It seems as though everyone is looking for the words that work, the phrases that persuade, and the lines that deliver. Why are so many people enamored with word tracks? I believe it’s because we all look for ways to sell more, we all want to know what’s working, and we all want to enjoy the shortest path to success.
Unfortunately, just because a series of words work well for someone else, it doesn’t mean that they will work well for you. Face it, not all words are going to be a fit. Besides, if you are delivering the same series of words to every customer, you are guaranteed to fail more often than you win. There are 7.6 billion people on this planet, each and every one unique. Your customers all have different beliefs, which control different emotions, that drive different behaviors.
Who in their right mind could think that a single word track would have the same impact and would drive the same outcome with every customer? If you have been struggling with word tracks or have been frustrated with why they are not producing the sales results you desire, you’re not alone. There are explicit reasons why word tracks fail, and there is something you can do about it!
Word Tracks Fail Because They Don’t Relate to Everyone
Your customers are all starting from a different point, and it is impossible for a scripted word track to meet every customer where they are. Not only are they starting from a different point, but your customers are moving in different directions too. Their knowledge, their perceptions, their experiences, and their buying motives are all different! When you use vocabulary that is unfamiliar, or you focus on outcomes that are inconsistent with your customers’ values, you stand little to no chance of influencing them to buy.
Just because something seems important to you, it doesn’t mean it is important to your customers. Don’t get stuck relying on a two-dimensional sales presentation. Your products have far more depth to pull from. Have you ever had a customer who you felt just didn’t get it? Guess what? They actually didn’t get it, and they likely didn’t get it because they couldn’t relate! The best words forge a connection that your customers can easily make sense of!
Word Tracks Fail Because They Don’t Resonate with Everyone
Have you ever had a song or movie scene touch you emotionally? Great performances always do! I’d bet that if I would grab some random strangers to sing that same song or act out the same movie scene, it wouldn’t have nearly the same effect on you. Words alone do not produce an emotional response. It is only when words are delivered with feeling that words can evoke feeling. Too often, word tracks are simply memorized, rather than internalized.
Even the best words fall on deaf ears when there is a lack of congruency between the message and the messenger! Have you ever worked with a customer who was sold on the value and still didn’t buy? In other words, they knew it made logical sense to move forward, yet they still chose not to. This can happen when your words just don’t resonate. We all have to remember that customers don’t buy when it sounds right, customers buy when it feels right. The best words are always your own words, not someone else’s!
Word Tracks Fail Because They Don’t Rouse Everyone into Action
By nature, word tracks tend to center around generic ideas and concepts. They incorporate very few (if any) customer insights. The problem is that customers are not motivated by generic or abstract value. Make no mistake, what is personal is compelling, but the rest is just a plain-old pitch. When something is personal to your customers it is specific and unique to them. Being unique to them, it distinctly helps them achieve an objective, either directly or indirectly, that they’re already motivated to accomplish.
Have you ever had a customer who said they wanted to buy, yet they had no urgency to buy now? This is because your customers need certainty to act, and certainty comes from being able to see themselves having bought. Good luck trying to get your customers to see themselves having bought by conveying what they should buy using generic or abstract value. The best words instill certainty and make it impossible for your customers to not take action!
What You Can Do About It?
1: You Can Ask Better Questions
Customers don’t care what you know if you don’t know them! You should ask questions that help you understand your customers’ values, experiences, and ambitions. Unquestionably, knowing who your customers are, where your customers are, and where your customers are going is a game-changer! When you know your customers on that level, you can create value that consistently builds connections and compels your customers to buy.
2: You Can Align with Your Customers
Influence begins when you align with your customers! Those who align with their customers gain the personal edge. You should not only seek to purposefully align your words, your attitude, and your approach, but also intentionally align the stated outcomes of your solutions with what already moves your customers to act. Once you align with your customers, you will no longer feel like you have to push them to buy, because they will want to follow.
3: You Can Focus on Feelings first
Customers don’t buy products, they buy feelings! Sadly, most word tracks are nothing more than lifeless logical reasons to buy. The most influential communicators recognize that we all buy emotionally, and we only sometimes look to justify our purchases logically. You should focus on discovering your customers’ emotional motives to buy, and then direct your efforts towards satisfying them. When you focus on your customers’ feelings first, your presentations become more exciting, engaging, and enticing.
4: You Can Personalize Everything
Your customers don’t want a verbal brochure! They want a professional who truly gets them, and makes the process fast, fun, and interactive. You should personalize everything about your process and their experience by incorporating and leveraging customer insights. When you personalize how you prepare your products, how you position your products, and how you present your products, everything changes.
Word tracks are not all bad. They can be valuable, especially to someone who is new to selling a particular product. Word tracks can provide a framework to begin, and layout a basic path to follow. Nonetheless, if you deliver the same series of words to every customer, you are guaranteed to fail more often than you win.
Word tracks will fail you because they don’t relate to all of your customers, they don’t resonate with all of your customers, and they are not able to rouse all of your customers into action. If you are seeking to improve your results, get to your next level, and ultimately make more sales, then you must stop relying on scripted word tracks! Instead, aim at building your personal influence, becoming a trusted advisor, and aligning your solutions with what already drives your customers. By following the tips above, you can enjoy a sure path to success!
