Sell with clarity

“I always quote to my students one of his best lines on negotiation: “Every ‘No’ gets me closer to a ‘Yes.’”

But then I remind them that extracting those “No’s” on the road to “Yes” isn’t always easy.”

• Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference

The worst answer you can get while marketing and selling is no answer.

A yes is great, clarifying questions are good too.

A no is useful because the person explicitly tells you it’s not for them.

Fuzzy disinterest happens when someone isn’t responding or doesn’t even know how to respond is on you.

It’s hard for someone to say know to something they don’t understand.

So it’s easier to ignore it.

Get clear on what you’re offering and what you’re selling.

In a partnership, you’re offering an experience, sample, or collaboration that adds value to your audience.

If you’ve gained further interest, you need to be able to direct people to your product, state how they purchase and what they get, and when they will get it.

If you’re selling hot sauce it’s easy.

You’ve got one hot sauce, it costs ten dollars via your payment page, and it gets delivered via registered post.

If it’s a service, a package, consulting, or anything more nebulous you need to spell it out really clearly for your audience.

You’re making it easy for someone to understand what they get, and what they can say no to.

I learned this on the hard way as a new consultant.

I had enviable experience working in big tech companies and global clients but so what?

When I’m sitting opposite a business owner who isn’t even aware of that world, and is coming to me for marketing help, how can they be expected to know what’s involved? That’s what they’re seeking help from me on!

So grab a blank page and spell out what’s on offer.

List what is getting sold, what they receive, who delivers it, at what cost, when they’ll get it, and whether it’s a physical product, experience, or service delivered within a timeframe.

I’m going to show you how to create a sales page soon, and it won’t look anything like what you just wrote.

It’s important to write it out in plain English first because new marketers usually jump straight into fluffy language.

Nonsense terms like you get this once in a lifetime package or a truly illuminating experience.

Without attaching crystal clarity to what you’re selling, you’re going to be met with disinterest.

Once that’s clear you can learn how to frame your offer from the customer’s perspective.

This starts with features and benefits.