The research is pretty clear – your prospect does not want to change what they are doing.
Why?
Human nature.
Despite all the talk about how we want and embrace change, it’s human nature to be averse to change. Daniel Khaneman won a Nobel Prize with his discovery that we value avoiding a loss at least twice as much as we do receiving an equivalent amount of gain.
That means when you’re talking to your prospect about your service or solution, while they might see some value in the benefits that you tout, their very next thought will be the risk and cost of implementing something new. According to Khaneman’s research, which continues to ring true, those negative thoughts will have at least twice the impact as the benefits.
People naturally see the risk and cost of change and at the same time, they view the status quo as stable, safe, and free. In order to win the day, before you spend one second on how great your solution, your service, or your product is, you first have to show them the risk and cost of not changing.
If you already know this, great! You’re way ahead of your competitors. If you still think that the way to win a new customer is to start your conversation with a comparison against your competition, or what they are doing themselves, then you’re moving too fast. Before they will consider why they should pick you, they need to first understand that their current situation is no longer safe, that their status quo is unsustainable.
One major caveat, this conversation about changing is only, and I repeat, only applicable when you’re talking to a prospect. The last thing you want to do with an existing customer is upset their status quo – after all, YOU are the status quo.
It’s also important to understand that the choreography of this conversation is important. Turns out there is a specific way to structure this conversation for maximum impact.
Want to learn more? Contact me HERE or call me at (414) 375-0253.
