7.7.2011

11 Reasons Why Your Buyer is Snoring.

Let’s be frank.

Just about the worst way to spend the next five minutes of your life is listening to a sales dude prattle on about why you need to give him “five more minutes” to listen to the wonderments of his pitch.

It’s completely boring.

And while “being boring” might not seem like the worst business crime in the world, it’s a crushing body blow to getting buyers to listen to you.

To really listen to you.  Not just to know that someone is saying something somewhere in the close proximity.

You might be the only one standing in front of the room with a Powerpoint behind them, but that doesn’t mean that you are the center of attention.

It’s likely you are putting people to sleep.

Take YouTube for example.

The top twenty videos on YouTube have over 2,000,000,000 views.  People are obviously paying attention to these videos.

And what do we like to watch?

We like silly, sexy stuff — music videos, babies laughing, and dudes doing weird dance moves.

There’s no yammering on about products.  No closing lines.  No monotone features discussion.

It’s exciting stuff.

Let’s compare that to the types of conversations we have with our buyers.

Take our prospecting for example.

Nothing silly.  Nothing sexy.

Completely uninspired content.

And we wonder why buyers don’t click all out links and call us rabidly inspired to do business with us.

They’re bored.

And even if they happen to be half-way engaged, they’re probably busy.  Crazy busy, in fact.

In that five minutes you need so desperately from your buyer, there’s a lot going on:

  1. 729,166,667 emails will be sent around the world,
  2. 329,861 tweets will be tweeted,
  3. 10,416,666 text messages will be sent from cell phones all over the world,
  4. 694,444 pictures will be uploaded to Facebook,
  5. 162 marriages will take place all over the world,
  6. 12,432 newspapers will be available for reading (daily),
  7. 421 new blogs will be created from scratch all over the world,
  8. 6,342 new articles will be added to existing websites and blogs,
  9. 5,208,332 songs will be downloaded from iTunes,
  10. 7.29 days of YouTube videos will be uploaded, and
  11. 15.7 new companies will be started by hopeful entrepreneurs (in the USA alone).

You aren’t just ignored, you’re bullied right out of your buyer’s conscience

Boring doesn’t work.

Buyers want something more entertaining.

They want silly and sexy — not sales pitches.

There is a lot of discussion from business experts about sales process and sales strategy and sales alignment.

But none of that matters when you’re boring.

You having a process doesn’t mean that anyone else cares a darn about your 17 steps.  They care about getting their problem solved and being inspired along the way.

There’s no sales process that cures boring.

Maybe that’s why your buyers are snoring.


Not Getting The
Results You Want?

Our marketing gets 500 times better results than industry average.

Find Out More »

Got EDGY?

An Edgy Audit Helps You Understand Your Business Strengths And Weaknesses.

Take The Audit »
  • http://www.outsellyourself.com Kelly McCormick – OutSell

    Hi Dan, 

    I agree that there is nothing worse than doing a ‘snore-athon’. The litmus test is if you feel bored with your own presentation then it’s boring to others! I suggest that people ask themselves, how would I want someone to connect with me? Chances are good that your client wants the same thing! 

  • http://www.outsellyourself.com Kelly McCormick – Biz Expert!

    Hi Dan, 

    I agree that there is nothing worse than doing a ‘snore-athon’. The litmus test is if you feel bored with your own presentation then it’s boring to others! I suggest that people ask themselves, how would I want someone to connect with me? Chances are good that your client wants the same thing! 

    • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

      Thanks a great tip, Kelly.

      I do think that too many sales executives think that what they are talking about is pretty darn interesting. AND it’s not.

      BUT — if you wouldn’t listen to our silly pitch you can bet no one else wants to listen as well.

      Dan

  • http://www.jellyvisionlab.com Josh Braun

    Buyers are “bored” not because they want to be entertained, but because many sales people sound self serving.  I agree with Jill Konrath, to be heard in today’s sales environment reps need to articulate business value and “ideas” they bring to the table aimed at tackling key initiatives gleaned during background research.   That said, there are opportunities to be delightful and to entertaining during the sales process, but that’s not the goal.  Further, not every prospect wants to be entertained while at work.  You have to get a read on who you’re speaking with and ratchet “vibe” accordingly.    

  • http://www.jellyvisionlab.com Josh Braun

    Buyers are “bored” not because they want to be entertained, but because many sales people sound self serving.  I agree with Jill Konrath, to be heard in today’s sales environment reps need to articulate business value and “ideas” they bring to the table aimed at tackling key initiatives gleaned during background research.   That said, there are opportunities to be delightful and to entertaining during the sales process, but that’s not the goal.  Further, not every prospect wants to be entertained while at work.  You have to get a read on who you’re speaking with and ratchet “vibe” accordingly.    

    • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

      Josh,

      I agree with you that most sales people are pretty darn selfish.

      I also think that most sales executive think they are delivering more value than they really are. Instead they are selfish excuse-makers.

      And let me disagree with you that closing deals is the most important part of the sales process. It’s not. (Any monkey can do that…)

      Changing the lives of those around us for the better is why we do what we do. And that means we inspire. That’s our goal — to inspire hope.

      Dan

  • http://adamoneill.net Adam

    *YAWN* sorry I was just waking up from the last sales pitch I heard. Thanks for sharing Dan, I think we need to keep our Bore-meter in check as we develop, and enhance our presentations.

    If we are passionate about what we sell and we feel bored by our presentations, how can we expect our prospects to feel any better?

    Gut-check time for this sales guy!

  • http://adamoneill.net Adam

    *YAWN* sorry I was just waking up from the last sales pitch I heard. Thanks for sharing Dan, I think we need to keep our Bore-meter in check as we develop, and enhance our presentations.

    If we are passionate about what we sell and we feel bored by our presentations, how can we expect our prospects to feel any better?

    Gut-check time for this sales guy!

    • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

      You got it, Adam. We could all use a little more passion in our lives…

      Dan

  • Anonymous

    Jim Burns of Avitage talks about the importance of “relevance.” It it’s not relevant, it’s deadly boring.

    Great post, Dan.

    Jeff Ogden
    http://www.findnewcustomers.com

  • Anonymous

    Jim Burns of Avitage talks about the importance of “relevance.” It it’s not relevant, it’s deadly boring.

    Great post, Dan.

    Jeff Ogden
    http://www.findnewcustomers.com

    • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

      Thanks, Jeff. I like the reference.

      I am passionate that we need to go beyond relevance and meet the unspoken personal needs of our buyers. People need love. People need hope.

      That’s what we need to sell.

      Dan

  • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

    Thanks a great tip, Kelly.

    I do think that too many sales executives think that what they are talking about is pretty darn interesting. AND it’s not.

    BUT — if you wouldn’t listen to our silly pitch you can bet no one else wants to listen as well.

    Dan

  • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

    Josh,

    I agree with you that most sales people are pretty darn selfish.

    I also think that most sales executive think they are delivering more value than they really are. Instead they are selfish excuse-makers.

    And let me disagree with you that closing deals is the most important part of the sales process. It’s not. (Any monkey can do that…)

    Changing the lives of those around us for the better is why we do what we do. And that means we inspire. That’s our goal — to inspire hope.

    Dan

  • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

    Thanks, Jeff. I like the reference.

    I am passionate that we need to go beyond relevance and meet the unspoken personal needs of our buyers. People need love. People need hope.

    That’s what we need to sell.

    Dan

  • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

    You got it, Adam. We could all use a little more passion in our lives…

    Dan

  • http://twitter.com/CoachLee Leanne HoaglandSmith

    Roy Williams a noted advertising wizard (see the book The Wizard of Ads) talks about putting the sizzle into your marketing messages. His third of the seven laws of the Advertising Universe is ” Intellect and Emotion: ..Win the hearts of people, their minds follow.

  • http://twitter.com/CoachLee Leanne HoaglandSmith

    Roy Williams a noted advertising wizard (see the book The Wizard of Ads) talks about putting the sizzle into your marketing messages. His third of the seven laws of the Advertising Universe is ” Intellect and Emotion: ..Win the hearts of people, their minds follow.

    • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

      That’s right. If you reach the heart, the head follows…

      Dan

  • http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

    That’s right. If you reach the heart, the head follows…

    Dan

  • Pingback: How to Close Any Deal. | Edge of Explosion | Edge of Explosion!

  • Pingback: The Lies Sales Experts (Shamelessly) Tell You. | Edge of Explosion | Edge of Explosion!

twitter logo picture facebook logo picture linkedin logo picture rss logo picture
Waldschmidt Logo
twitter logo picture facebook logo picture linkedin logo picture rss logo picture
Waldschmidt Logo