Show notes
When you're creating demand for your products and services to the point where they really want it, "listen, yes, I want to do this. I want to move forward with you." That is extremely powerful.
David: Hi, and welcome back. In today's episode, co host Jay McFarland and I discuss creating demand for your solution. Welcome back, Jay.
Jay: Hey, David. Thank you so much. Once again, a great topic. If we could all do that, if we could all accomplish this simple goal, then none of us would have to worry. We'd have all the business that we would want, correct?
David: It sure seems that way, doesn't it? I mean, when we are able to succeed in creating demand for our products and services, selling becomes so much easier. It's not quite unnecessary, but it gets darn close to it. When somebody just really wants what it is that you have to offer, everything gets easier.
Jay: Yeah. I think may be a little bit counterintuitive, right? Where like, I need to find a demand that people have, and then I need to create solutions for that demand. And I think that's entirely appropriate, but it's not enough, right? It's maybe only half the battle.
David: Right, because there's a certain amount of demand that can be found, but there is probably a lot more that can be mined with a little bit of effort.
Now mining, that sort of implies that you've got to do some digging. You've got to do a little more work and just sort of saying, well, I found this, this, and this. These are the three things I'm going to talk about, and these are the three things I'm going to lead with. But when you recognize that there are things that we can say, there are things that we can do that will not just create demand for our products, particularly if we're selling commodity products.
Because creating demand for our products isn't going to be helpful unless it's creating demand for the products that we're selling. Because if they can get it anywhere, I can create demand for something that they can then go buy from someone else.
So part of this has to be the ability to create demand for not just the products and services you offer, but the way that you offer those things. All the little differences in the way that you do things, there needs to be demand that is created for that.
And you're the only one who can do it because you're the only one who knows what those differences are.
Jay: Yeah, I agree, and back to the idea that I'm going to create a business based upon a certain demand, can that demand actually support and sustain a business? You know, just because there's demand doesn't mean that you can survive off it, especially if you're only going to get a certain market share of that demand.
So it better not be your only solution, right? And so I think with your website advertising, with everything that you do, you should be thinking, how do I convince people who may happen to my site or happen on my business? Wow, I didn't even think that I needed this person, but I really do.
David: Yeah, and a lot of that goes to getting past the what, in terms of the product, and getting to the how. The way that you are better, the way that you are different, the reason that If they don't choose you over every other option available to them, they're shooting themselves in the foot. And that's what most people tend to miss in their messaging.
They talk about products, they talk about speed of delivery, they talk about pricing, all the usual things. But so many of those things are common to everyone, that those can't be the things that you focus on. Because if you do, you're just creating more demand for the products and services, as opposed to creating demand for your method of providing those products and services.
Jay: Yeah, you know, I think about our own business model. A lot of people call us and talk to us in the consultation. They're not even sure if they need help. So our first step is to convince them they absolutely do. Because there's not one person who calls us that doesn't need help. We're in a very unique situation.
So our first goal is to get them to a place where they realize they have a demand. And now, once they've realized they have a demand, then we can move on to the process of trying to answer why we're the ones to meet that demand.
But I can see a lot of people not even trying that first step. Just assuming that because you're on the call with them, that they've already decided that they need you. That's not always the case.
David: No, it's rarely the case. And it requires the ability to build a narrative around your solution. What's the story? Hey, what's the story, Jay? Tell me a story. Everybody loves stories.
Tell me a story about why what you're offering is exactly right for me and exactly right for my business. And of course, all of this is predicated on the fact that it actually is, right? So that comes in the qualification process. We've talked about that before. I don't think either of us are at all interested in trying to sell someone into our solution if we don't feel like they're a good fit, because that's a negative outcome for them. It's a negative outcome for us, and it's a negative impact on the business.
It reflects poorly on the business whenever we attempt to provide a solution to someone who is not a good match for that solution, so I think our narrative, first and foremost, has to be direct, and it has to be honest about what we can do for that person.
Jay: Yeah, we use a line now that, maybe I should find out what you think of this line, but in the process of creating demand, we will say a phrase like this. "So please, whether you use us or somebody else or one of our competitors. Please understand that you should not be doing this on your own."
And so now, I've instilled into them the urgency of using an expert. Now, in the rest of the call, it's my job to tell them why it is that they would choose us instead of somebody else. But if I haven't got to the point where they've decided, I better not do this on my own, then the rest of the process is going to be much more difficult.
David: Yeah, I think that's brilliant because I think what it also does is it gives you a first nod of agreement. If you can get them to agree to the fact that, yeah, I really shouldn't be doing this myself, then it takes you one step closer. Because you don't want to get to the point where you're talking all about what you do and then, when you go to circle around, they're like, well, yeah, I'm not sure I might just try to do this myself.
So that's an objection that you can start crushing early on in the conversation, so it doesn't come back to bite you later.
Jay: Yeah. And I'll tell you, one of the things that happens with us is first, we create the demand. Now they know that they need an expert. Then we're going to talk about their situation and maybe some of our solutions, but it's funny, the minute I've created that demand in them, their very next question is, "okay, how much do you cost?"
And I don't answer that question right away. I say, well, let me find out more about your situation. And I dive deeper. And they may ask me a couple of times in the conversation, how much do you cost? And I'll say, well, I'm not really here to sell you anything. I want to answer your questions.
Think about how beautiful that is. They ask me three or four times how much I cost. And I go back to focusing on them, because that is important in my industry. But it's like, by the time we get to pricing, it's not me telling them what we cost, it's them begging for that information, right?
So it's such a unique and, and fun, I never, cause you know, you feel awkward when you're like, okay, here's my price. I never feel that because they've asked for it over and over again.
David: Yeah, in my case, and probably in yours as well, particularly in the early stages of the conversation, the answer almost has to be, "it depends," right? It depends on what you're going to need, what we're going to be able to provide for you.
It might not cost anything because we might find out that this isn't a good fit for you. So there's not a lot of point talking about price until we've identified exactly what they need. What we're going to be able to do for them and whether or not it makes sense to work together.
Jay: Yeah, it's so true. So true. You know, we work in the tax industry. I can't give them a lot of specific information based upon a general consultation, right? So my goal is to convince them why they need an expert, and then help them understand that we are the expert.
But if you want a detailed, specific description of how your situation works, I've got to find out more about you.
I've got to see documents. I've got to get to that point. So you're going to have to engage with us to get to that next level.
David: Yeah. And all of that is very consultative, right? I mean, that's really about getting to the heart of the issue and all that sort of thing. Because there are people who engage in things like scarcity, in some cases false scarcity.
There are people who engage in urgency to try to drive a decision quickly. And to some extent, I guess we may all incorporate elements of that when it's real. If it's real, then it makes sense to do that. When it's done. In an effort to just sell people on something that they might not need, might not be able to afford, et cetera, then I feel like that's not smart.
But when you do have a situation where there are actual limits to what you're able to offer, the number of people you're able to serve, and the speed with which they need to make a decision based on the availability of whatever it is that you do. Then it does make sense to say those things, as long as you're not doing it in a way that is designed to be manipulative.
Jay: Yeah, I could not agree with that more. If you're trying to create false urgency,