As I waited for my plane I struck up a conversation with a young guy travelling with me.  As our discussion progressed, it became evident to me that this man was obsessed with finding a wife.  I had previously suspected something to this degree as I’d observed an unhealthy habit in him of trying to develop romantic relationships with women way too quickly.  It had often led to awkward social experiences, particulary because he would “fish with a net,” meaning he wasn’t aiming at finding a specific individual as much as he was concerned with finding A person.

He asked my advice on how to better get a date and build a healthy romantic relationship.

Now, I could have given him all sort of social interaction tips and talked about how to listen more and talk less and therefore satisfy what he THOUGHT he wanted.  However, I quickly recognized that the desire for a wife was not what he ultimately desired.  The conscious want was being motivated by an unconscious hunger. What he thought he was missing in life was a wife; what he was really missing was deep, meaningful friendship.  His inner struggle was a canniblistic sense of loneliness, and he figured if he just had a wife, then he would be happy.

Again, I could have addressed what he thought he wanted, but it would simply be like putting a band-aid on CANCER.  It might have made him feel good for a while, but it wouldn’t have helped him in the long run.

Many window treatment companies are selling to what consumers think they want, cutting quality to cut costs so they can sell lower price.  They ignore what I believe consumers really want deep down, lasting quality.  How then are we to sell somebody something they need but don’t know they want?  The secret is NeuroPersuasion.

In Part I of this series I introduced you to Jim Fortin,

founder of Mind Authority, a company that teaches the art of unlocking the brain and motivating people to action.  This art is known as NeuroPersuasion, and it’s one that I believe will benefit many struggling window treatment companies today.

Last post I introduced the concept of Listening to the Music, Not Just the Lyrics, e.g. finding out what the customer really wants, and not simply settling for what they tell you they want.  Effective use of NeuroPersuasion is founded on this concept and (in my opinion) worthless without it.

Step One: Listen to the Music, not Just the Lyrics

Step Two: Offer What the Customer Really Wants

On the surface this may seem a bit a obvious and exceptionally simple, but it really isn’t.  Offering what the customer really wants is rooted in what we believe businesses exist for.  If the purpose of engaging in business is purely to make profit and to financially sustain ourselves as individuals, then who truly cares what the customer wants?  As long as we convince them to purchase our product or service, then who cares if that’s what they really wanted?  Our goal to profit has been met, and we can move forward.

I believe business is a much more than simply an economic engine that moves money between parties.  I believe it is an integral part of our community. Therefore, it is subservient to the needs of the community, and it’s practices and end goals must support those needs of the community as a whole.

At Sewell Shutters, the company I work for, this belief is evident in our value statements.  The first value begins with the following declaration:

“A business exists primarily to provide the maximum number of people with jobs and thus provide sustenance for their families.”

Sewell’s operations are guided by deductions from this statement, including the boiled down question: “how can we be best help people provide sustenance for their families?”

One way we can help consumers provide sustenance is by encouraging our dealers to properly qualify their leads.  Qualifying leads goes beyond determining whether they have the disposable income available to make this purchase; it requires the question: is this what the customer really wants? If it isn’t, selling them our product will hurt them in the long run as they will be forced to spend more money sometime in the future to satisfy the need they originally had when they came to us.  The more money people waste, the less they have to care for their families and the community at large.

Questions need to be asked.  “What are your long term goals for this property?”  “Are you more interested in aesthetic appeal or financial investment?”  “What factors were critical in selecting window treatments previously?”  “What convinced you to go with your last contractor or designer?”

Observations need to be made.  “What stage of life is the customer in right now?”  “Are they financially committed elsewhere?”  “What is their personality?  What window treatment options best reflect this personality?”

Asking the right questions helps determine what they really want.  Again, customers may not be able to articulate what they inwardly desire, and it’s our responsibility as window treatment professionals to determine whether what we offer will best fit the customer.

Sometimes, the problem is in our core product lineup.  This is where it can be most painful.  What if people just don’t want what I sell?  Do I continue attempting to convince people that they want something they truly do not or do I feel the winds of change and adjust my product strategy accordingly?

Will a day come when plantation shutters no longer meet the needs of Sewell’s customers?  Will a day come when the best investment for customers will be another window treatment?  If it does, will Sewell Shutters hold to it’s core value and offer a product that people truly want?  Or will they try to sell typewriters in a computer generation?

This is the test of every great business. Offer what consumers truly want, even if that means sacrificing sacred corporate cows.

Knowing what consumers want and offering it via their language is what NeuroPersuasion is all about.  Persuade them to purchase from you by appealing to what they truly desire.  Help them see this purchase in light of their long term goals and qualify them appropriately.  And if you notice that consumers’ priorities are shifting in a direction that makes your product a less and less viable option, be ready to shift to meet their needs.

Business is just one part of global and local community.  Remember your obligation to make this world a better place, and handle each transaction with that perspective!

The Sun is Rising