"Once you've changed, other things start to follow."

Good, even great ideas are all around us.  Radio, TV, online, songs, movies, theater, games, toys, books.  It's as simple as seeing it for what it is and as difficult as figuring out what to do with it.  How to use it.  I'm not talking about the self-help sales, marketing and copywriting books we all spend time reading either.

I confess enjoying science fiction, fantasy and adventure. The classics like Heinlein, Asimov, Herbert, Tolkein and also books from the youth, teen and young adult sections like the Harry Potter series, the Pendragon series, Eragon and the like.  Believe it or not, it's a great source for ideas to apply and implement in business marketing, sales coaching and copywriting.
For example, if every salesperson adopted Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics every prospect and customer would be more trusting and every salesperson would legitimately provide solutions to problems.

Anyway, back to the book I'm currently reading.

In Diane Duane's, "So You Want to be a Wizard" I came across the following yesterday:

"Believe something and the Universe is on its way to being changed. Because you've changed, by believing. Once you've changed, other things start to follow. Isn't that the way it works?"

Okay, the writing is a bit stilted but it is spoken by an energy entity so we'll let that slip and instead focus on the message for the impact this statement has for sales professionals and copywriters.

There is a lot of chatter out there about needing to believe in what you sell or what you write.  The reality is that it can help, but it can hurt just as much.  Here's why.  There are some who take "believing" to the point of being unable to understand what it is the prospect and customer need to believe. 

When you operate from a postulate you operate at a disadvantage.  You come to the table operating with assumptions of truths without proof.  Worse, you cannot begin to imagine why someone listening to your pitch or reading your copy does not simply take your word on faith, immediately accept what you say and write and hand over his wallet or her handbag.

The key to successful selling in person and in copy is to identify what the prospect already believes, wants to believe and needs to believe and address it.  Grab onto a truth, however small and build up to the bigger truths.  Use those truths and beliefs to support the big idea.  The reason the prospect should listen to you.  The incentive for the prospect to keep reading your copy. 

Once the prospect begins to believe, the decision-making process begins to change in your favor.  And once the decision-making process begins to change in your favor, other things start to follow.

For what it's worth, if your prospect operates from a postulate that doesn't sync with what you are selling don't knock yourself out.  Move on.   Alternately, identify from which postulate he or she operates and build your product, service, sales and marketing material building around it. 

Be the Hero,
Mark