This case study is based on the situation of a client of the Covenant Group. Names and details have been changed to preserve privacy.



It had been a year since Lorne completed our program and, except for occasional brief phone calls for some information or quick advice, I hadn’t really heard much from him.

Lorne was a “good old boy” from the U.S. Southwest with a down-to-earth approach to the business as well as homespun philosophies.

And while he wouldn’t readily admit it, I knew Lorne had implemented much of what we had covered in our workshops and coaching sessions, even though he was very much an “I can do this myself” kind of guy.

But when he had called to say he was going to be in our city for a company conference and asked if we could meet for lunch, I knew something was really bothering him.

“Lorne,” I greeted him jokingly, “you look as rough-and-tumble and ornery as ever. I don’t know how you have so many clients and such a successful practice!”

“Well,” he drawled, “I guess I’ve been luckier than some; but you have to hunt up your own luck.”

I asked Lorne what was on his mind.

“Actually,” he began, “I think some of that luck might be giving out. I am simply not making the sales I used to. I am meeting lots of real nice people, but they are just not buying like I expect they should. I believe I have lost my touch as a salesman.”

“Is that how you view yourself, Lorne,” I asked. “As a salesman?”

“You can dress a donkey up to look like a horse but, at the end of the day, it’s still a donkey,” he retorted. “My job is to get people to buy the products I have to offer. Sure, I do financial plans for them and all that, but the bottom line is that if I can’t persuade them to take action, I haven’t done them any darn good.”

“That’s true, Lorne,” I responded. “I agree that the best designed plans are wasted if the recommendations aren’t implemented. However, let’s look at this from a slightly different perspective. What would happen if, instead of trying to get people to buy what you have, you offered them what they wanted?”

“What’s the difference?” Lorne asked. “I offer them what they need, which is also what they should want, isn’t it?”

“They are not always the same,” I answered. “For example, I might want a new car but do I really need one? Perhaps, if my current car doesn’t meet my needs. But if I just want a new car because it makes me feel good, there is definitely a difference between what I want and what I need.

“Let me ask a couple of questions and, please, think about them as if you were one of your prospective clients. Do people really want what you have to offer them? Do they enjoy taking money from their current lifestyle to put away for retirement 20 years or more down the road? Do they look forward to the uncertainty of the stock market as it goes up and down, each time affecting their net worth? Are they excited about buying life insurance?

“I suspect they really don’t want any of these things,” I told Lorne. “What they do want, however, is the peace of mind that comes from knowing their affairs are in order when some financial event occurs. And that’s what you have to offer them: financial peace of mind. Sure, you use your products and services to provide it, but the value you bring is in the solutions to real-life problems.”

Lorne responded: “I’ve always scoffed at those city-slicker advi-sors who describe themselves as ‘problem-solvers.’ I thought they were just afraid to admit they were salespeople. But what I hear you saying is that I have been mistaking a cup of milk for the whole cow.”

“You’ll have to help me with that one, Lorne,” I replied with a laugh.

“It’s not that hard,” Lorne continued. “I have been looking at what comes at the end — a product — as the value in what I do. But it’s actually the process of getting there — identifying the clients’ needs, nurturing the client, using the right resources and the proper organization to ensure the result is of the quality expected and that it arrives on time — that really counts.”

@page_break@“You have it, Lorne,” I said. “I believe that if you stop selling and start helping people to solve their problems, you’ll see a dramatic improvement in results.

“The concept of selling puts the emphasis on you, the salesperson,” I added. “But the concept of buying puts the emphasis on the client. People hate to be sold, yet they love to buy. Don’t you?”

“Sure do,” he replied. “But I am a pretty up-front guy with a simple sales approach that worked pretty well for me in the past. I am not sure this old cowboy can be re-branded. What would I have to do differently?”

“The good news, Lorne, is that you already have most of the things you need in place,” I said. “You are an honest, open, genuine person who truly cares about people and their needs. You have the skills required to solve their problems and the organization to serve them. It is simply a matter of understanding how people make decisions and adjusting your sales process to help them reach the conclusions they need in order to solve their problems. In other words, rather than selling to them, you want to help them buy.”

“So what’s there to learn about how people make decisions?” Lorne asked. “Don’t we just look at the facts and decide?”

“People evaluate factors but, ultimately, make their decisions based on emotions,” I continued. “There are three basic truths about decision-making, which, if you consider them in your sales approach, will smooth the path considerably.”

> All Decisions Are Values-Based. “People will act if they think the outcome will support their core personal values, which, in the case of the work you do, would include things such as sense of family, financial security, achievement, recognition and lifestyle. Organize your fact-finding to have your prospective clients articulate their values and, when you get to make your recommendations, demonstrate how your proposed solutions align with their values.”

> All Decisions Are Confidence-Based. “In order to decide in favour of something, people must have confidence in the outcome at the start. Even if they have confidence in the outcome, however, they may not be motivated to act if they do not have confidence in you to get them to the finish line. It’s up to you to build that confidence, which I know you do natu-rally through your personality.

“But I am suggesting that you try to build confidence more by design than by nature,” I added. “Demonstrate your understanding of their situation, your commonality with their emotions and your competence in helping them achieve their goals.”

n all decisions are risk-based. “If your prospective clients believe that purchasing from you will increase their risk, they won’t buy. On the other hand, if they can see that your proposals reduce their risk, they will be more inclined to accept your recommendations,” I continued. “Design your presentation to expose the potential losses or risks faced by continuing with the current course of action. Then, highlight how your solution can close the gap between where they want to be and where they are currently.”

After a pause, Lorne responded: “My father taught me that education consists mainly of what we have unlearned. And, as I have always said, I want my tombstone to be my graduation diploma. I guess it’s not too late for an old badger like me to change. I am going to work on this by myself over the next while, and I’ll let you know how it goes.” IE