Tangible vs. Intangible
I remember listening to a Brian Tracy tape in which he mentioned that some people are good at selling tangible items and others are good at selling intangible items. His point was that it’s important to find out which of those groups you fall into, because if you are selling in the wrong category, you’ll struggle to succeed. Now Brian Tracy knows his stuff, but I remember thinking at the time that I disagreed with him, and I still do.
No matter what you are selling, whether it’s machine tools or life insurance, real estate or accounting services, you are always selling something intangible. You are selling an idea to the customer, a promise that by purchasing your product or service, they are going to feel better in the future.
When I sold Cutco Cutlery, I wasn’t selling knives, I was selling the idea that my customers’ lives would be easier by investing in them; that cooking would be more fun, and that they could take of their families better. It was all about the picture they had in their mind. So while Brian might have thought that I was selling a tangible product (high-carbon surgical stainless steel, thermo-resin, and silver-nickel), I was really selling ideas and feelings – and you don’t get more intangible than that.
In many ways it doesn’t matter if you work with a tangible or intangible product. That’s not what you are really selling on your sales presentations. The real question is – What are the intangible feelings you are trying to sell your clients and customers? Is it security, ease, confidence, etc? By identifying those intangibles you’ll find it much easier to mold your sales process. In the end you are selling the perceived solutions to your customer’s problems. So make sure that whether you are selling cutlery or financial services, you are great at selling intangible ideas – the picture of a better future.
Categories: Selling Tips
Tags: sales customers feelings tangible intangible sales presentations services goods selling
I heard the same tapes DFish. Thanks for the article. The Psychology of Selling, by Brian Tracy has created more millionaires than any other sales tapes.
I was in Herabalife (network marketing).
There was always this argument whether you should get people on the products first(tangible) or try and get them into the business (intangible) first.
The products are in the business kit anyway.
I was morecomfortable getting people in the business most instead of selling the products to them.
I sold products to people all the time too, but I was more effective selling the business side of the business, although I liked the products and had great results myself.
I can agree that, whether a product is tangible or intangible, you still have to sell people on the "intangible" experience and feelings of using that "tangible" product first.
Intangible stories sell tangible products, because they are intangible ideas that can paint an example people can imagine and relate to.
I think what is key to the tangible VS intangible argument is the word, "morecomfortable," which Brian Tracy used.
We are only as good as our weakest skill set.
You are good at selling knives, but you are really good at selling ideas and feelings in order to persuade them to buy the knives.
You are mostcomfortable selling ideas and feelings. So what Brian Tracy is saying is to do what you're mostcomfortable at, because that is where your best skill is.
Whatever you do most you'll do best.
"Here’s the rule: Your weakest key result area sets the height at which you can use all your other skills and abilities." ~Brian Tracy
"This weakness will act as a drag on your effectiveness and be a constant source of friction and frustration."~Brian Tracy
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