“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

When you find your potential client's secret sales treasure while talking with them, your odds of gaining a new client are considerably higher.  Never heard of the secret sales treasure? Its been around forever, and it’s the “holy grail” that all sales professionals seek.

To most salespeople, this is a mystery.  They don’t even know it exists, or how to find it.  The full extent of its worth will never be fully understood by them.  The Secret Sales Treasure is “the reason why”. 

This is the reason(s) that your prospective client wants their challenge resolved (pain removed), along with why they want it resolved now.  At the beginning of your conversation, the real reason why may not be apparent and to unearth it, you have dig deep.

To get to your secret sales treasure, you must start by digging for it.  The best tool you have is asking your client questions.  You may have to ask many questions to uncover it. They may not know their reason why until you ask them.

For example, let’s assume you offer a local Health & Wellness program. Mrs. Jones calls, and is interested in your program; says she wants to lose weight. It’s extremely tempting to quickly tell Mrs. Jones everything about your program, including the price.  She would thank you for the information, call your competition, and ask about their program and pricing as well. Why not compare other programs and price? Wouldn't you? 

As a matter of fact, explaining your weight loss program to Mrs. Jones is exactly what almost all salespeople would do. After all, that is what she asked you about, isn't it?  Yes, Mrs. Jones is interested in a weight loss program but why? What is her reason why?

When you start digging for Mrs. Jones's reason why, you will not only improve your odds of getting Mrs. Jones as a client, you may also stumble onto more sales treasure.  Let me show what I mean.

Imagine that instead of telling Mrs. Jones about your weight loss program you ask instead: "Mrs. Jones, why is it important for you to lose weight right now?" It may take a few more questions, as she may not have thought this through.  However, when Mrs. Jones finally shares that her daughter is getting married in six weeks, and she wants to look great for the wedding pictures.  

Even though Mrs. Jones said she wanted to lose weight, what she really meant to say was “to look great for the wedding photos.”  Losing weight is just the process she focused on for looking great for the wedding.  Congratulations! You have uncovered Mrs. Jones's reason why, her secret sales treasure. You now know how to tailor your unique solution to meet her needs.

As I mentioned earlier, when you find the secret sales treasure, you might even find more opportunities as well.  In the beginning it was all about weight loss, but now that may be only part of your overall solution for Mrs. Jones. Your proposal may include other services that you provide or that your strategic alliances offer. Services like hair styling and makeup, an exercise program, a seamstress, stress reduction program, or others that may be needed before the big day.  

By uncovering her secret sales sales treasure, the reason why, you are able to provide Mrs. Jones what she really wanted (hint: it wasn't weight loss), and possibly with much more than she initially called for.

Can’t find the secret sales treasure?  That’s all right too, if you can't find it, then the odds are the person you're talking to is not ready to become your client, at least at the moment.  By determining this sooner, than later, this will be helpful to the both of you.

This is a simple illustration, and without exception you can use this technique with your own clients to go in search of their reasons why. You and your clients will start to realize that you can help them in many more ways than previously thought possible. 

As a bonus, when you go in search of the secret sales treasure, the relationship with your clients will become even stronger.  Don’t forget to enjoy yourself while uncovering your clients the secret sales treasure.  More than half the fun is getting there!