My mother used to tease me whenever I hurt myself. She said I was overly dramatic in my carrying on of “owws” and “ohhhs.” Maybe it was a tactic to make me laugh – to ease the pain. Most times it worked. Except when it really hurt. When it really hurt I didn’t think she was very funny at all. And I sure didn’t think it was up to her to measure how much pain I was really in anyway. I mean, how could she know?
Getting to the root of objection
When it comes to making a sale you have to sift through a lot of problems before you can get to the root: the pain. Perhaps you’re sifting through price oppositions or busy schedules? Indecision-makers or budgetary constraints? Whatever you’re selling, it’s a solution. The fact is you can’t provide solutions without really understanding the problem. And every problem is rooted in pain.
Why pain is important
It would be careless of a doctor to diagnose before giving a full exam. In sales it’s equally careless to focus on you/your product/your company when you should be focused on your prospect. In general it demonstrates a lack of concern, and without knowing the pain you can’t prescribe the remedy. Unlocking the pain creates a simple connection between your prospect’s problem and your benefit.