Materials: Flip Chart; Markers
Time Needed: 25 Minutes

• Introduce the meeting by saying that you will talk about the driving force behind all consumer buying decisions. That is:

1. The desire to avoid pain
2. The desire to be better off.

• Mention again that all buying decisions we make as consumers are done so that we can avoid an unpleasant circumstance (pain) or they are done to gain pleasure – to improve our situation.
• You can also let them know that people, depending on their personalities, are more inclined to be motivated by one or the other – either more by the desire to avoid pain or by the lure of being better off.

• Review the following bullets with your team. Either list them on the flip chart ahead of time or write them out as you talk.
  The practice of selling to pain or pleasure means a number of things in the real world of face-to-face sales.
  It means:
  Focus on finding and selling to only those clients most likely to have pain, or that are looking to be better off than they are now.
  If we can help the client talk more openly about the problems or pain they are experiencing, or the lifestyle or things they want to enjoy, they will be more motivated to take action and buy.
  The more someone talks about problems and frustrations (pain), or the better lifestyle they are after, the quicker they will make a decision which means less follow up and more time to spend with other potential clients.
  If you can show your client that you truly understand the goals they desire, or the unpleasantness of their current situation, they will like you more and be more likely to listen to you when you offer your solutions. Ultimately, that makes it easier for them to buy.
  You do not need to feel rejection when a client does not seem interested when you have not been able to uncover pain or pleasure they do not have. If there is no need, why would they buy? It’s not your fault therefore you do not have to feel responsible for the lack of a sale.
• Review the following bullets with your team. Either list them on the flip chart ahead of time or write them out as you talk.
• The practice of selling to pain or pleasure means a number of things in the real world of face-to-face sales.
• It means:

1. Focus on finding and selling to only those clients most likely to have pain, or that are looking to be better off than they are now.
2. If we can help the client talk more openly about the problems or pain they are experiencing, or the lifestyle or things they want to enjoy, they will be more motivated to take action and buy.
3. The more someone talks about problems and frustrations (pain), or the better lifestyle they are after, the quicker they will make a decision which means less follow up and more time to spend with other potential clients.
4. If you can show your client that you truly understand the goals they desire, or the unpleasantness of their current situation, they will like you more and be more likely to listen to you when you offer your solutions. Ultimately, that makes it easier for them to buy.
5. You do not need to feel rejection when a client does not seem interested when you have not been able to uncover pain or pleasure they do not have. If there is no need, why would they buy? It’s not your fault therefore you do not have to feel responsible for the lack of a sale.

• Split your team into small groups.
• Let them discuss, and come up with a list of one or more of the following:

• Typical things that cause your clients pain, frustration or stress (things obviously that your products can solve)
• Typical things that your clients are looking for that will help them to feel better off (again, things that by using your products they can attain that feeling of being better off)
• Come up with the products that would remedy the pain or how they help clients feel better off.

• Give the following example if necessary:

Product: Online banking:
* Potential Pain: Clients having to adjust their schedules to fit in with the branch hours of operation; stress involved with rushing in before closing time; lost opportunity if they need to leave work early; missed payments or loss of interest because they could not get to the branch on time.
* Potential Pleasure: Get to eat lunch or drive straight home rather than stopping at the branch; get to do banking on their own time, when they want; use the time they would have spent standing in line to do what they want.

• Bring your team back together.
• Have each group present their ideas letting them elaborate on points if desired.
• If time permits, ask how they might get a client talking about the different points of pain or pleasure that were identified.

• Remind the team that the buying decisions we make as consumers are done so that we can avoid an unpleasant circumstance (pain) or they are done to gain pleasure – to improve our situation.
• Tell them that their ability to get clients discussing the things they are trying to avoid, or the things they really want out of life, will be their ability to sell well.
• Follow up in coaching to see how they have used the information in this meeting in practice during the week.

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