Why should anybody buy from you?
Most people I meet have an expectation that once they have a product it will automatically sell a massive amount of units. It infuriates them when somebody doesn’t want to buy what they have to sell.
They come to me angry, bitter, and frustrated. They throw up their arms in disgust shouting “Why isn’t anybody buying my awesome product?”
To which I respond. “Why would anybody buy it?”
There’s a lot of stuttering and stammering, but they always spit out something like “Because it’s awesome.”
I’m sorry my friends, but that is not enough to sell a product.
The sticky wicket is that every product on the market is awesome. That’s the bar of entry. Having an awesome product doesn’t guarantee anything. If you don’t have an awesome product, then you need to go back to the drawing board.
Products don’t sell simply because they exist. Products sell when people understand the problem your product solves in their life.
If you are floundering with your own product, it’s because you haven’t made a compelling case to your audience.
Don’t worry.
It’s relatively easy to fix this flaw in your strategy. In fact, I show clients how to do it with three questions. These three questions can turn your sales around today.
- What problem does your product solve?
Most people I work with sell what I call ethereal products. These are products like novels and pin-up posters that don’t solve a specific problem, or at least my clients don’t think that their work solves a specific problem.
Or course this is a fallacy.
All work solves a problem. It might just be a little harder to find with certain products.
The problem you solve doesn’t have to be weight loss or retirement savings. Yes, these are much easier problems to solve because there is a great need that’s easily explainable, but your solution can be just as compelling.
Maybe you make paintings for new homeowners to fill the extra wall space in their homes. Maybe you write books for people that want philosophy explained to them in simple terms. Maybe you create toys that can’t be broken.
Whatever the product, there is always a problem that your work can solve.
Here’s the problem my books solve: Most books are either too entertaining with no point or too deep without a hint of entertainment value. My books solve that problem by being both entertaining and thought-provoking.
This is my consulting solution: Most people suck at selling products. I’m great at it. I show clients how to enjoy sales even if they think it’s a nightmare.
Both of those are very compelling, and very different, problems that my companies solve for the right clients.
2. Who needs your solution?
Once you’ve diagnosed the problem that your work solves it’s time to find the people that need your solution.
This can be a tricky proposition. It involves market and field research, attending events, and talking with people. It means interviewing your customers about why they bought from you and how they use your product.
This is critical. Without a client base, you will never maximize your sales. If you know the target client, however, then you can scale your business effectively.
Who benefits from my books: We target rebels and artists, creatives and intellectuals. People who see “the code under the Matrix”, and want to satiate an unquenchable desire for the written word.
Who benefits from my consulting: People who make great products but struggle with developing a holistic sales strategy.
3. Why would your target client buy your solution?
Once you develop a solution targeted for a specific customer you have to answer this question:
Why would that customer buy your product instead of the millions of others on the market?
There’s no single answer to this question. There are dozens of reasons people might buy from you instead of somebody else.
You could be the lowest cost option in the marketplace. You could have the fastest consumer service. You could have the best quality. You could be a local product. You might craft everything from hand or use a unique technique to create your work.
We can see how this plays out in existing markets. The reason somebody buys from Apple is very different from the reason they buy Windows or installs Linux. They buy laptops for different reasons than they buy desktops and both are different from why they buy tablets.
They are all types of computers. However, they all have a very specific problem they’ve targeted, ideal customer, and buying proposition.
Once you can narrow it down to this granular a level, then you can start building your marketing and sales strategy behind it.
Why people buy our books: They buy for a couple reasons. The first is that we have incredibly high quality across the board. I would put our books up with any other company in the world, any day of the week. The second is that our passion for stories comes through in everything we do. Finally, we sell almost everything ourselves at shows and conventions so they can make a personal connection.
Why people consult with me: I bring the same passion to their business as I do to mine. I want them to succeed as much as they do. They also see that I have a business myself so they trust my authority. Finally, I do a ton of community outreach and grow connections with people so they can get to know, like, and trust me.
Long story short.
People buying your product isn’t a given. The onus is on you to tell people why they should buy from you.
Why is that towel worth $30 on Etsy when I could find it on Amazon for $1? Why is your book worth my time when there are a million others out there? Why should somebody part with their hard earned money to become your customer?
If you can answer those questions, you’ll be on your way to turning your sales around.
If you are ready to kick start your own sales, click here to sign up for a free 30-minute sales call today.
Russell Nohelty is a consultant, writer, and publisher. He runs Wannabe Press where he makes weird books for weird people and hosts the twice-weekly Business of Art podcast.
