Podcast episode
Why Your Cold Call Value Prop Isn't Working | Sales Playbook
30 Minutes to President's Club5 Nov 202423 min
Description
This was a preview from our upcoming course, Cold Calls to President's Club: register for the waitlist here ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS: No Value Propositions. Buzzwords make you sound like a telemarketer, and benefits fall flat without the context of a problem. Triggering Problem. Instead, lead with a problem so specific that it triggers your prospect and reminds them of a painful memory. One-Sentence Solution. If you get the problem right, all you need is one sentence to explain your solution (we do X so that the problem goes away). Interest-Based CTA. Validate their interest before you ask for the meeting, using softening language, no-based questions, and mini push-aways. RESOURCES DISCUSSED: Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal 30MPC Training: 30mpc.com/training
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It might mean something to you when you say automated platform, but it is nonsense to your prospect. It doesn't tell them exactly what you're calling about. Furthermore, language like that, those buzzwords are the same thing that every other cold caller is saying. And now you have dropped yourself right back in the telemarketer bucket. “The other issue with those value propositions is they typically tend to pitch benefits instead” of the problems that your prospect might be experiencing. And one thing that's important to make clear here is your value. Your benefits of what you sell have no context in the mind of your prospect unless there is a problem attached to it.
It might mean something to you when you say automated platform, but it is nonsense to your prospect. It doesn't tell them exactly what you're calling about. Furthermore, language like that, those buzzwords are the same thing that every other cold caller is saying. And now you have dropped yourself right back in the telemarketer bucket. “The other issue with those value propositions is they typically tend to pitch benefits instead” of the problems that your prospect might be experiencing. And one thing that's important to make clear here is your value. Your benefits of what you sell have no context in the mind of your prospect unless there is a problem attached to it.
titanium coated cookware, he doesn't know what that actually means for him. He doesn't understand the value of titanium coating. But if I call him and say, hey, you remember that omelet you cooked for me last week where the egg got crusted to the pan? We can make that go away with titanium coated cookware. “So you need to get them to care about your value by leading with the problem you solve” first. So if you're still not sold, let's actually give some examples of some products that maybe you've bought in your life and we will share the value proposition and then the corresponding problem proposition that I think is a bit more compelling. So the first one, easy dog food delivery service. Never carry kibble to your car again. Speedy home cleaning. Let us deal with the scum behind your toilet.
He sees the jammed products. He sees the pain of my day. He's in my business. He's not just a random telemarketer trying to shill a product. And for that reason, once you spend 80% of your time establishing the problem, you really only need one or two sentences to explain how you solve the problem. “And that is what the problem proposition is.” So Brian earned your attention, Armand, because he led with what we call a problem proposition. He talked about the issues you were facing, which got your attention and earned him the right to get more time with you. And if we actually zoom into what Brian said, there's three key pieces that go into an effective problem proposition.
they're dealing, they're bogged down with the day-to-day minutiae and frustrations of those deductions, rejections, and appeals. And so you can speak directly to the process problem with those folks. But for folks who are above the line, typically VP and C-suite folks, they're not dealing with the day-to-day as much. “And so what we need to do is we have to attach a business problem to the process problem.” And so here's what the difference might sound like if I'm calling for pay. If I'm calling a manager of compensation, I can get away with saying, hey, you know, typically during Q1 merit season, most of the compensation teams I talk to are buried under a mountain of spreadsheets with like 17,000 VLOOKUPs.
The most important thing here is that you validate their interest in learning more before all of those other things. And so instead of handling the logistics of the time or the content, is this a meeting? Is this a demo? Just figure out, do they want to learn more? And if you inch forward and get that initial yes of, yeah, they want to learn more, “then you can handle all of the other meeting logistics and get on the books.” And so an interest-based call to action might sound something like, look, I know I'm totally cold calling you out of the blue, but are you open to learning more sometime? Or, hey, would you be open to taking a peek at this thing? Maybe not when I'm cold calling you out of the blue.
So folks, the three steps to a great problem proposition is you need to describe a triggering problem with hairy lollipop specificity. And then from there, you almost brush over the solution like it's an afterthought. In other words, we do X to solve the problem. And then you end in a low friction, “interest-based call to action that sounds like open learning more.” And so we gave you a ton of examples in this section. And if you want even more while you're in luck, we've got a peek at our new course. There should be a link below to see it right now.
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