Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/672763
MAY 2016 22 THE JOURNAL Why Ask "Why?" BY SCOTT STROUD MARKETING CONSULTANT 'What' questions are easy for us to wrap our heads around. As a result, we tend to let them dominate our marketing and sales approach. As an example, someone walks into your model or sales center, and in your mind you're thinking, "What do they want, and what can I sell them?" It's human nature, and we all suf- fer from it. So, what comes out of our mouth when we greet the prospect is, "Hi, folks. What can I show you today?" Most sales presentations start something like that. Right to the point, no wasted time. And not very effective. The question we should be answering first is, "Why are they looking for a new home, and why are they talking to me?" Answer the why, and the what will soon become obvious. 'Why' questions get to the heart of a matter and uncover the real reason your prospects are looking for a new home. 'Why' questions un- cover the emotions and motivations that are connected to the purchase decision. So, when we adjust our marketing and our sales approach to focus more on the why, then we immediately connect with buyers on an emotional level – the real reason they're on the market and should make a change. 'Why' change? What's the biggest obstacle to our closing the sale? It's not price, and it's not the your com- petitor's insane incentives. It's change. No matter what we tell ourselves, we all hate change. We're afraid of change. And buying a new home is a major change. What if I buy and am not happy? That's the mantra playing in the back of your buyer's head. You will overcome that fear of change by making the promised re- ward – how their lives will improve when they're living in their new home – of greater value than the cost of making the move. And remember, that cost is both financial and emotional. And that's why 'why' is so important. If you know why your buyers are on the market, what problem they have that is prompting their change, then you can begin building value in your solution – your home or community. But if you don't know 'why', then you're shooting in the dark. 'Why' is always a problem your buyers have that causes them some degree of pain. Their current home is too big to keep up. It costs too much to heat and cool. They're getting older and can't climb the stairs any longer. It's too long a drive to work. All these are problems that create discontent. Find out the problem and you'll discover why they're in the market for a new home. To find out the 'why', simply ask 'why' ques- tions. "What brings you folks in today?" "Why is it that you're now in the market for a new home?" Opening questions such as those are all about the buyer and will quickly uncover their true buying motivation – the problem that they need to solve. The problem isn't the problem. The problem is only the tip of the iceberg; the first why you must answer. The bigger 'why' is, Why is that a problem? In other words, what pain or discomfort is tied to their current situation. Example: Your buyer tells you they need a big kitchen. Your first impulse is to start showing them homes with big kitchens. Instead, probe for the 'why'? "I understand. You're looking for a big kitchen. Are you looking for a gourmet kitchen for cooking, or a large area for enter- taining?" Then, you might ask, "How big is your current kitchen?" By going deeper into the stated problem, you'll find out what the real problem is – the one that is forcing the change and has high emotional value. Toward vs. Away Yet, once we uncover the true motivation – the real why – behind our prospect's buying de- cision, we all still have the tendency to want to fix it immediately by focusing on the reward, the solution; the ultimate improvement in their life that our home will provide. And we should. People buy when they see that the reward is greater than the cost of making the change. However, 85% of people will have a stronger motivation to move away from their pain then they will to move toward the improvement in their life. What this means is that the real buy- ing motivation isn't how good life will be when they are living in your home, it's how good life will be when the are finally rid of the pain or dis- comfort of their current situation. This is a fun- damental truth, and may require a shift in your own mindset and sales presentation. Why? Be- cause getting your prospect to think about how comfortable they will be living in your new home is nice, but letting them realize how life will be like when they are free of their current pain is motivation to buy! The kitchen analogy I used earlier was from an actual experience. As I probed for the 'why', I discovered that they had recently hosted Thanksgiving for their large family in their cur- rent singlewide. It had been disastrous, nearly traumatic. So, my closing summary was: "So, we've established that your current kitchen is too small for your needs, right? (Nods.) And it seems like the kitchen in this home meets all your needs, would you agree? (Emphatic agree- ment.) So, I guess the real question here is, at your next family gathering, do you want to still be in your current home, or will it be in your new home?" And this illustrates the third level of why: How does that make you feel? Discover the problem (the why), why that's a problem (the 2nd why) and how that makes them feel (the 3rd why), and you'll be well on your way to closing more sales than ever. Scott Stroud is Business Development Manager for Power Marketing & Advertising, a full-service marketing firm working exclusively with housing companies and commu- nities. Scott has over 30 years of exceptional results in new home marketing and sales, and can be reached at scott@Power-marketing.com or by calling 240-420-6343. T J