4 Reasons People Don't Buy Your Ideas...Products or Services

Have you ever stopped for a moment to consider why people don't buy your ideas? My friend, Tom Wilkerson, a former general agent for Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, is the consummate salesman and community leader. Tom has a way of making complicated concepts, such as sales, simple. Here are his 5 reason why people don't buy your ideas, products or services.

1. They don't trust.

2. They don't need.

3. What you're offering doesn't help them.

4. They feel no sense of urgency.

Recent public policy debates in Washington D.C. highlight the importance of these factors in swaying public opinion. If you listen to the arguments of opponents of health care reform, these five themes are highlighted. Some feel that Congress and the President spent too much money on bailouts and stimulus packages. They lack trust. Others, who have health insurance and are afraid of being burdened with taxes and losing what they have, don't need reform. Simply stated, what is being offered doesn't help them. Finally, others who say "let's slow down" and examine this change and implement it gradually don't feel a sense of urgency. All five themes are part of the debate. I offer this simplistic analysis not to support one position or the other, but to show you how all five reasons must be addressed to successfully sell your ideas.

Do the same themes apply to selling products or services? Absolutely yes! Regardless of whether you are trying to make change in your community, selling a product to a consumer or trying to offer a professional service, these five reasons must be addressed in order for you to be successful.

In my book, I emphasis the importance of credibility. Credibility and visibility are the two essential elements of developing business relationships. Credibility goes to the heart of trust. You can't simply wake up one morning and say, "Today, I am going to be credible." It takes a lifetime of work to establish credibility. Credibility and trustworthiness can not be turned on and off like a switch. It must be a part of who you are or a part of your businesses culture.

Need is perhaps the greatest driver of human behavior. Need and want are often confused in the minds of consumers, but need must be addressed in order for a sale to occur.

Offering something that is needed may seem like a no-brainer, but I am often amazed at how many people selling a product or service fail to examine the needs of the person to whom they are selling. This is necessary to determine whether the product or service actually helps the consumer. You must have a compelling reason why your product or service will help address the needs of the consumer.

No sense of urgency is often the reason a sale fails. A consumer may like the product or service but he or she will not act until motivated or pressured to do so. How many "infomercials" on TV say, "If you call within the next ten minutes, you will receive_____ free!" Why do they always throw in a bonus offer - to create a sense of urgency.

Just think how many wills are written after a poor health diagnosis or how many accountants are hired after an IRS notice is received. If you want to sell your idea or product, you have to demonstrate to people the urgency of acting now and not delaying.

Before you attempt to make a sale keep these five themes in mind and you will do well.

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter - Why???

Do you have people in your organization who scoff at the idea of using LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter? Recently, I encouraged a babyboomer friend of mine to sign up for LinkedIn. His response, "Why bother?" My response, "Relevancy."

Shortly after singing up for Facebook, I received a friend request from a colleague. Admittedly, I wasn't comfortable in this new world, and I asked my friend, "Why do you do Facebook?" The answer was simple, yet profound, "It makes me feel relevant."

That is perhaps one of the best reasons for people, especially Babyboomers and Matures, to engage in social networking. If you refuse to engage, a significant part of the world will pass you by. You will become irrelevant. The number of Facebook users is over 300,000,000. Soon Facebook users will surpass the total population of the United States. LinkedIn has over 46 million users. If effective communication is a key to success, shouldn't you be familiar with and experience the medium in which millions of people choose to communicate?

Can you imagine having a similar conversation with your grandmother decades ago. "Grandma why don't you watch TV with us?" Grandma replies, "Its just a fad. Television won't replace the radio." Many argue that LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are just fads. These folks are probably correct. In time, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter will fade away in popularity when the next new thing comes along. While this may be true, it is not an excuse for sitting on the sidelines. If you wait for something "permanent" to come along, you will wait forever. Social networking will always continue to change and you can't wait forever to start.

I recently read an article in which octogenarian, Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, discussed Twitter. He described getting on it the first time and looking around. He said, "I just didn't get it." Prompted by his wife, he decided to try it and within a few hours he proclaimed, "I get it!" Jack now has over 824,000 followers. As with many things in life, you can't be a spectator to fully appreciate what is happening. You have to play the game to truly understand it. Social media is a megatrend that can not be ignored. Our younger colleagues at work have adopted social media as a part of their everyday life. If we don't at least explore it and try it, we quickly will become irrelevant. If you need something to motivate you or a friend, watch the video link below. Although I don't agree with all of the stats offered, it does make one think.

Watch The Ends

When developing business relationships with older Americans, you have to "watch the ends." What are the ends? Your hair and shoes. Older Americans were taught the importance of keeping their hair coiffed and their shoes shined.

Have you ever noticed that barber shops and beauty salons are full of older people? I am amazed at the older men who visit the barber shop every two weeks. Many barely have a blade of hair on their head, yet they feel compelled to get a hair cut. At times, I feel that my 84year old mother plans her entire life around her weekly trip to the beauty salon. Why do they do this? It is generational and it is ingrained in them.

If you want to impress older people or do business with them, reflect their values. Keep your hair coiffed and your shoes shined. You will pass one of the most important tests with them - the first impression test. Watching the ends will help build your credibility with this age group.