By Darren Gilbert

Eventually something is going to give. In fact, you can already see it. We are all wary of salespeople, not because what they are selling is bad, but because we don’t trust them. All too often, it feels as though they are trying to sell us on something they believe we need. It’s a point Nuno Lopes, MD of Atomic Marketing, a retail servicing activations and execution agency, understands all too well. “Consumers are not being sold products according to their needs,” he says. “Instead, it’s according to what salespeople think they need.”

Anyone worth their salt in sales will tell you straight-out this is not how you sell. In fact, it is the worst possible way to get someone to buy your product. If you want someone to buy from you, you need to motivate them. You need to give them a valid reason. One way of doing that is to create an in-store experience that engages the customer, a strategy which Atomic uses in all its campaigns. “We sell what a product can do for your life,” explains Lopes.

This is opposed to a promotions company, which makes some noise and gets the brand awareness out there. But they don’t sell the product. “They are not focused on generating results and providing specialised personnel who are devoted to your brand,” says Lopes. “You need people who can justify value, offer expertise and create an experience. And that’s what you get with Atomic.”

There is no better example of this than a recently completed innovative campaign Atomic did for one of their clients’ products - a countertop oven and microwave. This particular product is competing against other well-established products in an oversaturated market, however, with the help of Atomic Marketing, it managed to stand out. How? It worked because for the first time, someone wasn’t doing a generic demonstration.

“We had an incredible team working on this, and what we executed was a very visceral experience for the consumer, something which hasn’t been done at retail level before,” says Lopes. “We wanted to engage them in a real way; in a way they would use the appliance in their home.” To do that, Atomic Marketing, together with their client, looked at how to sell the features of the microwave, which is speed and thorough cooking. So they decided to get consumers to roll their own pizzas, as they would at home, and cook them in the microwave, all in eight minutes. It worked, of course.

“This visceral experience with the consumer, it’s where we actually get the most quantified results,” says Lopes. “Instead of having my team touching a product or demonstrating a product in store, they are encouraged to get the customer to do it for themselves; letting them engage with the product, first hand. Because only then, when you experience the product, can you visually apply it to your lifestyle.”

That is how you sell a product. After all, every time you are about to buy something, you first visualise yourself using it at home. If you can’t see yourself doing that, you’re less likely to buy it. And there is the cost factor to consider too. A lower price doesn’t necessarily equate to more sales. It is rather all about the features and value.

“This holds true if we look at a particular client of ours - a top-end appliance brand. Their products are around 40 to 50% more expensive than a low-end brand of a similar nature, however, if you sell [one of their products] on feature and feature alone [against, for example, a cheaper product with the same functionality] the cheaper brand will win every time, even if the features on paper are similar,” says Lopes. “You need to sell it on what it can do for someone; it’s true value. See how it can fit into their life.”

In a competitive environment such as sales, you need a deep understanding of your customer. It’s not good enough to simply sell them a product. Anyone can do that. Instead, it’s about how you sell that product. Telling them how great a product is won’t work. Rather, it’s about inviting them in, letting them touch, feel, taste the product. Because, as Atomic Marketing knows, it’s only once you’ve experienced the product first hand can you truly know if it’s what you need.

For more information on Atomic Marketing, visit www.atomicmarketing.co.za.