POP Theory of Selling: Pain = Opportunity = Profit
I run into some people who don’t like using pain as a motivator to sell. I can’t disagree more. The desire to fix a pain is the sole reason why many consumers and many businesses buy in the first place. A person who is in pain is far more likely to buy something they believe will fix their pain than one who is not. Sales is all about helping the customer see you as a solution to their pain.
This means you may have to help them see the size of their pain. The best way to do this is not by telling the customer they’re in pain, but by allowing them to see for themselves. The best way to do this is to ask questions that get them talking or leverage one of their senses. I’m not a big proponent of playing to people’s emotions, because that begins to put you in a dangerous area of potentially being perceived as trying to manipulate people.
If you can start by asking the customer questions that gets them to think about their problem, they can normally build it themselves into a level of pain. Working to the senses is also good. I prefer either visual or touch. Visual entails two areas. The most natural, of course, is allowing the customer to see the product or pictures of how it can benefit them. The bigger visual is allowing them to see your body language. More than words, your own body language will many times begin to open the feelings and thoughts of the person to whom you are talking.
A customer’s pain equates to an opportunity, and it’s up to you to profit from it. When you profit from it, your customer does as well, because they realize the benefit of having their pain relieved.
