The One Big Thing

Every person you encounter will always have that One Big Thing that keeps them from doing whatever it is that you are trying to persuade them to. You know it is there, but you are never quite sure what it is. You know that it stands in the way of your desired result. If you only knew what it was... Understanding the One Big Thing:

• It will never be what your marketing department thinks it is. Marketing Departments usually think from the company perspective and rarely if ever from the potential buyers perspective. As a result their materials and their training usually reflects this. Therefore, they don't know what the One Big Thing is.
• It will never be the obvious thing to you. Because of the training mentioned above and because of so little emphasis placed on the value of listening you will miss the One Big Thing when it comes up in conversation with the potential buyer.
• It will never be about the differences between you and the competition. Because in your potential buyers mind, if it is a problem too "big" for your competition it is too "big" for you also. If they didn't consider it important, then you won't consider it important either.
• It will never be a "big problem". Remember this! Whatever the One Big Thing is for your potential buyer it won't appear Big to you. It never does. The One Big Thing is like the temperature in the room. It is only important to the person who is feeling it.

Let me make this clear. A problem is something that is open to intelligence, imagination, and creativity. In other words it can be solved. If there is no solution, then it is not a problem - it is a fact. If you can distinguish between problems and facts you can solve the problems. Problems always have solutions! Example: Customers always want the best possible service at the lowest possible price. That is a fact! It is also a fact that there is a price point at which a product or service cannot be delivered with any degree of quality. I understand the facts. Now deal with the problem. Can I help the potential buyer understand my price point so that I can deliver a product that is capable of meeting and exceeding his expectations and still remain in a viable business? If I cannot do that then I either don't have a product fit for the marketplace or I need help understanding the market. I must re-frame my attention by the actual problem illuminated by the facts, but realizing that I can't change the facts. I can only focus on the problem. How to get to the One Big Thing:

• Realize that a potential buyer never shares the One Big Thing with someone they don't trust. Build trust and you'll hear it.
• Recognize the One Big Thing when it is told to you. Usually the potential buyer will say it in exactly those words, "I would make that change but One Big Thing that I have to know is ... how will I be billed." You will miss that because you're expecting the One Big Thing to be a big thing. The potential buyer thinks it is big because the other guy never dealt with it. If they trust you enough to tell you, act trustworthy enough to treat it as big as they do.
• Be your potential buyer - what is the One Big Thing for you. How important is that? Learn to see life from your potential buyers perspective and you will conqueror the One Big Thing!