WIIFM?

What’s in it for me?

What do you want me to do?

Two simple questions that many sales people have problems understanding and addressing.

And everyone is in sales – even the Dalai Lama is selling a message. He gets it. Listen to him speak.


What’s in it for me?

When you send a message by email, phone or print – first address your audience with what is in it for them. If you don’t address that in your first or second statement then they will not listen or read the rest.

Here is where most could learn from SPAM – in most cases the subject line tells us what’s in it for me – a bigger body part, a smaller body part or an approved loan. Simple clear and understandable. If I’m interested I will read on – if I don’t, I delete it.

Tell people what’s in it for them – quickly, simply and cleary.

Imagine that you receive a phone message like this, “Hi this is Joe, Call me.”

If you don’t know Joe, why would you waste your time to call? Joe couldn’t be bothered to tell you why you should call him. I bet that Joe whines to his boss, “I called but nobody called me back.”

You don’t owe Joe a thing. Don’t waste your time trying to educating him. Poor stupid Joe.


The second question is, “What do you want me to do?”

Do you want me to call you?
Do you want to meet with me?
Do you want me to register for a seminar?
Do you want me to order your product?
Do you want a link on my website?

Stop being mysterious and tell me what you want from me.

Because I don’t have the time or inclination to decipher your cryptic message or pry your offering from your lips.

Just answer two questions for me:

What’s in it for me?
What do you want me to do?

Because if you can’t do that – there is no way I will contact you.

Of course even if you answer those two questions I might not call you and that’s a different issue. No one said that life would be fair.


George Torok

Marketing Tips

Networking Secrets