Among the 1,394 academic staff at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, was one Dr. David Sackett.
Being a physician, when it comes to the care of his patients we'd assume he's driven by science...and facts...and logic...and deductive reasoning, right?
I mean, he's a DOCTOR for goodness sake.
He's SMART.
He's EDUCATED.
He can be UNEMOTIONAL.
He has taken the HIPPOCRATIC OATH!!!
He cannot be SOLD or PERSUADED by HYPE or NUANCE, right?
RIGHT?
When it comes to Dr. Sacket that might—maybe—be right, but only because he has worked really hard at practicing medicine like that.
However, according to studies in the early 2000's, only about 15% of the diagnoses physicians make are evidence-based.
FIFTEEN PERCENT!
That's what has driven Dr. Sackett to dive into "evidence-based medicine," which is defined as...
the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients."
So in the honorable profession of medicine, there is a movement afoot to encourage these well-educated women and men to actually use logic when they try to save the lives of their patients.
If these well-trained, experienced, detached, intelligent, noble professionals rely on "obsolete knowledge gained in school, long-standing but never proven traditions, patterns gleaned from experience, the methods they believe in and are most skilled in applying, and information from hordes of vendors with products and services to sell," as described in the January 2006 edition of the Harvard Business Review, how good are your prospects at determining the value of your offering?
In my training courses I constantly remind my students and clients that
a confused mind says 'NO'."
And if you're forcing them to endure Power Point presentations, full-color brochures with 8-point font and stock images, endless white papers, reports, lead magnets, and video tutorials that provide "overwhelming and conclusive evidence of our superiority over Brands X, Y, and Z," can you see why you're not making every sale?
Can you see why your ideal prospects, those who can benefit the most from your offering, tell you "NO"?
"NO" is safe...or at least it feels safe to your confused prospect:
- "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't."
- "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM."
Vision leads decision, and since few can see past their noses, if you are to make the sale you must expand the visions of your prospects.
You do that by appealing to their emotion.
You do that by telling stories...and asking questions they cannot answer.
Tomorrow I'll explain the logic behind asking questions your prospects cannot answer.
If you were in the Inbound Sellers, you could ask me that question in our group. Check our website or contact me now for more information.
Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.
