We Don’t Sell Products. We Solve Problems.

August 2, 2011, 12:05 PM

This is a common phrase we hear from a variety of companies, but what does it really mean? Smart business leaders know that the ONLY thing they really have to sell is a solution. A dishwasher is never simply an item that gets dishes clean. More often, it’s an appliance that means:

You spend more time with your kids
You spend less time in the kitchen
Your loved ones ingest fewer germs, so they are healthier
Your anxiety level around big holiday meals is lower

It seems so obvious, yet so many small businesses continue to tout product features and benefits like they matter.

The difference between selling a product and solving a problem is the same as the difference between “managing” and “leading.”

Here’s what I mean:

When you manage a project or a process, you literally manage a series of steps from beginning to end. In sales, a salesperson will walk a potential customer through a product’s features and benefits, the prices for various models, the available warranties, and so on. In service firms, a salesperson will walk a potential client through various steps in the process often including a timeline of completion with various milestones along the way.

Transitioning from “selling” to “solving” requires transitioning from managing to leading. And leadership skills result in problem solving, because leadership depends on “listening” and “asking,” rather than on “telling.”

As you look at improving your company’s sales, I challenge you to look at your messaging.

Do you spend more time telling potential customers about what your product does or what your service provides than you do asking what their problems are?
Is the focus of your print ad product specifications or does your ad’s headline address an issue the potential reader faces everyday?
Does your TV ad feature you tell viewers why they should buy from you, or does it feature customers – happy, relaxed and successful because your product or service solved their problem?

The next time a potential client asks you to “Tell me about your company,” have a response ready that does not include the number of locations, number of employees or a list of services. Consider a response that starts with: “We help companies like yours achieve success in xxxxx. What brings you here today?” It could just be the beginning of your next new business relationship!

Leave the first comment