Slippery and Shivering In Spring Time? Should You Make This Assumption?

 Do You Make This Fatal Assumption?

This will be a basic, but good. 

It’s funny living here in Ohio. You go to bed after a sunny day and you make the assumption that because it is Spring time that the following day would bring another Spring like day….Right?   WRONG!

Sweet Niblits it’s So cold my son just sneezed out side the mist turned to ice and broke apart on the ground! There’s FREAKIN Snow on the ground!

I could go a lot of different directions and analogies that apply to business and assumption, but I’ve had a lot of questions about this topic so I wanted to address the common disease that is the ‘Silent Killer’ of persuasive communications (sales) and it is called: ‘Feature’ Speak Syndrome -so here goes.

Do you suffer from ‘Feature’ Speak Syndrome?

Too many times in communications (some people call it sales, but the reality is it is a PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION…more on that later) most people will tend to speak in ‘feature’ language. This even happens with people who’ve been in business for a long time. It is a ‘knee jerk’ type of response kind of like when you go shopping and somebody asks you ‘may I help you’ and you automatically respond ‘No Thanks, I’m just looking’. Everybody has had that experience and we do it because we’ve seen so many others do it and then it becomes a habit.

Well, the people suffering from Feature Speak Syndrome get this disease and never seek treatment because this syndrome  has a deceptive allure because the person feels like they are providing valuable information to the prospect by providing the features about the service or product.

The challenge is with the  ‘feature’ speak syndrome recipient. You see, there is an assumption that the prospect knows how to translate what the feature means for them.

This is a FATAL assumption. Plus, everybody knows about the o’le ‘assume’.

It’s easy to make this assumption because of your own ‘curse of knowledge’. You know so much about the product or service etc that when you are persuasively communicating too many times your mind ‘fills in the gaps’ with assumptions that the prospect understands the benefit(s).

So a fast, simple and easy cure  for the sufferers  of ‘feature speak syndrome’ follows:

Features into Benefits

It’s easy. You must translate the features into benefits and this is done by using this ‘bridge’ or ‘connector’. You say the feature and then simply say ”what that means to/for you is…”

It really is that simple. And I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but just like in the NBA, even Lebron James and Kobe Bryant practice lay ups before every game…which is a simple, basic skill, but they practice this skill BEFORE every game so that in the heat of battle it is instinctual.

If they are superstars in their chosen field and they practice the simple basics everyday…shouldn’t you do the same?

Thad

“Take Action, But Don’t Let Actions Take You!

“Think Big¦Dream Bigger!

©TMG 2008