It’s not about you

A common mistake made in sales prospecting letters is the overuse of the “I” word.

Recently I received a letter from a company introducing their offerings and was struck by how many times the word “I” was used. In three paragraphs the author used the word 19 times.

The letter was about the person’s passion, her practice, her credentials, and her accomplishments.  The author of this letter was more concerned about herself than about the benefits she was offering.  She didn’t offer me any solutions.  She didn’t identify any problems I might have that she could help with.  She just told me how great she was.    “So What?” I thought; what does this have to do with the issues I need to solve?

The 3-part formula

When sending out sales prospecting letters or proposals, think in terms of the other person’s interests.

Identify what you do, what is the result of what you do (aka the feature), what is the benefit, and what is the real value to the customer.  So think:

• Feature
• Benefit
• Value

Example: After a massage from XYZ Massage you will feel like a new person [result] because XYZ Massage has developed a technique that reduces stress [feature].  The advantage to you is that you will feel better [benefit], but the real value to you is that you will be able have more patience and be less reactive [value].

So remember, all your credentials don’t mean a thing to your prospect unless they understand what benefit they will gain from working with you.  In the end, it’s all about the prospect’s needs, not your own achievements.

Gift cards are not just for giving.   An article in the New York Times this week suggests that the ubiquitous cards are becoming a favorite way for dishonest employees to steal from their employers.   The story notes that the plastic wallet stuffers are especially difficult to trace.  ID is not generally required when the cards are redeemed and they can be easily sold on internet auction sites, usually for close to face value.

It’s yet another case of new technology being used by the unscrupulous to steal from their bosses.  Many employers probably feel that they are fighting a losing battle as each new anti-theft system is met with ever increasing ingenuity by sticky fingered employees.  This battle is not inevitable.  The way to stop the ever escalating cycle is to not let it start.  How?  Businesses must identify job applicants with improper attitudes regarding theft. If these applicants are not hired, they won’t have the opportunity to construct new systems for the stealthy removal of merchandise.

Unfortunately, most hiring processes aren’t able to identify any but the most obvious thieves among us.  However, there are tools available.  The Step One Survey II is a hiring profile that identifies a job applicant’s attitude towards theft, as well as other values that are important to employers.  These surveys are affordable and indispensable to any company with employees handling merchandise or money, or who work unsupervised around valuables.  These tools not only score the applicants, but also provide interview questions to help explore any red flags they raise.  Think of the Step One Survey II as a gift for the hiring process.

Your Achievement Unlimited, Inc. representative has sample survey reports and additional information available.  Call today to protect your company from dishonest employees.