Selling Aspiration

“Now that is selling aspiration. Not features or benefits, but what we wish for ourselves – our aspirations.”

A new sales rep, Mickey joins the Ferrari dealership and gets put with the seasoned pro, Sue, for training.

Mickey asks Sue, “these cars are so expensive, I don’t understand why people buy them”?

Sue replies “well you need to understand what we’re selling. Its not five wheels, and engine and a gearbox. It’s not the top speed of 170 mph. or the 0 – 60 in 4 seconds. It’s not that prancing horse badge representing one of the most famous brands. It’s not even the fact it’s so expensive, if you need to ask the price you can’t afford it.”

“Now I’m really confused” says Mickey, “so what is it”?.

“Picture this” replies Sue. “Imagine how good it feels to be driving one of these cars down Main Street and knowing every woman you pass wishes she was sat next to you.”

Now that is selling aspiration. Not features or benefits, but what we wish for ourselves – our aspirations.

Sorry girls, I know this is a man thing and the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. But it’s very relevant to a problem we think we’re on the verge of solving.

We’re still struggling with the same old issue that’s been beating our brains out for the last year. Just how do we talk to people about something they don’t know they need to know about? How did the original MP3 player guys talk to people who thought their Walkman was the ultimate in portable music? How did the original credit card guys talk to people who were perfectly happy with cash rolls and checks? How can we talk to people about Front Office Box when they don’t know they could be better organized and more effective, with less effort?

The Sales and Marketing theory books aren’t much help. These are the “sell benefits, not features” jokers who never got passed the third grade in sales school. Typical marketing consultants are just as bad. They come out with the same benefits, not features philosophy. I can imagine this works for people who know they have a problem but it certainly doesn’t for those who don’t. How can you tell somebody to get organized with your software when she’s already organized, or thinks so at least?

Our marketing guys came up with an interesting idea! Tell a success story and associate the success with the software. In theory at least, visitors aspiring to the same success will associate it with the software – quite right too! We need to refine the messages, but like the idea a lot. Of course this is something the consumer products companies work hard at, particularly with “toys” like cars – but software? Well some smart guys are starting to do the same.

If we can show people what it will feel like to win more deals, improve customer service, and spend more time on the golf course, we’ll be able to create that “aspiration” and get them to spend a little time understanding how we do it. This is my attempt at creating aspiration for people to use Front Office Box.

Busy People use Front Office Box

Our users have a number of things in common:

They’re all busy people in a hurry to get where they’re going
Their offer to customers is more about what they know than what they do
They prefer to spend time helping clients, rather than fighting their software
They live and die on Customer Service
They get things done
They know Front Office Box isn’t CRM.
They don’t care what it’s called, because it just does, and stays out of their way.

To back this up we just got an interesting quote from a new user, just a few weeks in. Terry told me:
“The problem with systems like ACT is you have to spend so much time entering data the way the software works, you end up being a slave to the CRM system. The difference with Front Office Box is it starts working for you from day 1 – it’s your slave”.

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