Why People Buy ← Sales Psychology & Why You’re Not Selling (w/ Jule Kim)

The Nugget

Understanding and adapting to your client's true needs and pains is crucial in sales success. Merely pitching without truly grasping their context or challenges often leads to failure, as demonstrated by failed attempts to persuade Chris Do.

Make it stick

💡 Know your client’s pain points: Instead of pitching services in a generic manner, ask and identify what actually irks your client.
🔄 Adopt the client’s perspective: Always think about how the client perceives the offer, and whether it directly ties to their expressed priorities.
🚧 Bridge the trust gap: Before selling, establish initial trust by meeting clients where they are and understanding their context.
🎯 Focus on measurable benefits: Clients are more convinced by clear, quantifiable benefits directly tied to their goals.

Adapting the pitch to meet the client's actual needs rather than projecting one’s strengths or assumptions is vital.
Example provided: Chris recounts how pitches often failed because sellers did not truly address his specific context and pain points.

Frequently, client objections like "I can’t afford it" don't reflect true financial constraints but rather a mismatch in perceived value.
Responding effectively involves digging deeper to understand what will make the offer worthwhile for the client.

Many creatives mishandle sales techniques by not fully applying or misapplying methodologies intended for specific contexts. For instance, misquoting or altering sales strategies taught by experts like Chris.
Example provided: Even well-intentioned approaches by service providers fail if they don’t align with the client’s true priorities.

From examples shared, it’s evident misalignment arises from not understanding the client’s overall strategy or timeline.
Example provided: Despite presenting an SEO plan with potential revenue benefits, the offer was rejected due to a lack of urgency and direct alignment with Chris’s then-current priorities.

Many fail to step beyond their comfort zone or existing identity structure in sales, leading to missed opportunities.
Example provided: Juel Kim's struggle in adjusting her pitch and proposal to reflect Chris’s immediate concerns, teaching a broader lesson on adapting one’s sales identity.

True and sincere offers, even those replete with humility and willingness to start small (like intern offers), tend to yield better outcomes when trust has been established.

"You can't out Jedi Yoda."
"It’s not that I can’t afford it; it’s just not worth it to me."
"My workshop reveals why most people fail: they don’t know how to truly listen and explore the client's needs."
"Relative to what problem I’m asking you to solve, I’m not going to pay a dime more than this."
"Progress doesn’t exist in the realm of comfort."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may be misleading or incorrect.