The 10 Foot Wall and the 10 Foot Pole

Why people aren’t buying from you and what do about it – It’s not only because of the recession.

The 10 Foot Wall Goes Up
You are telling someone about your business, they are looking right at you, they are nodding their head, and they are not hearing a word you say. That’s because of the invisible 10 foot wall and the ten foot pole they put up to protect themselves. If you perceive that I’m trying to sell you something, your defenses are up instantly. Your 10 foot wall goes up and your 10 foot pole comes out. You may appear mildly interested, but your mind is on the defensive and you can’t wait for me to go away. We usually have these types of experiences quite often. In fact, it happens so often that our defensive response is automatic. In order to grow our businesses you have to successfully overcome the defenses that keep people from buying.

The Big Three Objections
When a customer is defensive here is what they are thinking:
· “Don’t waste my time”
· “Don’t waste my money”
· “Don’t disappoint me”

The Reassure Rule
In this recession it is very true that people don’t want to risk a failed purchase or buy a disappointing product. The way to help prospective customers overcome their resistance and gain trust in you is to follow the three cardinal rules of selling:
1. Reassure
2. Reassure
3. Reassure

Explain and reassure them on their time involvement, explain and reassure on the price or investment involved, and then explain and reassure on the satisfaction they can expect. One of the easiest ways to reassure is with stories of other successful clients. This really pays off. They are telling you no not because they don’t want to buy. They are telling you that they haven’t been reassured enough to put down their 10 foot walls and 10 foot poles. They just want to make certain they feel safe doing business with you. Good branding accomplishes this very simply.

Marketing Secrets of Napoleon Dynamite
Here’s one of my 10 foot wall and 10 foot pole experiences that illustrates some important points about overcoming someone’s defenses. When I first heard about the movies “Napoleon Dynamite” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” I told myself I would not see those movies. They sounded totally stupid and like a waste of my time. I did resist for a very long time. However, eventually I was overwhelmed by an army of evangelists who loved the movies and insisted I would enjoy them. I finally gave in and have watched them both several times. Have you had similar experiences?

Here is the inside scoop on these movies. They both were independent films with a limited release. Napoleon Dynamite cost only $400,000 to make and generated over $44,500,000 in gross sales. My Big Fat Greek Wedding cost only $5 million to make and generated over $368,000,000 in gross sales. The expert analysis is that both of these films became so successful because the audience related to the situations and characters in these movies. The key word is relateability.

Platinum Rule (The best way to sell anything)
So how do you overcome the 10 foot wall and the 10 foot pole when you encounter it? You start with the Platinum Rule. You’ve heard of the Golden Rule, “She that hath the gold makes the rules.” That’s a great way to say, the customer is boss. There is a lot of truth to that saying. If you please the boss, she/he will pay you. Also, consider the real Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Platinum Rule has a subtle but powerful difference, “Do unto others as they want to have done unto them.”

Although I had heard the Platinum Rule many times before, it really started to become more meaningful in light of the 10 foot wall and the 10 foot pole. In fact, the Platinum Rule is the easiest way to overcome that invisible 10 foot wall and 10 foot pole that potential customers use to protect themselves from your selling efforts. If you are presenting people with what they are looking for then you are viewed as a solution to a problem and not as a nuisance. It’s like you are on their shopping list.

The Before and After Photo – You Need a Sticky Message
Picture the person you are selling to as having a “before photo” in his or her mind. Before they meet you or know about you, this is how they view the world. Imagine this person has talked to you, seen your website, your business card, or brochure and now picture that same person with an “after photo” in his or her mind. If you have a sticky message and this person wants what you offer, they will remember your message and it will influence them to buy.

A sticky message is defined as a message that is memorable and creates meaning for your audience in a way that changes their thinking and behavior. There are many examples of sticky messages, PC and Mac commercials, Nike’s “Just do it,” Geico’s “15 minutes will save you 15% or more on insurance,” Taco Bell’s “Think outside the bun,” and messages like “Got Milk?” A sticky message creates meaning and moves customers to buy.

The Sticky Message Formula
How do you create a sticky message? You can read a lot of books, websites, and blogs about how to create a good marketing message or you can use this simple formula:
1. Clearly identify what your customer wants (think Platinum Rule).
2. Decide how your customer will best relate to your product, service, or company (think of Napoleon Dynamite and My Big Fat Greek Wedding).
3. Paint a clear mental picture in word, photo, graphic, video or any combination of these.
4. Reassure on the Three Big Objections
5. Test, experiment, and refine until customers respond by buying.

I was recently working with Rachel Dexheimer, a Biznik from Maple Valley, Washington. She provides a unique transformational experience of walking with horses. Well, we had to think through the formula. What do her clients want? They want a transformational experience. How could they best relate to it? We came up with the idea of relating it to swimming with the dolphins. Now when she introduces her service she tells them it is similar to swimming with the dolphins. People get it instantly. It has made selling and creating word-of-mouth much easier. (Rachel’s Website)

I had a similar experience with Toya Turner, a Biznik from Auburn, Washington. She provides a great service as a virtual assistant. We followed the formula. What do her clients want? They want to spend more time with customers and less on menial tasks and paper work. How could they best relate to it? We tell them that studies show their time is worth $200 per hour when they are working with customers. Her job is to make certain they spend more time with their customers. We then came up with a script that reassured them on the Three Big Objections and came up with the tagline “Make more money. Work less.” It made her sales much easier. (Toya’s Website)

Your marketing message is the best representation of your company. It is the promise you make and deliver. Is it time for an extreme message makeover? So, based on what we’ve learned we need our marketing message to do two things. . .

Paint the Picture then Reassure
Using what you’ve learned so far:
1. Get a clear picture of what your customers want and specifically define their objections
2. Use the Sticky Message Formula to paint the picture you want them to have
3. Decide how you will reassure on the Three Big Objections
4. Write it all out in a script so you can see it objectively and make changes as you go (use the script to train your sales staff)

I really think your business is too good to settle for a mediocre sales script, a mediocre marketing message, or mediocre branding. This recession demands nothing less than excellence. Seek advice from friends, peers, and mentors. It is a very difficult process to do for your own business. The goal is to get more sales with less effort. As you more easily overcome the 10 foot wall and the 10 foot pole you spend more time building your business and less time beating the bushes.

Author: Kirk J. Davis is a Certified Business Advisor at Green River Community College.