AIDA – GROW UP!

AIDA is dead people say – I don’t. I see a change in how we obtain Attention, Interest, Desire and Action from our customers.

We need to have outside in conversations – and stop performing inside out monologs.

If we want engagement in our products and services, we also need to engage in the customers, and talk about their passions and pains – not our products and services.

We can learn a great deal from coaching. And therefore, I want to draw your attention towards two very powerful tools;

1.       Suitable Disturbance

2.       GROW

1.       Suitable Disturbance – How to get Attention

Do you know the feeling when someone ask you a question, that makes you wonder - Makes you consider whether you could do things differently, and gain a great deal?  

That is a suitable disturbance! If you want attention, you need to make people wonder – when they do, they are ready for the sales conversation, where your task is to develop the business of your customer.

Sales Conversation

Selling is making a positive difference. To create value, we need to listen with an open mind, be curious for more, and share our knowledge according to the information we receive. The conversation is between two people, who want to become better together - that is why we engage. The conversation is about why we are curious about the other, and how we believe we can do business together. It is not about products.

The sales conversation is not only when we meet in real life – it’s every time we interact with our customers!

2.       GROW – How to get Interest, Desire and Action

The coaching model GROW was developed in UK and became popular in the late 1980s. It’s still a powerful tool, and I am very fond of using the model in my sales conversations.

Goal

When you disturbed and made people wonder, you gave them a new goal – a mission of becoming better together with you. The goal is the subject of your conversation.

Reality – How to get Interest

With the goal in mind you need to get facts of reality – how is life at customer’s side? What is their passions and pains?

Ask questions about the customer’s everyday life to understand their drive and frustration – your opportunities of improving the business of your customer through your products and services.  

Opportunities – How to get Desire

Now it’s time for solutions – which opportunities do you see in connections with reality? Introduce what you can do for your customer to improve reality. Ask how your customer sees solutions.  

Wrap up – How to get Action

Sum up the conversation – the goal, the passions and pains. Get them confirmed by the customer, and sum up the opportunities you see.

Make it easy to take the first step – don’t suggest a marathon :)

Think in appetizers – serve a slice free of charge and easy to get value of. Hereafter it makes so much sense to keep doing business together.  

To have a great conversation you need to be present, curious and neutral.