Gone in 30 Seconds
You’ve all heard of that movie, Gone in 60 Seconds. Well, today we’re going to do what salespeople do best and cut that time in half. Gone in 30 seconds.
Let me explain.
You see, in business, a lot of times when I’m working with any of the people that I coach and mentor, something I come across regularly is how they’ve got these great ideas, products, thoughts, services, or concepts that they’re ready to present to the marketplace – and they more often than not sound like amazing ideas! But when they’re sharing these with me, they’re working with a distinct advantage they’re not aware of.
You see, as a coach and mentor – and more importantly, as a friend – when I’m listening to the amazing ideas that they have and they’re sharing, I afford them something that most of the marketplace simply won’t. And that is time.
I am naturally predisposed to affording them patience allowing them an opportunity to explain exactly what they’ve got going on no matter how long it takes!
Now here’s the problem: when I’m consulting with business owners and sales representatives of all kinds, I share this principle – gone in 30 seconds.
You have 30 seconds to deliver enough features and benefits in that opening statement to hook your listener. Half a minute can and will make or break the rest of your pitch. In those 30 seconds, your customer will decide to afford you the time to continue – or decide to walk away.
To put this into perspective with a scenario we’ve all encountered at one time or another, think about when you’re sitting at home.
It’s dinner time, you’re just putting plates to the table, and then you hear it.
Knock, knock.
That’s right! You’ve got a door to door sales rep at your house at the most irritating possible time.
Let’s be honest. Most people might react poorly to this situation and take that salesperson’s head off at the door. “I’m in the middle of dinner.” “I don’t have time for this.” “Whatever you’re selling, I’m not interested.”
And interestingly, that’s never what I do. You see, even though I value my time, I also respect and appreciate the hustle of anybody who’s getting out and getting after it in the name of creating their lives and their income.
So instead of being irritated, I answer the door and step outside with a big smile, and before they can say a word to me, I look them dead in the eye and say:
Give me your best 30 seconds.
I love to do this for a multitude of reasons, but mainly because this really shows me who’s prepared to be knocking on my door. People are usually taken aback, because they’re anticipating being barked at – but because I come out with an offensive approach rather than a defensive one, I get to see if there’s any value in why they’re knocking on my door in a way that doesn’t waste my time or theirs.
Now, some people who show up on your doorstep might be there talking about home alarm systems, others might be talking about donations – and in all honesty, it’s irrelevant. 30 seconds is all it takes to determine for both of us whether or not I’m going to give you 30 more, and this is precisely how it works with any customer, in any setting, in any marketplace.
Customers know that you are looking for their money, and this isn’t a bad thing. People are more than happy to exchange their money for great ideas, thoughts, concepts, or services. The true key here is making sure that you, in those crucial 30 seconds, give them something that makes them feel like whatever it is will be a good decision.So I want you to look back. I want you to think about how many times this past month you’ve had something fantastic that wanted to provide to your customers, but your pitch just wasn’t landing, and then I want you to grab a pen and paper and write down the most powerful thing about your pitch and decide how you’re going to fit it into those 30 seconds.
Never forget: Gone in 30 seconds. A half-minute window is all it takes to extend the life of our conversations and, by doing so, naturally will extend the success that we’re looking to experience.
Go get those numbers up!
Whether you’re a sales representative, a new business owner, or a CEO, we are all entrepreneurs. With that in mind, check out my FREE program: WX5: The Five Ws of Entrepreneurship.
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#MakeItAGreatDay ♠️
