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• What I’ve Learned

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What I Learned:

Ever enter a bathroom that doesn’t use Fabreze?

….Or leave one?

It’s a $1B product.

But I love the story behind it: Apparently, the developers asked a bunch of cat ladies (and cat men) on the we-own-too-many-cats spectrum if they’d use a new spray called “Fabreze.” It seemed like a no-brainer: Give it to a bunch of people who have a cats likely urinating in their home, and monitor how often they reorder this new solution.

….But when the developers came back.

They were shocked.

The bottles weren’t used. 

The testers liked the smell, loved the ease, and appreciated the bottles—but they didn’t see the need to buy more.

“I’m good.”

WTF?

So, the developers asked questions to uncover why they weren’t being used.

Was it easy to find?

Yes.

Do you like the smell?

Yes.

But one developer looked at this particular lady—with seven cats circulating in her living room (and probably one dead under the couch), and asked, “Ma’am…may I ask you what may be an insulting question?”

“Sure.”

“…Are you even aware that your house smells like cat s**?”

“No.”

Bingo.

This story is one of my favorite sales lessons.

Nothing will happen in business until someone admits – or is even aware – there’s a problem, regardless of how awesome a solution is.

If you’re an orthodontist, you can point out a diastema all day, but if someone doesn’t care, you couldn’t offer treatment for free.

It's the same with being a sales rep.

If all extra appointments could be eliminated, nothing will happen until there’s an hint of a problem.

If you hire a consultant for the new patient exam, you’ll see the Fabreze problem used repeatedly. Sales come from the questions and connection that surface problems, obstacles, and consequences—long before raving about how great the team, technology, or practice is.

“This is what I see, and this is what I recommend, but you look at yourself every day. What are your top concerns and issues that brought you in to us today?”

The best TC trainers help bring ownership and co-design to the patient, and invite all the issues and problems to the surface.  (Btw, one of the best at this is Tracy Martin, and you can read her full interview here).

Problems are key to conversion; not just solutions.

“Everyone’s in sales."

And its only through defining problems can we lead someone to purchase.

People don’t buy what you do. They buy into the belief that you can help them solve their problem.