‘What’s In It—For Me?’ The Language of Sales

This information is designed to give you insight into a new language. No, not English, French, Italian, Japanese, or German. Rather, the language of sales.

In fact, it’s the language most people listen for. A code, if you like, that everyone understands. One that is the only true language to reach someone and generate a positive response from your marketing.

One you and your team have to learn and use every single day, day in and day out, especially if you want to win positive responses to your advertising, direct mail, phone techniques, and face-to-face selling!

It’s called the language of…a new radio station—‘WII—FM.’

Every time you speak with a customer or put pen to paper to write to them, your customers are waiting to hear this language of sales. 

This ‘language’ answers the question, ‘What’s In It—For Me?’ (WII—FM). You could say customers are tuned into it, as if listening to a new ‘WII—FM’ radio station.

One that tells them what your product or service will do for them, instead of just the facts or features about that product or service. One that explains the benefits of your service over your competitors. 

One that clearly explains ‘what is in it for them,’ that is, what can they expect and how they will benefit from your products and services. One that tells them in terms of the benefits to them why they should choose you!

Fact is, they won’t buy from you if your marketing material and sales pitch DO NOT answer WII—FM. Your potential customers will, in fact, switch faster than you can say, ‘No, don’t go! We really do have what you need’!

And that’s because this language is just so selective. If your message isn’t sent in that language, it will fall on deaf ears!

To further emphasize this point, imagine this: Your reader or the person who walks into your business is reading or listening to each line you say with a ‘What’s In It—For Me?’ FILTER between his or her eyes and brain.

Put simply, then, anything that is on the right frequency, the WII—FM frequency, is accepted. Turned up, listened to more carefully, and very often acted upon. And anything that’s not on WII—FM is rejected. End of story. 

Quite often, it is this failure to talk in the customer’s language, the WII—FM language, that will cause you to lose a sale or that will stop the phone from ringing. It isn’t the commonly held belief that price causes lost sales and slow responses! 

In fact, only 15% of the market shops on price alone. A further 68% fails to buy because of ‘perceived indifference.’ That is, they perceive that you’re indifferent toward them and their needs. Not speaking in their language (WII—FM) gives them that impression from the very outset!

You see, existing and potential customers want your business to focus on them. They don’t want to hear about your business, how good it is, how great you are at what you do, your products and services. They want to hear about themselves. Their needs. Their wants. Helping them solve a problem or a need. And results.

And yet, most businesses don’t. They focus on themselves.

They constantly tell people about the features or facts about their business or products and services rather than what that business or products could DO for the customer! The benefits they’ll receive and so on.

Many fail to answer the WII—FM question with religious fervor! And consequently find the response to their marketing is poor, dollars are wasted, and sales just never reach the level they should. WII—FM is made all the more powerful by this very fact. 

It can really help your business stand out from the crowd. Look at most marketing material, perhaps even yours, and you’ll probably agree that most businesses tend to talk about themselves instead of answering customer needs. Over and over, you’ll see words like ‘our,’ ‘we,’ ‘us,’ and ‘we’re’ throughout marketing material. 

By understanding WII—FM, you understand that customers simply ARE NOT interested in that. (It’s for this reason, too, that putting your company name at the top of your ads, instead of a WII—FM benefit-oriented headline, is useless!)

Given that, then, it’s important to take this a little further.

Most communication you receive from other businesses goes something like the next paragraph. As you read it, imagine you’re a potential customer of this business:

‘Our company was established in 1979 and, since that time, we have been the best provider of [product or service] in this area. Our staff is experienced. We can provide any [product or service] needs expertly. Our prices are very competitive. We pride ourselves on service and workmanship.’

After reading that, how do you feel? Interested? Excited about what they could do for you? Happy that you’ve finally found someone who will help you solve your problem or need?

To say the least, probably not! In fact, they sound stuffy and boring and they haven’t told you anything you didn’t already expect to hear! In fact, you’ve probably heard it all before—from their competitors!

Does the paragraph make you want to rush to the phone and call these people? Once again, no.

You may have heard from other companies in a similar field, most of which, whether it be true or not, would probably have told you the same thing. So at this point, you as the potential customer probably have no way of differentiating one business from another, except gut feel and…you guessed it…price.

It is often only this LACK of differentiation that actually makes people shop on price. Price will usually be the ONLY point of difference customers can see clearly!

In short, does this sort of communication actually make you want to buy from that company over and above their competitors? Surely not!

Now let’s use the language of WII—FM to illustrate the huge difference it can make. This next paragraph says exactly the same thing in a different way. It uses the language of WII—FM to create something more compelling and attractive to potential customers.

‘Since 1979, people just like you have been coming to [Business Name] for advice and service about [product or service]. That means you’ll benefit from their experience. Over the years, the team at [Business Name] has seen every type of [product or service] problem or need there is, so they’ll know just what to do to help you solve yours. Of course, budgets are important these days. That’s why at [Business Name] you’ll receive the best [product or service] tailored to suit yours. In fact, the friendly, professional team is here only to help you. That way, you can enjoy [benefit of the product or service, e,g., greater productivity/better results/increased profits/better health], knowing you made the right decision.’

You can instantly see and feel the difference, can’t you? How do you feel now? Mostly likely, you feel more confident. You may feel more interested. More hopeful. More excited about what they could do for you. And you’d probably feel happy that you’ve finally found someone who will help you solve your problem or need.

At the very least, you’ll probably agree, you ARE more motivated to call this business over the first business.

In fact, you probably sense some difference between this business and its competitors. They seem friendly in their approach. They’ve talked to your needs directly, as if you knew them. They’ve explained a little more about how they can help. And they’ve understood your real need for help and explained how you’ll receive the ultimate benefit you want. They’ve focused on you and your needs all the way through.

Basically, they’ve used the language of ‘What’s In It—For Me.’

For every ‘we,’ ‘our,’ or ‘us’ word, there should be 5 ‘you’ words. These ‘little’ words make the biggest difference. You’ll find one of the biggest differences is the use of ‘little words’ like you, your, and you’ll, rather than ‘our,’ ‘we,’ and ‘us.’ It really makes the reader feel more interested.

To give you some ideas about what to look out for and some words to use more often, let’s break that paragraph down sentence by sentence…

Our company was established in 1979 and, since that time, we have been the best provider of [product or service] in this area.

The very first word is ‘our,’ rather than ‘your’ or some other statement focused on the customer! Sometimes including the date the business was established can build credibility. Next, who said this business was the ‘best in this area’? Of course—the business itself. As a potential customer, then, I am less likely to believe it. And finally, the words ‘our’ and ‘we’ have both appeared in just one sentence. These words are inwardly focused, not customer-focused.

‘Since 1979, people just like you have been coming to [Business Name] for advice and service about [product or service].

This second version still establishes credibility with the date, but does so by saying ‘have been coming to’ the business forever—making it the right decision for the reader to do so. Further, it helps people identify with the business by addressing their need ‘for advice and service’ and builds empathy by saying ‘people just like you.’ The words ‘our’ and ‘we’ have been replaced with one far more important to the customer—‘you.’

Our staff is experienced. 

Again, the first word is ‘our’ rather than one focused on the customer. Further, it’s important not to make a comment like this. It’s critical to explain what that will mean to me as the customer. The customer usually thinks, ‘That’s good, but it’s not really important unless it’s going to DO something for me, give me some sort of benefit, do something for me like save me time, money, or hassles. And besides, everybody says that.’ 

‘Staff,’ too, is less inviting these days than ‘team.’ ‘Staff’ has connotations of lower level employees working on something that’s important to me as the potential customer. This can lower the customer’s trust in your business. Again, the customer will often think, ‘What I need is important, so I want a manager to handle it or, better yet, the owner.’ The word ‘team,’ then, is much more positive because people take it to mean that everyone works together—the owner, the managers, and the apprentices, for example.

That means you’ll benefit from their experience. 

‘That means’ is an excellent tool for speaking and writing in the language of WII—FM. People want to know what a certain feature or fact about your business or product or service specifically means to them. Otherwise it’s useless. So what will that feature or fact help them achieve, be, do, or have? 

Using ‘that means’ will literally make their ears prick up! It’s a signal on the WII—FM radio station that means, ‘Listen in, something important to me is about to be said.’ Other extensions that might suit are: ‘that means to you,’ ‘that will mean you ...,’ ‘that way, you’ll be able to....’

The word ‘you’ll’ has been used rather than ‘our.’ ‘You’ is important and ‘will’ is a very strong statement. Not ‘you might,’ ‘you could,’ ‘perhaps,’ or ‘may’—but WILL. YOU WILL. And the very next word—‘benefit.’ YOU WILL BENEFIT. This time, they’ve been told exactly what will happen thanks to the team experience. ‘Great,’ the potential customer thinks, and reads on from there. 

We can provide any [product or service] needs expertly. 

Again, the first word is focused on the business rather than on the customer. There is no mention of the words ‘you,’ ‘you can,’ etc. This statement starts to build credibility by saying ‘any [product or service] needs expertly.’ This could be taken one step further by explaining how that will help the potential customer.

Over the years, the team at [Business Name] has seen every type of [product or service] problem or need there is, so they’ll know just what to do to help you solve yours.

In this version, ‘over the years’ establishes credibility, too, and goes on to explain that ‘every type of problem or need’ can be solved. In fact, ‘We’ll know just what to do’ to help you! This builds on the potential customer’s confidence in the business’ ability to help them and is very customer-focused.

Our prices are very competitive. 

First word ‘our’! Saying our prices are very competitive is like waving a red flag at a bull! This focuses the customer on price, so they have to find out. You’ve told them your prices are very competitive, so of course they’re going to ask about your price! Many business owners do this, only to complain that customers always ask about price! Of course they do—the owner has practically challenged them to.

Of course, budgets are important these days. That’s why at [Business Name] you’ll receive the best [product or service] tailored to suit yours.

In this version, the business builds empathy. It says, ‘We know price is important, and we’ll work with you to find something appropriate.’ First and foremost, price is not the major issue for the majority of your potential customers. (As they get closer to purchasing, it will become more important, so addressing it in this way works.) However, they can feel confident that they’re not going to be cheated or oversold. Second, if anything, people aren’t after price per se, rather something that fits into a budget they may have in mind. ‘You’ll’—again that strong ‘you will’ statement—and the word ‘yours,’ rather than ‘us’ and ‘ours,’ speak to the customer directly.

‘We pride ourselves on service and workmanship.’

Read, ‘We think we’re great! We think we do a really good job even if you don’t!’ ‘We’ rather than ‘you’ appears again.

In fact, the friendly, professional team is here only to help you. 

This is a very positive statement. ‘Fact’ is a word people tend to take seriously. Next, people like dealing with people they like and with people who make them feel liked and special. Using the word ‘friendly,’ then, is very positive. People also like dealing with professionals—people who take their work seriously and uphold certain standards. As mentioned earlier, the word ‘team’ is good, too. 

And finally, people only come to your business or any other business to be helped. They have a problem or a need that needs to be solved. Explaining that the team is here only to help you is critical. It indicates their sole focus in life, all their work, revolves around helping you, the potential customer. This kind of statement is very customer-focused.

That way, you can enjoy [benefit of the product or service, e,g., greater productivity/better results/increased profits/better health], knowing you made the right decision.

This statement explains the benefit of all of these factors combined, what it will really all mean to them. Of course, this is the ultimate benefit someone is really looking for. 

The second version really is better, isn’t it?

To tap into the power of ‘What’s In It—For Me,’ always…

·        Tell the reader, caller, or potential customer standing in front of you—in quite specific terms—exactly what he or she will get, find out, discover, or be able to achieve when they take the action you want them to take.

·        Speak and write your letters, advertisements, and other marketing material remembering that your reader is tuned to ‘WII—FM.’

·        Change ‘we,’ ‘us,’ and ‘ours’ to ‘you,’ ‘yours,’ and ‘you’ll’ and you will have tuned into ‘WII—FM.’

You see, when you do that, you’ll discover something interesting. You’ll find yourself writing words that keep your reader involved. Sentences that go on to talk in WII-FM terms.

Once you do that you’ll find that your written and spoken communications take on a whole new dimension for you and your reader.

Some examples for you

Here are two tables of ‘openers’ and ‘translators.’ Use these words and phrases to start sentences and translate key product or service features into benefits for the customer. This will get you started and really bring your face-to-face selling, letters, and ads alive for your potential customers.

By using these tables, you’ll see how your reader or the customer standing in front of you all of a sudden becomes more involved. You’ll find them nodding and thinking, ‘That makes sense.’ That person will be thinking about the results they can achieve by using your product or service.

‘What’s In It—For Me helps you create attention, interest, desire, and then action—SALES. So get tuned into WII—FM…fast!

If you’d like to know more about writing ads that utilize WII-FM, please visit our Online Course Library.  There, you’ll find an expanded course on Selling Benefits Instead of Features.

Your Action Plan: Start using the ‘language of sales’ to make your customers want to buy from you over and above your competitors