 What
Motivates People to Take Action
So I wanted to
buy a car. It was a tough choice but I decided that my next new car would be a
Volvo. So I drove down to a local dealer and told him I wanted to take a
look at a few Volvos and could he help. “Of course” he replied.
After viewing a
few of the cars I decided to test drive one of them. As I drove around the
salesman went on about how great this car is and how customers don’t complain
about the car and how they love their Volvos. I then asked him to be more
specific about what customers like about their Volvo. He seemed to hesitate.
It quickly became obvious no one had ever asked him to be specific. He said,
“Well you know, people like the way it drives and how it looks.” He rambled on
but never got into specifics.
After a few
test drives and more “oohs, ahs” about how great it would be to own a Volvo I
thanked him and left without buying a car. I just wasn’t sure and wanted to
think about some more.
About a week or
so later I decided to go back and test-drive some Volvos again. This time I
went to a different dealership hoping to get another flavor before making up my
mind.
The salesman
that greeted me was a polite and unassuming individual. We’ll call him Jack.
Jack asked me simple questions about what I was looking for in a car. I also
told him that I had test driven a few Volvos but was unsure of whether to buy or
not.
Jack listened
and nodded his head and said, “Alright. Let’s begin with the model you like the
most.” I said, “Sure.”
We got into the
car and I was ready to start the car when Jack asked me to wait a minute. Jack
then went on to explain the features of the car. By the time he was done I
understood what every button on the panels, dashboard and doors could do. Then
Jack explained how many of these features would make my drive more comfortable.
It became quickly apparent that Jack understood how to sell benefits, not
features.
When we finally
started driving, Jack began to go into the history of the Volvo; origin, model
transitions and improvements and on and on. It was like listening to a Volvo
documentary…with me in it!
When we
finished driving, Jack stepped me around the car to explain some of the hidden
safety features. Volvo is known for being one of the safest cars in the world.
And after Jack’s mini-tour around the vehicle I understood why. Needless to
say, within an hour I was sitting down in his office finalizing the paperwork to
purchase my first Volvo.
I gleaned a
couple lessons from this experience that I want to share with you.
First, Jack
wasn’t a ‘slick’ salesman. He was an average guy with a very modest demeanor.
Most people have it in their heads that to be a great salesperson you have to be
a fast and smooth talker. Wrong. Who would you trust more? A fast talking
salesperson like the first with slick answers and no depth or someone like Jack
who answers all your questions with details and facts?
Second, people
don’t want to be sold, they want to be convinced. Jack understood that giving
me a lot of information would go a long way in helping me decide as to whether I
wanted to buy or not. Having enough information allowed me, or better yet,
convinced me to make a decision.
I didn’t buy
from the first dealership because I didn’t have enough information to make an
informed decision. All I had were the opinions of other people who had driven
the car from a salesman I didn’t personally know. Testimonials are great, but
unless I know the person behind the testimonials it mean very little to me.
More often then
not, people reject proposals or making a buying decision because somewhere in
the sales process their concerns weren’t addressed. They still have lingering
doubts about whether it is the right choice for them.
Jack’s approach
reminded me of an adage I keep in mind when trying to understand the link
between motivation and action:
“An
uninformed mind is a confused mind. And a confused mind will NEVER make a
decision.”
In a
hyper-capitalist society where we are inundated and bombard with new technology
and features, our minds often times can’t keep up. The job of a salesperson is
to explain the new advances, but more importantly how they benefit the buyer.
Whether selling or just trying to convince others, what motivates people into
action is 1) knowledge and 2) that it is in their best interest.
Think about it
for a second. When you know ‘how to’ do something, you rarely hesitate in
getting it done. When you know that it will benefit you personally, you will
act!
A final note:
If you’re in management, keep this is mind when someone doesn’t buy into your
approach, strategy or way of thinking. Maybe the reason they don’t has less to
do with your ideas, and more to do with them not having enough information to
make an informed decision OR how it will benefit them in the long run.
p.s., Update:
five years later my Volvo is still going strong!
Victor
Gonzalez, top Hispanic motivational speaker and author of “The LOGIC of
Success”. For more info go to: www.thelogicofsuccess.com
or send an email to:
victor@thelogicofsuccess.com
Success Happens for a Reason
Copyright © 2004 by Victor
Gonzalez All rights reserved. This article MAY be reproduced in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, as long
as the author’s name, website and email address are included as part of the
article’s body. All inquiries, including information on electronic licensing,
should be directed to Victor Gonzalez,
victor@thelogicofsuccess.com.
www.thelogicofsuccess.com
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