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Sell The Sizzle, Not The Steak
(Author Unknown")
An Example
Generally I don't like to go out to restaurants very much. My wife, on the other hand, loves to go out to restaurants.
I always comment that the food I cook at home is usually better than what I get at most restaurants and it's usually healthier. My wife agrees that the food may no be as good, but she then comments that she likes the excitement of going out, seeing the restaurant dcor, seeing the presentation of the food, the smells of the restaurant, talking to the people and trying something new.
What Does This Example Indicate?
In essence, I'm saying I don't like to go out to most restaurants because I don't like the way they make the steak. My wife says she doesn't care so much about whether or not they make a good steak, she wants the sizzle. She wants the excitement behind the steak.
I go out because I want to buy the steak. My wife goes out because she wants to buy the sizzle.
How Do Most People Think?
I suspect I'm in the minority on this one. Most people love to go out to restaurants. They love to go for the same reasons expressed by my wife.
So What Should A Good Marketer Do?
A good marketer will figure out how to make their product "sizzle." Then, once it sizzles, they will go out and sell it to people like my wife, as they are probably the majority. For example, there may be dozens of steak restaurants in your town, but don't you want to go to the "best" one? Both my wife and I can agree on that.
So, Which Steak Restaurant Is The Best?
To me it's the one that makes the perfect steak. To my wife, it's the one that sizzles . . . Of course, a restaurant could make BOTH the best steak in town AND one that sizzles, but that's unfortunately not the case.
How Do You Rate In This Area?
No matter what type of work you do or type of company you work for, there are almost always opportunities to sell a little bit of sizzle. All you have to do is examine your situation and all types of ideas might pop into your head.
Another Example
Do you ever watch any of the cooking shows on the Food Network? Have you ever tried some of their recipes after watching the show?
My wife watches the Food Network constantly and falls in love with many of the recipes that are presented. The presentation style of the network and their hosts are so good, it makes you want to rush out and go make their recipes. Unfortunately, their recipes don't always taste as good as they look on television when you go to prepare them.
BUT, that doesn't matter. The Food Network has grown to be #1 in their area because they sell a product and service that sizzles.
No matter what we do, if we want to be successful, we all have to do the same thing.
