Selling intangibles the easy way

When you get right down to it, selling a tangible object is pretty straightforward. Cars, soap, beer, houses, perfume — all can be touched, tasted, or experienced in some way by a prospective buyer. This makes it simple for you to demonstrate the value of the product and let a buyer "test-drive" it.

But how about intangibles?

How do you sell a *concept*, like insurance, consulting, financial services, or the benefits of a nonprofit agency? And how in the world does a client test-drive a concept? This is where storytelling skills come in handy.

Stories help to make the intangible tangible through the power of emotions and example. They simplify the complex. And when it comes to selling intangibles, stories are the key to your success.

How can stories help? Let's look at four ways.

HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING
Some intangibles lend themselves well to the hypothetical tale. In it, you tell the client what his or her life will be like after buying your service.

For example, in selling the benefits of a project management system, you might walk the client through a day experiencing the system's benefits in their workplace. Tell them what has changed, how the former problem has been eliminated, what a day with your service looks, sounds and feels like.

One of the keys to crafting a strong hypothetical story lies in accurately identifying the client's problems. If you're clear on their current pain, and on what they would like to have happen, you can paint an emotionally compelling picture of that brighter day.

WHAT JAIME LIKED
One of the most effective tales to tell about an intangible product or service is how another client benefited from using it. First identify someone you've helped who's in a line of work similar to your prospective client's business, and then tell the story of that satisfied customer.

What was their initial problem? Did they have some skepticism about your service? How did it work out for them, and how was their problem solved? In the telling, don't shy away from strong emotions like frustration, fear, and joy — that's what makes a story stick.

The power of using a satisfied client's story is that your prospective client will automatically put themselves into that person's shoes. It's human nature; when we hear a story, we identify with the hero. Be sure to collect a variety of these examples, so you'll have ones that apply to a variety of sales situations.

WHAT JASMINE DIDN'T DO
If your client is exhibiting sales resistance or is having a particularly hard time understanding the benefits, sometimes you may need to "go negative." No, that doesn't mean calling them a bull-headed moron.

Going negative means telling the story of someone who *didn't* buy your service, and who got a negative result from that choice.

An insurance salesman I know tells of a former policyholder who pooh-poohed his need for more insurance coverage — then unexpectedly died and left his family in a tough spot. The college-aged son had to quit school and support his sister and disabled mother. It's an intense tale, but it really brings the point home.

A word of caution: negative examples don't work with every client. Be sure you've done your due diligence and understand your client's needs and values before you go negative.

WHAT'S IT LIKE?
One problem with selling intangibles is that some people have a hard time even understanding what you're trying to sell - especially in the case of advanced business or financial services. Here's where a mini-story — a metaphor or analogy — can come in particularly handy.

To generate your mini-story, ask yourself, "What's it like?" Then come up with a list of metaphors that describe your service or the problem it solves. "It's like Dran-o for databases" or "it's like being a mosquito in a nudist colony."

ADP, which provides outsourced HR administration services, ran an ad showing a frustrated executive trying to fashion a paper clip from a piece of wire. Their copy read: "Make your own paper clips? No? So why would you do HR administration in-house?"

Or, if you boiled it down: "Trying to get by without our services is like trying to make your own paper clips."

Don't worry if your first few tries miss the mark. After all, it takes a fair amount of brainstorming to come up with the perfect metaphor. But when you find it, it's like money in the bank (or like the perfect story) — always there when you need it.