Selling the "Invisible"

Are you a salesperson who has to sell an item that can't be touched, felt, seen, or smelled? If yes, then a lot of people would say that you have a tough job. You're being asked to "SELL THE INVISIBLE!". And there is a group of people that see a serious distinction between selling the "visible" and selling the "invisible."

Are you a salesperson who has to sell an item that can't be touched, felt, seen, or smelled? If yes, then a lot of people would say that you have a tough job. You're being asked to "SELL THE INVISIBLE!". And there is a group of people that see a serious distinction between selling the "visible" and the "invisible." In fact, there are books and blogs and courses and sympathy groups and probably 12-step programs on top of it all to address this supposedly sticky situation.

I submit that for a good salesman, there is virtually NO difference! Here's why - you do not sell the "thng". You sell what the "thing" represents:

  • What benefits does the thing have?
  • What new opportunities does the thing create?
  • How will the thing change my life, directly or indirectly?

Yes, a car may seem easy to sell because it is tanglible, versus a new subscription information service, but the basic thought processes for the purchase are the same. The car buyer is not buying "red paint" or "leather seats". He buys based on what the car represents to him, whether it is convenience, status, or any combination of other factors. The buyer of the subscription information service may be trying to increase sales, or lower costs, or get promoted. The "thing", in both cases, is secondary.

But even given that, let's level the playing field even more by staying in the "business" realm - the subscription information service versus a new high-speed color copier both sold to a business owner. Which item is easier to sell? I submit that the fact that you can "see" the new copier will ultimately not make any difference at all. These are business decisions and the business person will buy based on what he/she percieves the benefits are (yes, benefits.. not *features*) , all things being equal. In either case, it is up to the salesperson to present those benefits, and the copier can be sitting in the hold of a cargo ship during that time. Its "visibility" is of little use because that is not the basis for most purchase decisions.

 

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