinate & control it all, it’d be relevant to the 2 >things I’m currently doing. It would directly apply to >what I’m doing. But price (value) & practicality are >issues also. > >I feel the pressure & urgency of the tasks I must do. >I need a positive result in each. As important as my >sons’ safety is, letting them learn to be independent >is also important & significant. > >Higher Relevance, Heavier Urgency To Get A Result; >More Importance > >Bob Morrison, a Jay Abraham cohort, is a >self-publisher who prefers direct marketing & getting >feedback from customers & prospects. Bob wrote a book >about what to do during a divorce; he hired people to >search court records for divorce cases. But he sold >very few copies of the book, because people who >received his message already finished their divorces. >He doesn’t know how to find a mailing list of people >who are starting a divorce case. (Selling through book >stores doesn’t appeal to Bob because he wants to be >more involved in marketing his books & knowing who >wants them.) > >A list of lawyers who specialize in family law might >be good, because lawyers could recommend the book to >clients. (This also relates to referrals: Lawyers know >what’s relevant to clients, so clients are apt to do >what they advise. If a co-worker recommend Morrison’s >book, people probably wouldn’t take it as seriously.) >But lawyers may feel threatened by a book detailing >legal issues. > >Like lawyers debating what’s relevant to a trial, >prospects (if they pay attention at all) will wonder >if your questions & “testimony” are relevant to their >“trials”. > >What I wrote in a previous post about an assistant & >taking a vacation can be tied in with family issues. >Some people have children & elderly parents to care >for at the same time. Being able to afford to hire a >business assistant, plus a medical caregiver ties in >with business success. More profit & success can bring >money to pay for relief from stress. Relief from >stress can make more profit & success possible. > >You may need to learn more about a person’s life to >know what will bring him/her to the tipping point of >buying from you. > >Whatever you choose to do (use my advice or ignore >it), you’ll make some judgments about the importance & >urgency of what I suggested. > >If people/businesses don't want/need something, you >won't sell enough of it to make it profitable. If they >don’t know if they can use something, the market will >be minimal or non-existent. > >But if you have passion & the other necessary >resources to succeed, you have a better chance to find >a way to provide what they want. > >Now, unless you have other questions, I rest my case. >Thank you for participating in this forum. > >Dennis S. Vogel >thrivingbusiness@email.com >Sometimes the difference between selling something & >not selling it is what a prospect is focusing on. You >can be more successful after you focus on the free >information you’ll find when you use this forum & my >free information web site. >http://www.lakefield.net/~thrivingbusiness/

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