Lessons

Lesson Info

Stories You Tell About Products

Once we have this kind of usp that just becomes the first part of a bigger story that we're telling so any time that you hear marketing speak you always talk about features two benefits right? You're not supposed to talk about features it's made of exits made with x whatever you so let's talk about the benefits but benefits in my mind don't get you far enough because he wouldn't remember benefits they remember emotions they remember how something made them feel and they remember stories and stories also become our prime way to communicate emotion right? Because it's really hard I mean some people are now that like you put on happy it's cool but sometimes it's awkward to stand and be like confidence right like yeah confident but instead I can start to tell a series of stories and without ever saying the word confidence I'm communicating that emotion so that's what we're going to start to do now is we're going to start to come up with a series of stories that you tell about your products...

and even though we are thinking about selling tio our you know a buyer not a retail customer we're still going to tell these stories and here's why again fires don't remember features or benefits my buyers can barely remember what my products are made out of half the time I can't tell you how many stores talk about my work being stainless steel it's not stainless steel, its steel it's a very different metal technically, and I have never said the word stainless in my life to them they can't remember, but I don't actually care, because what I do know is that they remember the stories I tell about the product and they move those forward. So pamela danziger said, the prime motivator of desire is rooted in passion, not logic. So whether it's, our wholesale buyer or a retail customer, we're not trying to hit the logic button because but it's hard doesn't actually work that well, right? There's not a lot of logic to this, right, which is good because it's actually way easier to sell in passion. So you wanna get people excited about our products? So let's, look at how this feature benefit emotion story translates so and if you're falling along in your workbook, which you should be on page twenty nine, I've given you guys a little chart, so what you can do is you can start teo kind of talk about some of the features, figure out what those benefits are, and then we're going to move into those emotions and those stories so it's made from steel, right? The benefit is that it's, lightweight and durable, and you might remember that it is a good benefit it's, lightweight, it's, durable but why does that matter? Because it gives us this emotion of it's easy it's stress free gives us confidence we don't have to worry about it and I can tell you those things or I can tell you that when I travel I just tossed this in my bag and then I pull it out and it looks really fantastic and I put it on and I walk out the door of my hotel room right what's about you're going to remember that or thiss whole thing and I can tell you that buyers remember this over and over and over again because when I see my buyers at trade shows you know what jewelry most of them were wearing or in mine because they know that they can throw it in their bag and when they get up in the morning for that super long exhausting day at the trade show they're going to toss it on they're gonna head out the door and they're gonna go to the show and they're gonna get so many compliments on it but they don't have to worry about it. So do you see how that is way more compelling than saying to someone it's made of steel? And I might say in there that it's made of steel it's made of steel but what's awesome about that is that I tossed it in my bag when I travel and buyers absolutely remember these things and those things filter down from the buyers to the sales staff to the customer, because, again, my buyers can't remember what it's made out of, but they're gonna come back and they're gonna tell that story. They're going to talk about how, you know, I was explaining how it's like super toddler proof, right? You have a kid, and you can wear this and she's going to tug on it, it's not gonna break, they're gonna remember things like that, they're gonna remember how wearing it makes them feel, and then I'm gonna wear it in the store and the customer's going to see it, they're gonna buy it and that's, what we want is, we want to create these stories that filter down. So now, it's, time for you guys to start telling a few stories. So what is one story that you can tell, and it can either be your personal use story or give me a customer story that illustrates the emotion and the benefit of your products already got? Anna anna, you're really good at telling those stories. You talked about a couple of those, so we get those from you, and I think even though we're not totally sold on what your usp is, we get it because you're talking about giving those products and feeling like the best anti or that you are like the hit of the baby shower that's perfect those were the stories that you should absolutely be telling about your product who else has a story and you guys can share on line two if you have a good story that illustrates an emotional and emotion about your product steven goodwin this my favorite testimonial of all time um this girl wrote me and she said I absolutely love my new earrings I've been looking for a pair of thin lightweight hoops forever everywhere I feel like you made them out of fairy floss oh good awesome us who also stories and you know what? You could make him up a little bit too there's only this storytelling right doesn't have to be one hundred percent sure not gonna lie right? We're not gonna be like this this diaper clutch makes me fly think that but you know, I think you guys are pretty good at telling the stories I went to the pool right? I don't have to worry about the germs touching the kids I pulled out of my bag one hand I feel like I'm put together so those were the stories that you want to tell and tell repeatedly so what I recommend is that you're going to come up with to say a small handful of stories and you're going to tell them all the time you're going to feel like a broken record right? We think I've heard that story, so I'm not going to tell it again great, you've heard it fifty times that customer, they haven't heard it at all, and so you're going to keep telling the same stories. Terra has worked many a trade show booth of me and she like she knows because she's heard me say ll tell the same like three stories over and over and over again. But you know what? Those were the stories that my customers remember, and then the more you tell them, the better your delivery gets right? So I always say that selling it's like practicing standup, you deliver it, you gauge the reaction, you see how it works, and then you do it again until you get the best responses from your buyers and so that's what we're doing here, other stories or we get some from online, heather j says from one of her customers, I forgot I was wearing my necklace, but other people didn't. I got so many compliments and loved it fantastic about you guys feel any stories, you're starting to tell some stories, right? The reason that both amanda and I started making soap was because we both have really bad allergies, she breaks out, I get really sneezy lightheaded, so when she was like, oh, try this and gave me one of her bars like this's kind of magical I'm using it in the shower. I'm not sneezing. I'm not lightheaded. And it's still got a really strong and beautiful scent to it. Yes. So that's absolutely a great story to tell and and that's the kind of story that actually, even though we're talking about selling to retailers, the retailers could have that story that's also kind of story that the media loves because it's like any time that you design a product that solves your own problem. Like you guys have this too. Like I designed this product that solved a particular problem, that I had that's like a media goldmine right there. You see you guys good. Think about that in terms of press two. So any other stories that were getting and again, these develop over time, you have a hard time with this, but I know something. When I look at my feedback from customers a lot of them but by the stud earring say this is great. I wear these every day and it's just the perfect little pop of color and that's probably the most consistent thing that yeah, yeah, so you can that's what you can talk about this idea of, like, pop of color, you might also have to tell some stories about maybe getting a little bit braver with color, about mixing some color because that tends to be a hesitancy for some people sure or they might have this like they feel vibrate on the inside but they're not quite sure how to do it because they're lacking that kind of like strong sense of self right? So maybe you start to tell stories about like, how you mixed the blue necklace with like some crazy other color and how that still works really well because that is something that you could get is like I love this color but I don't know what to wear it with, right? Totally right? Yeah, that is a good one to scream, right? Uh yeah you're gonna get that like I love this color but I don't know what to wear it with or I'm not sure it goes with the rest of my wardrobe so you can start to tell some of those stories about how like even though this is this bright blue it's actually gonna go with this color this color this color, this color and this color right? Like oh, I wore the other day with this but then I want the other day with that color I like you can start to tell some of those stories and that's part of it too is that you know, stories help us overcome those customer objections so steel is kind of a weird medal like no one knows why why would I make it a steal? You have to worry about it, like that's. The thing is, if people on this people don't know, so they're concerned that they have to worry about it. So the stories that I tell are like you not to worry about it at all, it's totally fine. All right, so we're starting to build that slate of stories, but then we also have to think about what it is that buyers want to know about our product because they are gonna have some questions, particularly when they're coming up in a trade show, but they are gonna have them if they're looking at our line sheets as well. And so I frequently tell people, you know, we're not always going to start with materials or process, but if it's a question that buyers have, you're gonna have to go there first, so when someone walks up to my booth, I can see it. I well, I watched it happen all the time they come up, they look for a few minutes, they let him go, you see the wheels turning, and then I say, all the black medalists, steel. Look, I was just gonna ask you that I know you were e don't say that, but I know you are so then once we've established that that's a question that's, when I can start to go in and tell the stories and bring that in so there might be, like, an opening question for your products, right things that buyers are going to know yours there's gonna be like, what is it right? Totally people ask you what isthe totally yeah, you know what? What does it taste like? Yeah, I get that a lot when I got this, like, right? So you're going to figure out howto answer, what does it taste like in that way? That's like it tastes like heaven e, but I'll say it exactly like that, but you're gonna be like, it's the smoothest coffee you have drag doesn't need anything in it, you're gonna kind of go into that, so you have to think about that question that you've got, um, we have we got a lot of is this innit, is uh so people really want to know what's not there, right? They want to know that there's nothing in it that they're allergic to, um on that, even though it says begin everywhere that it's not an animal all fat in there, so so your customers, people want that reassurance from you, right, like they are worried that they've been lied, tio buy soap manufacturers or or cosmetics manufacturers is what it sounds like they've got some trust issues, so you're going to tell some stories that are definitely about breaking through those trust issues so you know, you could talk about it and that goes back to like that I use it doesn't have allergies things like that, but you want to help kind of build that trust because clearly if it says vegan a million places and they're still asking that question, they have trust issues and it's not about your brand it's deeper trust issues that we have to deal with, you get it? What is it like what's the yeah, what is it? Is it ceramic? I get that one a little ceramic, right? My comeback is it's a cousin of ceramic it's glass on metal and glass on porcelain or yeah, and so so for you, what I want to think about is that if it's glass on metal, if it's ceramic what they're really asking you is is it breakable? For the most part, they're not actually asking you what the material is, because what I've found is the only people that really ask about material and process our other makers, right? Right? Everybody else they're asking the question because they actually have a bigger question, okay, so is it breakable isn't durable that's what they really want to know so if you can figure out how to not just say like it's glass on metal but give people reassurance that, like, not only is it colorful but like it's not going to break into a thousand tiny pieces, right, if you accidentally touch it yeah, right unless you like drawing style, right? You do have to say that like you're right don't drop this on the ground, right? That is important, right? But again, you can figure out how to say it and, like, perfect for daily. You right? Right that's so drop it on the cement, right? Don't run over it with your trial. Yeah, okay. Awesome. Thank you. What questions do you get your way? Don't actually get a lot of questions. I don't get a time and you know, if I they're obviously online questions mostly because my products pretty straightforward, you know, is it durable? Well, they hold it because it's so thin on and then of course, online isn't really lightweight. I've had hearings, you know, big earrings. They were mayors down. Yeah, but that's yet it's, not a ton. Yeah, so in your case, yeah, you can start to answer us a little bit of that, like, durability question but but you kind of just launch into maybe telling some of those stories and one opening for you, and this is something that I use a lot for people, too, because sometimes I don't always die right into the lake. Is it steel question? If they pause in front of a piece that is one of my favorites, I'll be like, you wear that all the time or this one, it always works really well, I'm wearing that right now, yeah, but it's different, because here's, what happens in that scenario? They were looking down here now they're looking at me, and now we're having a conversation. And so that's, really, what we're trying to do when we're selling to buyers in person, is we have this group of stories, we have this u s p we have all of these kind of little pieces, but we're not reciting them like we're like at a third grade recital, it's not like the buyer comes up, and I'm like, I make jewelry, that's fool enough to make a statement and easy enough to every day and it's steel, let me tell you about how easy it is to travel with, like we're not doing that right, we're having a conversation, so we have in our minds all of these things that ideally, we want to say most of them we don't have to say all of them usually, but we know kind of our key points that we want a hit, but when a buyer comes up, I'm not rattling them all off. That is like the easiest way to scare by her away, right? Like, let me tell you everything about it in the next thirty seconds, you're gonna like high, but instead it's hey that's, the one I'm wearing there looking at me now we start to have a conversation and when you're having that conversation anytime we can pull in touch is super important touch and also any time we can demonstrate. So you notice that every time I told that story about travel, I picked this off and dropped it right? And then I picked it up and I put it on me, so that makes it even more memorable because now I just tied in these actions I really showed you, but the other thing that I'm going to dio is there going to say what's it made out of me to say or I'm gonna anticipate the wishing to say all the dark medalist steel I picked this up really badly usually I do this way better sales process, I'm gonna pick this up and I'm gonna hand it to them for in particular really gonna pick up these earrings because we know that everyone worries about weight with earrings so I'm gonna pick this up and I'm gonna hand it to the customer before they even realized I mean handed to my buyer before they even realize that I was handing it to him because what happens is if you do this they're going to put their hand out almost always so we want to get product into people's hands we want them to touch and that's particularly important I think for everyone so you know, monica, you have a product that's a really great in terms of being able to demonstrate it but if you're going to go into the demonstration you should have already handed one to the customer first okay, so they've got one in their hands so you can demonstrate but they're going to start to like feel that out a little bit for themselves too right? So then suddenly they're just just not seeing you do it they're mimicking and it's going to help them remember and it's going to help them have that kind of tactile feel like they feel that the surface is clearly select and that's going to be easy to clean and so you know, dive into that demonstration but handoff product first great you have great stuff cause you could take years you could taste yet obviously you know you can't take florence uh but you can smell and even in yours if you can't actually have a tasting use smell okay so if you're not a situation or even if your stores aren't in a situation you know can you have a bag that they you know or like a bowl of beans can you have a bowl of beans that looks like a beautiful you know african bowl that came from the same place that you're beings come from and now the beans hang out there so the store buys a certain um out of product they get this beautiful display and you know you'll send them like a sample a little samples that every so often it's taken dump some new beans and things like that so you can really play with that in the store so yes so touch is really important but if you've got those other senses let's use those two right? So we also want to think about what resistance points a buyer might have so in our sales process we're going to tell the stories and we're also gonna have to communicate some of our kind of details like the minimums so when I'm doing a sale at some point you know I'm going to work in things like minimum order you know? But you're gonna do it in kind of a natural way see you and talk about product then you can talk about you know like okay my minimum opening us four hundred fifty dollars you know, we can start to put together pieces, but you also might want to think about resistance points about your have has so we talked about some of those in terms of, like, the question that they're asking and what's really behind it, right? But then you're also going to get some resistance, many about things like minimum order, right? So I say my minimum order is for fifty, and then they're gonna go, I don't know. So this is a case where we want to figure out how do we move them past those resistance points? So in my case, I'm going to say, there's, a man in my my opening orders for fifty I don't know if we can do that. You know what? Let's, just start writing the order and see where you get. I have never had that happen where they wrote in order under four fifty I have never had that happen. I had one store after we totalled it take it back down to four fifty, but she also wanted me to start it like three hundred, and clearly we got that back up to where it needed to be. So I've never had a store tell you no, not get above that minimum order once we started writing, even if they weren't sure. You can use things like they're like, I don't know, like let's put together the order and just and just see half the time they've forgotten that you're writing a test order and then they're like here's my credit card or let's sign it, we're going to go, so a lot of times you could kind of ease people in, but you also want to think about, you know what they're gonna be hesitating about in their store, so if they're saying things like, you know, I'm really oversaturated on jewelry right now, you're not going to sell it that moment and that's okay, you can let them go, but if they're kind of like, I don't know how I'm going to display this or whatever hesitations you're getting, you want to start to think about those answers and some of it you're not going to know until you're in those sales situations or you're not going to know until you're getting those questions, but it's important to start to think about them.