Selling a Solution When the Problem Is a Bear

Harvard Business Professor Theodore Levitt once famously said, “People don’t want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!” He had the right idea, but people don’t want a quarter-inch hole either. They want to hang a picture or attach wall shelves. You need to have a clear idea of their actual problem (e.g., I need to put up these shelves), and then sell your product or service as the solution to that problem.

It can be difficult as a sales professional to stay focused on the problem. We all know our products and services so well that we’ve connected all the dots in our heads between features, benefits, values, and problems. It’s easy to forget that the same dots aren’t connected in other people’s heads. It’s called the curse of knowledge, and nobody’s immune.

There are some scenarios that make selling a solution even more difficult than normal. What is it that makes some problems especially problematic, and what can you do about them?

SELLING A SOLUTION WHEN THEY DON’T KNOW THE PROBLEM

Sometimes you meet with a new prospect, and they have a problem you can solve. Closed won. Everyone is happy. But sometimes you meet with a new prospect and they present a problem that isn’t really a problem—it’s a symptom of another problem. You can sell them a solution, but it’s going to be harder.

Imagine you go to the doctor complaining of foot pain. You’re expecting orthotics or maybe just a recommendation for a better brand of running shoes. Instead, your doctor prescribes physical therapy for a herniated disc. You could leave the doctor feeling unheard and frustrated, or, if your doctor did a great job of asking you questions and explaining how a herniated disc can press on a nerve and cause the foot pain you’re experiencing, you now appreciate this doctor for solving a problem that would have eventually led to more unpleasant symptoms.

Your foot pain is the “presenting problem.” It’s what you want to solve. It’s why your clients agree to meet with you. But the presenting problem is often an aggravating symptom of another problem entirely.

When the presenting problem doesn’t match the underlying problem, it’s up to you to act as a trusted advisor. Ask questions to get to the root of the issue, and clearly communicate with your prospect what you’re uncovering, how you can help, and how both their presenting problem and the underlying problem can be solved.

SELLING A SOLUTION WHEN THEY DON’T KNOW THE CATEGORY

When you hike in the wilderness in the Western United States, it’s recommended that you take bear spray, as you may encounter brown bears. Plenty of people, even outdoorsy people, travel somewhere like Yellowstone or Glacier National Park and purchase bear spray, having never used it before. But the directions are fairly straightforward.

• Step 1: Remove the safety clip.
• Step 2: Check wind direction

RECORD. SCRATCH.

A 700-pound bear is charging you, and you’re supposed to check wind direction?! That’s right, because if you’re downwind of the bear (which, let’s face it, you probably are because he would have smelled you otherwise and avoided you in the first place) and you spray bear spray, well, you just sprayed yourself with bear spray, my friend. Now you’re not just bear food—you’re extra spicy bear food.

That’s why gel-formulated bear spray is such a great idea. It’s not an aerosol. It sprays far but is heavy enough not to be blown by the wind. Here’s the problem if you’re selling gel-formula bear spray… A lot of people buying bear spray aren’t familiar enough with the product to know that wind is an issue. You’ve solved a big problem that most people don’t even know they have.

How can you sell something that solves a problem people are unaware of? This is when you rely on storytelling. Nobody wants to be lectured on the weight of an aerosol vs. a gel. But if you tell a quick story of what happened to Wayne when he went hiking on a windy day with the more common aerosol spray and ended up spraying chili pepper oil into his own eyeballs…they’ll learn without the lecture.

SELLING A SOLUTION WHEN THEY DON’T KNOW IT’S POSSIBLE

It’s great to be selling a cutting-edge solution, except for the fact that you’re solving for a problem people don’t view as a problem. It’s just the way things are. Remember how Henry Ford said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”? Of course you don’t remember because a. Henry Ford died in 1947, and b. There’s no proof that Henry Ford ever said that.

It’s still a great quote (I mean, somebody said it), and it illustrates the problem of inventing what has never been possible. In 1999, nobody was frustrated that their phone didn’t take pictures. Why would a phone take pictures? So, how do you approach the “wouldn’t-it-be-cool-if-you-could” sell? One word. Demos.

If what you’re selling or providing has never been possible, you need to show people what it looks like in action. Demos are often important, but for new product categories, they are essential. Show your product. Show other people using your product. Tell stories of what these people can now do because of your product. And ask discovery questions to figure out how your prospect might use this new product. What if you could take pictures of your grandchildren with your phone? What if you could document your travel without lugging around a separate camera? They have a problem—they just don’t know it yet.

SELLING A SOLUTION WHEN THEY DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT

What if you’re selling a solution for a problem that people simply don’t want to talk about? We need look no farther than Bobby Edwards, CEO of Squatty Potty. In 2017, he sat down with Felix Thea of the Shopify Masters podcast to discuss his strategy for selling.

Edwards did concede that, and I quote, “Poop has had a renaissance recently.” Even so, people did not want to read the words one would use to sell a Squatty Potty. Despite accepting that our caveman ancestors surely squatted, so evolutionarily, that must be the preferred position, it was just a taboo subject.

So, how do you sell the product that shall not be named?

• Change some of the words. ou’ll notice that Squatty Potty copy talks a lot about “elimination” and “posture.”
• Use something “over-the-top” so people can’t look away. Remember the rainbow ice cream-pooping unicorns?
• Let other people talk about it. Edwards gave Squatty Potties to health influencers and mom bloggers. Concepts land differently when they are presented by someone you already trust and follow for advice.

Even if you’re solving a problematic problem, you have to sell the solution. It will likely take more time, strategy, and trust-building throughout the sale, but it is still the best way to approach said sale. And I know we all have one more burning question. Why are the people at Squatty Potty not making use of the stool/stool double meaning? I think we can all agree that’s a missed opportunity.

If you’re facing a bear of a problem (literal or figurative), reach out to us at mastery@maestrogroup.co for some help!