What does clarity mean in the context of sales? What are the seven components of clarity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daniel Pink, sales guru and author of To Sell Is Human<\/em>, puts high importance on the new ABCs of selling<\/a>: attunement, buoyancy, and clarity. There are seven components to clarity and if you master them, you will be able to close more sales<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is what Daniel Pink says about clarity in sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Daniel Pink’s sales book<\/a>, To Sell Is Human<\/em>, discusses the new ABCs<\/a> of selling. This article will focus solely on C for Clarity. Clarity in a sales context is the ability to help people restructure their perspective of whatever is occurring for them, support them to discover problems they didn\u2019t know they had, and facilitate the process of developing solutions. For buyers, there are two key obstacles to clarity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Problem 1:<\/strong> Buyers often lack clarity when making a purchase because they have a hard time weighing immediate rewards versus delayed rewards. We are more inclined towards instant gratification<\/a> even if delayed gratification<\/a> better serves our own self-interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Solution 1:<\/strong> Give the buyer a way to do the \u201cright thing\u201d by default. In a sales context, this means offering the buyer a solution that they can access immediately, and requires no decision-making<\/a> on their part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Solution 2: <\/strong>Remind the buyer of the long-term consequences of accepting short-term solutions, and the long-term benefits of delayed gratification. You want to show the buyer how their purchase is going to improve their life in the long term, even though it will cost them resources in the short term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example: Let\u2019s say you\u2019re selling an iPhone, and you want the buyer to purchase insurance with the iPhone. You can remind them that although it will cost more upfront, it will save them money in the future if anything ever happens to their phone. On the flip side, you can make sure they understand that the short-term gratification<\/a> of spending less<\/a> money can cause them greater pain in the future by leaving their device unprotected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Problem 2:<\/strong> Research shows we are not able to make an emotional connection between our present and future selves. Therefore, the idea of making choices based on our future self rather than our present self is unappealing (it feels like making choices for a stranger).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Solution:<\/strong> Paint an image of the future self in a way that is familiar, yet improved. In certain contexts this can be an actual digital image, but in general, it can be done through description alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example: Consider the gym membership example from above. To get the buyer connected to the long-term impact of their purchase, you can describe to them an image of who they might be, or how they may look and feel after a year of working out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditional sales<\/a> is about having access to information that buyers don\u2019t, and modern sales<\/a> is about being able to curate information so that the buyer is supported to solve problems that are most relevant to them and their needs. Traditional sales is about answering questions, while modern sales is about asking questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re more likely to allow others to provide you a service when you have problems you\u2019re not aware of or need further understanding of. If you are aware of your problem, you don\u2019t need help from others, you can just solve it yourself. If you don\u2019t have knowledge of your problem, that is when you need the support of others. Therefore, \u201cmovement\u201d is less about problem-solving <\/em>and more about problem finding<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That means the people who are most valuable in sales are not people who can quickly close a sale, but people who seek to discover problems with the buyer and determine pathways for a solution together. It\u2019s not about making the sale<\/a> (problem-solving), but evaluating a buyer\u2019s needs, and providing them with new clarity (problem finding). These people are thorough, they cross-reference a variety of different pieces of information, experiment with many angles, are flexible and adaptable, and take their time completing tasks<\/a> or achieving goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, say you sell houses, and you\u2019re working with a buyer who has a family of four. If you\u2019re focused on problem-solving, you might simply find the buyer a few houses in his price range with 3-4 bedrooms. If you\u2019re focused on problem-finding, you will take the time to ask the buyer questions about his family to identify their specific needs, provide him with a variety of options that meet those needs, make adjustments if necessary, and work with the buyer until a house is found that truly satisfies him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clarity is enhanced by contrast (and in fact, depends on it). Research shows we are better able to understand or comprehend something when we see it alongside something else. You can move others to deeper clarity about their needs by showing them a reality that contrasts with their own. This makes, \u201cCompared to what?\u201d a critical question in the selling process. Contrast allows you to display the virtues of an option by, for example, displaying the ills of another option. A sales example is comparing your product to a competitor\u2019s product, and demonstrating the differences to a buyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More options drive more initial interest, but fewer options increase likelihood of positive results. Reducing the options available allows you to hone in on them, which provides clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a well-known Columbia University research study, researchers set up booths at a grocery store for jam sampling. The first round provided 24 options, and the second round reduced that number to 6. The study found that more people engaged with the booth in the first round, but the second round yielded more actual purchases. Cutting the options from 24 to 6 made a purchase ten times more likely. The implication is that framing options in a restrictive way builds more clarity. Why? It prevents buyers from becoming overwhelmed by possibilities and allows them to fully evaluate available choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People prefer experiences to material goods. What\u2019s the difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experiences create opportunities to share stories and connect with others<\/a>, with the bonus of enhancing self-awareness, which allows you to develop deeper clarity. Framing a \u201csale\u201d through the lens of experience rather than material acquisition is significantly more likely to move buyers. For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re trying to sell a customer a basketball for their son\u2019s graduation party, but the customer is not sure she needs one. You can help the customer develop clarity by describing how the basketball might be used to enhance the party. You might describe how basketball can help to create an experience of community and entertainment for partygoers. The customer might realize that is exactly the experience she wants partygoers to have, and with that clarity, decide to purchase the basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your tone matters. Ascribing positive labels<\/a> to a product or experience changes the behavior of the buyer, particularly if you frame the product or experience by using comparison (for example, you can describe the experience as one that most will never have, and show the buyer why they are special if they have that experience). <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is value to including negative labels<\/a> as well, to a point. People are more likely to make a purchase after receiving mostly positive labels and small numbers of negative labels than they are to make a purchase after receiving entirely positive labels. This is called the blemishing effect<\/em>, and it uses a minor negative aspect of something to frame or enhance the positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The blemishing effect operates well under two conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Condition #1: Buyers need to be in a \u201clow effort\u201d state of mind\u2014meaning they aren\u2019t in a hurry to find a solution to their problem. An example is someone whose attention is on other things, like a busy producer always on their phone who just wants someone else to take care of the problem as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Condition #2: The negative information needs to be shared after the positive. The comparison of positive followed by negative moves the buyer to clarity. An example would be talking up a used car to a buyer, and then after highlighting all its best qualities, pointing out a minor negative detail. This minor negative detail frames the positive details more dramatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Studies show that the possibility of one day being skilled at something is a more appealing narrative than already being skilled at that thing. Why? Uncertainty. According to research, being uncertain makes you think more deeply about whatever is causing the uncertainty. This encourages you to imagine more possibilities and become excited by their potential. When selling yourself<\/a>, frame your potential rather than your existing value. For example, if you\u2019re seeking a promotion, share your goals for the position with your boss. In a sales context, emphasize the potential of a product or service. For example, get a buyer excited about a new iPhone to replace their current one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Providing clarity is not just about clarity of thought<\/a>, it\u2019s about clarity of action. What moves people is not simply the identification of a solution or a goal, but a roadmap that gives them clarity on how to reach the solution or goal. After determining a problem, and framing it successfully, the last component of clarity is giving buyers an \u201coff-ramp.\u201d Giving someone an \u201coff-ramp\u201d means giving them a clear path to the resolution of a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some practices to develop clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clarity needs comparison. You can find it by jolting yourself with unfamiliar experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This practice is valuable whether you\u2019re a salesperson or not because it helps you to develop new perspectives and identify personal strengths or weaknesses. This clarity contributes to your ability to sell yourself. If you\u2019re a salesperson, the practice keeps you open to new possibilities, and you improve at identifying problems and solutions. This equips you to better support potential buyers to develop clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Historically, accessing information was difficult. In the modern world, we have unlimited access, so curation is the greater challenge. Curation is about identifying relevant information and dismissing irrelevant information. Beth Kanter has developed three steps to curation.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe ABCs of Sales: C Is for Clarity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Seven Components of Clarity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#1: Problem-Finding<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#2: Contrast<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#3: Fewer Options<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#4: Emphasis on Experience<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#5: Clear Tone<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#6: Potential<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#7: An Exit Route<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Solution: Practices for Developing Clarity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Practice #1: Jolts of Uncertainty<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Practice #2: Operation Curate<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Step #1: Seek<\/h5>\n\n\n\n