Physics and sales are not so different

[ashammi228]

Physics, the study of matter and nature, has been studied since at least 500 BCE. Its contribution to human civilization cannot be overstated – after all, it gave birth to life and technology as we know it. In reality, however, few of us ever formally use it beyond high school, and yet it is a required course in many high school and college curricula around the world (a broad education is always a good thing!). Yet despite our exposure to human interaction and its critical role in our success as individuals and as a society, we are rarely offered such a structured model for learning how to deal taiwanese phone number with people, gain their trust, and motivate them to take action. In fact, while a disproportionate number of us will spend far more time interacting with people than with models of the universe for the rest of our lives, very few of us will see the opportunity to study and structure it beyond our personal experience. Whether we're preparing for an interview, creating an impression of a product, or pitching or selling ideas or products, when we deal with people and motivation, it's always helpful to think about the forces at work. Although we might not think so at first, those physics models we used to study in class can actually teach us a thing or two about working with people, too.

Inertia: Our prospects will continue to do what they do until we make an impact

Inertia, simply put, is the resistance of matter to change. An object that is standing still will stay standing unless acted upon by an outside force. Things on Earth are subject to friction, gravity, and other forces that complicate things a bit, so let's go into deep space, where the forces acting on objects are imperceptible. If you ever decided to go deep into space and throw a rock, it would move in the direction you threw it, in a straight line, forever - or at least until acted upon by another force. Your company's prospects work much the same way. They will continue to do what they are doing, whatever that is - until something comes along that piques their curiosity and makes them explore in a different direction. That something exerts a gravitational pull, if you will, on your potential customers.

Gravity: Our Call to Action, and Where We Express It, Matters Enormously

In physics, gravity binds massive objects together. It's why the Earth orbits the Sun, why the Moon orbits the Earth, and why you and I can go for a morning jog without flying off into space. You and I do have gravity, but because we're so small, the force of gravity is almost imperceptible. When our floating space rock from the paragraph above enters the gravitational field of some large body, perhaps a planet, it begins to change direction and is pulled toward the planet. The effect of the planet's gravity on the rock is largely determined by two things - how big the planet is, and how far away it is from the rock's current path. If we still think of the rock as our perspective, we can think of how big the planet is as our call to action - how much impact does our message have on the person we're trying to communicate with? If our target customer is an 18 year old high school student trying to “get the ladies,” and we’re selling a bottle of spray deodorant (called Exe), we’d do well if our call to action was something that convinces him that a single spray will get him swarming. It’s much harder to rise above the noise when the message isn’t specific enough. However, that call to action is only useful if it’s seen. It’s important to place our messages within the line of sight of our markets and prospects. If we succeed in both, gravity will take over, but that doesn’t mean our job is done. On the contrary, it’s critical to follow up with our leads as they begin their journey toward us.

Friction: Understanding and Clearing Doubts is Crucial

So our cosmic rock is on the move. It has been moved by the gravity of the planet and is now heading towards the planet. So many things can happen before and even when it does. It could be caught in the gravity well of another planet. It could collide with an asteroid along the way. It could burn up in the atmosphere of the planet before it reaches the surface. Like other planets and their own gravitational pull, it is critical to keep an eye on competitors who are encroaching on our target markets and prospects and to respond accordingly to keep our prospects on that path. Guarding and guiding them through various other obstacles and hurdles is essential to ensuring they get to the bottom of your marketing and sales funnel, where the hardest part is often the purchase decision. This purchase decision is the culmination of the prospect’s journey to your call to action, and it is here that any unresolved doubts usually flare up to kill the deal. As often as possible during the prospect’s journey, make sure you’re not only telling your prospect the benefits of what you offer, but also actively identifying and addressing concerns wherever they arise, whether it’s how a competitor can better serve them or how your product actually delivers the results you promise. This will ensure that when the time comes, that space rock that was once just a wandering prospect will become part of your loyal customer base (a la a comet that crashes into the planet, forever contributing to its growing mass).