Book cover design help! Plus, a SUPER handy sales trick

Thanks again for reading the Creating Superfans newsletter! I've got some exciting book updates and a SUPER easy sales trick for you today. If you know someone that would be interested in reading my newsletter, don't forget to share!

I hope you're having a great week! I'm in my second round of editing for my January 2023 book,?Creating Superfans?(and if you don’t hear from me over the next few days, that’s why!). My publisher needs a final decision on the book cover design ASAP. This is where I need your help! I love all three options. Please vote and tell me which one you like best. The official voting is here :)

I'll let you know next week which design won!

One day I was walking through the mall when I made the huge mistake of making eye contact with a salesperson at one of those kiosks. The woman immediately grabbed my attention when she said, “Wow, you’re really pretty!” I smiled and thought to myself, “Oh my gosh, how nice!”.?

But before I could even thank her, she completed her sentence, “...for someone who has so much sun damage on her face.”

“Wow, you’re really pretty for someone who has so much sun damage on her face.”

What a roller coaster of an interaction. I went from feeling really good about myself to really self-conscious all in a matter of seconds (and side note: when did this war on freckles begin?!).?

I see a similar approach from so many people on social media all of the time. How many direct messages are you getting from people who start off their pitch by criticizing something you’re doing wrong and telling you that their product or service can help? For example - “Your blog content is awesome, but your titles are horrible. You could really use my automation service for $99/month that creates the most SEO-friendly titles for your articles.”

No one wants to do business with someone who intentionally tries to make them feel bad about themselves. More importantly, though, your first interaction with a prospect should never be pointing out what they’re doing wrong. It shows that you didn’t even take the time to get to know them. You don’t know?anything?about that prospect, and yet you already think they’re a prime candidate for your product or service.?

What if the kiosk salesperson had made her pitch to someone who had undergone treatment for skin cancer? Or someone who was way less secure about their freckles than I was? That prospect would not only walk away, but also tell their friends to AVOID that business at all costs.?

Bottom line: You never know what your customers are looking for until you take the time to get to know them.?

Last week, on National Storytelling Day, I shared my handy formula for how to uncover your customer’s STORY on my social media channels. It’s a system you can use to help guide discovery conversations in individual settings and also at scale as you try to attract more prospects whose STORY aligns with yours. Remember, to create superfans, you must become a superfan of your customers first.?

Let’s take a deeper look at how to understand your customer’s S-T-O-R-Y:

S: Struggle

One of the quickest ways to get a prospect to care about whatever you're selling is by showcasing that you understand their problem. Like, really understand. Not just what they think the problem is on the surface, but you understand perhaps even better than they do.

What's the problem your customer is trying to solve? What struggles are they facing every day? Even if you think you know the answer, make sure to ask questions to help get a deeper understanding of what they're struggling with as part of your discovery.?

Instead of telling me I have sun damage, a better approach for the saleswoman would have been to ask me if I had any questions or concerns about my skincare regimen. What aspects am I struggling with, if any??

T: Transformation

What is the transformation your customer is looking for? What about their life isn't working right now, and what does that change potentially mean? In other words, if a potential customer buys your product or service, how does their life change??

The most successful salespeople know that the real change extends far beyond whatever surface, business borders others may see. These emotional transformations are where the most meaningful connections happen.

If your product helps shave 25 minutes off a customer's workday, what is the transformation? Added productivity? No. It's the gift of time and the freedom to do anything with it. The transformation may have nothing to do with your solution on the surface, but it's got everything to do with how connections are made.

I may be looking to lighten up the appearance of my freckles, but the true transformation I’m seeking is increased confidence (which she ultimately destroyed by insulting me!).?

O: Options

The quickest way to lose a customer is by assuming that your customer doesn't have any other options. There is always another option... even if that option is to invest money in crypto instead of buying your thing.

By researching your competitors and understanding the alternative options on the market, you can improve your own product and articulate to prospective customers why your solution is the best.?

No one wants to be told that they’re stuck with your option because that’s the only thing available to them. Not only is it a horrible sales pitch, but it’s also not true.

Perhaps the kiosk woman could have told me that hydrafacials and in-office treatments would also be highly effective in reversing my sun damage - in fact, she could have even referred me to her preferred esthetician. However, her pitch could have also reminded me that 80% of skincare success comes from the products used daily, with the monthly treatments as a complement to the serums she sells.?

R: Reservations

One of the best ways to overcome customer objections is to raise them before they do. When possible, position what could be perceived as a negative in a positive light.?

It is always better to uncover reservations before the sale than after. An unhappy customer (or even one suffering from a small dose of buyer’s remorse) might cost you a dozen future customers. Every customer is an influencer.?

By reminding shoppers that it takes at least six weeks to see results with any new product, the kiosk saleswoman can prevent unnecessary customer frustration. In addition, she should ask prospects about any other concerns with her products before they walk out the door.?

Y: You

Only after you're clear on your potential customer's struggles, transformation goals, options, and reservations can you know if you're the right fit for their specific need. If you are, great! If not — and I cannot stress this enough — say so. Tell them. The absolute worst thing you can do is to take money from someone who you don't think will be a good fit in the long run.

I can’t even begin to count the number of five-figure speaking engagements I’ve turned down in the past few years for people who asked me to speak on areas outside my core expertise. I’ve even turned down a couple of six-figure consulting gigs.

Why does it matter? Because I know that referrals and repeat customers are the life blood of any business… including mine. My customers become partners. We work together again and again. You won’t create superfans by taking on half-qualified customers who are going to get half of the value out of your service.

If I had a more serious condition than just some sun spots that the kiosk serum couldn’t address, then the saleswoman should recommend a dermatologist instead of having me purchase a product and chancing a negative review in 6 weeks.?

Next time you’re tempted to start a sales pitch with a “this is your problem, and here’s the solution” mindset, take the time to uncover your prospect’s STORY.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

?— Theodore Roosevelt

Have a great week and I'll talk to you next Tuesday!