What’s In It For Me?

“What’s in for me?” is a phrase that has been around for a while. Some enterprising sales gurus have shortened it to the acronym WIIFM and built entire sales training programs around the phrase. The phrase reflects our motivation for buying just about everything we choose to purchase.

Unfortunately, far too often, sales professionals make the same choice; but in their own favor instead of the customer’s. In the most extreme of cases, I have known sales reps who manipulate the customer into making choices that are the most profitable for them, even if it may not be the best option for the customer. Even more customer-focused sales people can get caught in their own operating reality and distort what is being said by the customer based upon their own perception.

Carew International has conducted extensive research on this subject and has determined that the frequency with which we become trapped in our own operating reality is two out of every three times. What that means is that sixty-seven percent of the time, the “Odds Are,” as Carew calls it, that we are having a self-centered reaction, versus an outward-centered response. You can read more about the “Odds Are Factor” in my previous blog entitled, “What are Your Odds”.

 The key to understanding how we can leverage the “WIIFM Principle” is obviously to first get out of your own operating reality and into the customer’s.  But then what? I think we all will accept the fact that most people would prefer to talk about something that is of interest to THEM.  In business this translates to how your product or service can help them realize “what’s in it for them.”  How does your product or service uniquely help each individual customer get EXACTLY what they want?

 Many sales professionals do an adequate job of understanding the customer’s unmet needs and why solving those unmet needs is important to an individual customer. Unfortunately, when it comes time to propose a solution, or close the loop on “WIIFM,” they end up talking about everything under the shining sun related to their offering instead of only what meets the customers “WIIFM.” 

 The key take away from all this is that once you get out of your own “odds are,” learn exactly what the customer wants and why getting it is of value to them, you should only present the elements of your solution that directly address that desired outcome. If your customer is only interested in the elements of your solution that lead to incremental profit so he can put his son through college, you know precisely what the WIIFM is for that customer. Don’t spend time talking about your outstanding safety record, the greater durability, or the superior customer satisfaction index unless those things speak directly to his WIIFM. Stay out of your own operating reality, stay focused on presenting those elements of your solution that meet each individual “what’s in for me” for the customer.  You will absolutely close more business.

Chuck Terry is the Executive Vice President and CSO of Carew International and is regular contributor to Carew’s blog – Executive Insights

Carew International is a leader in sales training and leadership development; specializing in comprehensive, proven training programs for sales, sales management and customer service excellence. For over 30 years, Carew has earned its reputation of delivering increased productivity and profitability to our valued clients world wide.