The selling of “Things” between people isn’t as straightforward as most of us are led to believe. In a fast paced world without a lot of rational human thinking, purchasing is formulaic.  Picture it like having a new smart fridge with cameras and a few sensors connected to the internet. This smart fridge can tell you what to buy, when to buy, and even where to buy stuff. These events are programmed to happen from a set of conditions that are True or False. There is no luck, just laws of math.

But when you throw people into the mix, selling to one another isn’t as straightforward. Here’s why..

We tend to make decisions based on how we feel, think and what we believe to be true from our view of the reality we see playing in our mind.

New experiences become new inputs continuously reshaping our perception of reality.

With 1000’s of apps, beeps and notifications bombarding us, our viewpoint of the world, and our lives are evolving faster than ever. So too are our buying preferences and those of our target audience.

In essence, we have a moving target audience.

Two days ago I was talking to a good friend about how doing business back in the late 80s and 90s was much simpler. Most businesses could sell the same thing “over and over” and if what they offered was reasonably good, they’d make a very good living, without having to sift through the intense noise of today. The landscape is very different now. And in the not too distant future, AI is going to completely change the world and our lives even more.

So how do we tackle this rapid evolution? We adapt, we change and we innovate our Thing, right?

Sort of, because that’s only part of the game – there’s a deeper level to it.

Instead of aiming at a moving target audience, focus on what hasn’t changed. Before anyone buys anything, there are three things human beings need to feel, think of and believe. BTW, these beliefs haven’t changed since I started out in business 20+ years ago, and there’s plenty of evidence to show they were around way before my time.

Here they are – the three beliefs swirling around in you and your target audience’s heads:

1. Belief in your Thing – what you’d like people to believe about how the product/service works. It’s process driven.
2. Belief in You – what do you want them to believe about you? With clarity, you turn the unexplained and or confusion into just enough confidence in you to take them closer towards solving their problem(s).
3. Belief in Themselves – what myths, doubts, fears and objections do you address in advance? Sometimes it’s the prospects’ confidence; in that, after they purchase your Thing will the circumstances enable them to use/apply it/benefit?

Talk to these things. Match your beliefs to those of your ideal prospects. And, they’ll quickly develop confidence in you and feel you’re someone who understands them.

This sounds simple I know, because it is 🙂

This is one way I do it. By embedding the beliefs I want to convey into my communication, I place myself in a position of strength. See, if I make an offer, I have to believe my Thing can truly do something positive for my clients. I don’t spam my offer to everyone with a pulse. They might not be the right fit for me. Meaning, I can’t help everyone in all circumstances. So I have to validate what they want first. And if I decide to make them an offer, then I’m confident it’s going to be a WIN-WIN situation. Otherwise, I’ll be wasting everyone’s time and letting them down.

So how… how do you embed the beliefs you want to convey in your communication?

All you have to do is teach people what to want.

John Hayden Fry (born February 28, 1929) provides very insightful and actionable clues in this quote…

“You can’t control people. You must understand them. You have to know where they’re coming from, their beliefs, and values, what turns them off, what they’re against.“

Here’s a simple way to do that. You take the three beliefs (Belief: in You, in Your Thing, in Themselves) and approach it like a framework for a deeper and more meaningful level of communication:

1. Show them you know where they’re coming from. Let people know the circumstances they experience might not be their fault. The problem might be caused by something or someone else. Explain events through different situations and circumstances. Your guidance and support will help to empower them. Encourage them with compelling reasons to Believe In Themselves.
2. Let them know why you are where you are, why you’re comfortable with your flaws, failures and mistakes. Be transparent. Share the similar values you believe. And, openly dislike what you’re against, so they like how you stand-up for what they’re against. In time those aligned will feel more confident to Believe In You.
3. Help them Believe In Your Thing by demonstrating it works. Show them it doesn’t do the things that turns them off.

This framework for communicating works whether you are speaking one-on-one to your prospect or speaking in a one-to-many environment. It doesn’t need to be polished or scripted. You just need to be your natural self, share truths – because it’s the right thing to do.

Some respected religious leader once said something like… having Trust in something is to believe what you cannot see; the prize for this trust is to see what you believe.

So believe in yourself and practice more, and you’ll be amazed to see what you believe.

Here’s to blue skies ahead 🙂

Wes