15 Oct 2009
Why aren’t companies buying?
I used to think of myself and my services as a fire truck looking for businesses with fires in the basement. My job was to look around, talk to people and find out if they had fires in the basement they wanted to talk about. Often, when they were willing to talk, they were also willing to let me put the fires out. In other words I could help them solve the problems they were facing. My experience was usually that people with fires in the basement were out front looking for the big fire truck to pull up. When they heard the siren, they started pointing to the building.
Maybe you have seen yourself in a similar fashion. Your offerings, your good or your services provided solutions to the problems the businesses or consumers were facing. Often, most often, the buyers who believed you could solve their problem within their time frames and budgets would buy. Systematic selling was a plus because it helped both the buyer and seller stay on track toward a decision. The decision could be either Yes or No. Either one was a clear decision and, once the decision was made, you could move on.
In the past twelve months, I have been feeling that the world has changed. There is almost universal agreement that most businesses have major problems that, if they were solved, would result in better business for them and the rest of the economy. People tell me things like: "There's lots of businesses out there who need you these days." When I first heard words like that, I thought, since I didn't have a line outside my door, maybe it would be helpful if I painted my fire truck a brighter red, put a flag on it, and revved the siren up louder so people would hear me. Not only did I not get invited to put out a lot of fires, the feedback I got was the siren was annoying.
I was really confused. They have a fire. I am a firetruck. What is getting in the way?
After talking to lots of people, I have come to believe believe that many business owners have taken a pledge to not spend money. They have decided that, even though they have money (and most businesses do have money), they are not going to spend it! If someone on the phone or in their office sounds like they are trying to sell something, the conversation is over.
When I came to this conclusion, I recognized that I was as welcome to business owners as a Snickers bar in a Weight-Watchers convention.
Lots of people wanted to invite me in to help them solve their problems in management and to help them enhance their revenue, but no one wanted to spend money. It wasn't that I wasn't doing all the behaviors that used to result in sales. It wasn't that my services were unproductive. That Snickers bar was very attractive. It just happened that everyone around me seemed to be on a diet.
I wonder if you are feeling the same way. You keep going out looking for business. Your products or services are top notch. They can really help people and other businesses. But nobody is buying. Sound familiar?
So what are you going to do? Nobody is spending money. The problems and limitations continue to smolder in the basement. You and I and others know we can solve the problems. But the beliefs about money and the commitment to not spending any is getting in the way.
I do know that big, red, noisy firetrucks are not the answer. Snickers bars, as attractive as they are carry too much baggage when people have pledged to not eat them. How do you help the people or businesses you know who are struggling to move forward?
If I had the answer, I would bottle it and se…ll it…. Oh that's right no one is buying these days. So how will we help businesses out of this dilemma? There will be risks. It will require courage. Those with the most courage will take the first risks. They will have the highest probability of being at the front of the parade when the music starts again.
