People Don't Want A Drill They Want A Hole.

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

There are a few themes that keep popping up more and more on the forums and one that is becoming more apparent is peoples inability to understand their own business and what they do. This is borne out, especially in tech related businesses, by people using technobable to describe their business that nobody (especially their target audience) will understand.

I say to people 'sell the sizzle, not the sausage' - if you described the technical build of a sausage, very few people would buy them, but sell the smells, tastes and what they deliver and you will get sales.

I am creating a fun website (might have a free book/guide in there) to promote, in single terms, why businesses should promote benefits and not features.

@Mark T Jones made a great comment on a recent post 'People Don't Want A Drill They Want A Hole' which highlights that drill makers should sell the benefits of the drill (it makes a hole better/faster/cleaner/bigger) not, as a priority, the features. This does not mean you do not mention the features, but you are best to at least say - 'feature - this is what it means to you'.

Anyway, loving Mark's comment, I would like to ask fellow members what other cliches would you use to highlight the importance of sizzles, not sausages?

 

[KM-Tiger]

In my particular field, clients don't want support for their IT, they want their systems to be working.

 

[Ozzy]

Sorry @Paul Kelly ICHYB but you're wrong, I absolutely do want a drill and if you don't rev the drill a couple of times when you pick it up I'm not sure we can remain friends.

Anyway as for Mark's comments, I liked the People don't want a mattress, they want a good night's sleep.

 

[UKSBD]

A contradictory one

People buy from people

It's not about the drill or the hole if the right person is selling it

 

[fisicx]

Businesses don't want a website. They want more business.

 

[japancool]

Unless the buyer is a man who drills holes for a living.

 

[cjd]

Grrr.... god save us from fridge magnet marketing slogans.

Nobody ever bought a sausage because it sizzles - they all sizzle. They don't buy a drill because they want to make a hole - everybody in the world knows that every drill ever made can make a hole. People buy particular drills and particular sausages and they buy them for all sorts of complicated reasons that you have to figure out carefully - you don't get that information from a bumper sticker.

What's worse is that these aphorisms assume that people are dumb, generally they're not, they'll shout back at you "this is all sizzle, there's no damn sausage. I want a firkin' sausage!"

The slogans only exist because they make the snake-oil salesman sound smart but it's antiquated 1970s polytechnic business school stuff - WBAWI (what business are we in?)

"You're not selling perfume, you're selling hope!"
(aka, "it's not the scent it's the sex" - my own contribution to the genre)

Here's a £10k bill for marketing consultancy. pfnrrr.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Grrr.... god save us from fridge magnet marketing slogans.

Nobody ever bought a sausage because it sizzles - they all sizzle. They don't buy a drill because they want to make a hole - everybody in the world knows that every drill ever made can make a hole. People buy particular drills and particular sausages and they buy them for all sorts of complicated reasons that you have to figure out carefully - you don't get that information from a bumper sticker.

What's worse is that these aphorisms assume that people are dumb, generally they're not, they'll shout back at you "this is all sizzle, there's no damn sausage. I want a firkin' sausage!"

The slogans only exist because they make the snake-oil salesman sound smart but it's antiquated 1970s polytechnic business school stuff - WBAWI (what business are we in?)

"You're not selling perfume, you're selling hope!"
(aka, "it's not the scent it's the sex" - my own contribution to the genre)

Here's a £10k bill for marketing consultancy. pfnrrr.

I'm going to disagree - with the qualifier that they are broad and a bit crass. (that's the nature of cliches).

The reality is that people are usually buying an outcome which isn't the sum of the components, nor a description of the product.

Sausages sell well on hot sunny days not because there desire to eat dubious animal parts, with cereal wrapped in pig-skin is greater, but because they sizzle nicely on a barbecue. Beyond that, they might choose the one that's placed closest to the charcoal, or the one with the prettiest packaging, or the one they always have.

Because you might be wrong - in fact we are a bit dumb. At least, we are all far more susceptible to marketing than we realise.

 

[NickGrogan]

Sorry @Paul Kelly ICHYB but you're wrong, I absolutely do want a drill and if you don't rev the drill a couple of times when you pick it up I'm not sure we can remain friends.

@Paul Kelly ICHYB has clearly never played with a masonry drill.

What's worse is that these aphorisms assume that people are dumb, generally they're not,

Generally they are, they just like to think they're not.

One of the biggest searches on Google is "facebook.com" and has been for many years.

People buy things for many subconscious reasons, and then their conscious mind runs around looking for justification for why they did it.

 

[fisicx]

People buy particular drills and particular sausages and they buy them for all sorts of complicated reasons that you have to figure out carefully

Yes they do. But they buy a sausage because they want something to eat. Or drill because they want to make a hole.

When deciding on something to eat they will often recall a smell or taste or a meal they enjoyed. Or be close to a street food seller. This then leads to the purchase of a sausage.

Many years ago a baker used to get a fresh loaf with a fan to waft the aroma out the door. It always brought in customers. Nowadays it's called scent marketing.

 

[cjd]

Sausages sell well on hot sunny days not because there desire to eat dubious animal parts, with cereal wrapped in pig-skin is greater, but because they sizzle nicely on a barbecue. Beyond that, they might choose the one that's placed closest to the charcoal, or the one with the prettiest packaging, or the one they always have.

My drill makes holes. That drill over there makes holes , but you must buy mine because...why?

My sausages sizzle. His sausages sizzle too but you need to buy mine not his because...why?

Look, I get the idea - when products are undifferentiated or available from multiple outlets or you're trying to get people to pay more than a item is actually worth, you have to create some kind of concept that spins an added value story but really ...

Yonks ago I visited the BMW factory in Munich and the marketing director came out to explain that although they were a damn good engineering company they really sold snobbery. They made very good cars but their real point was not to get someone from A to B, it was to get one up on your neighbour and mark the pecking order in the firm's car park.

He's right and people actually are dumb en masse - I take that back - but this is corporate marketing territory; multi-million pound international brand building-campaigns to convince us mugs that a label and an image is important to us. Back here in small business land, it's a better idea to keep your feet on the ground, sell decent stuff at sensible prices with good customer services and just assume that you're dealing with grown-ups.

 

[Fagin2021]

Sorry, but anyone who thinks "People don't want a drill, they want a hole" is wrong. Nobody wants a hole. They might ,(for example), want a means to attach one piece of wood to another - in which case they have alternatives - nails, glue, dowels, screws - and some of these options might involve a hole that requires a drill.

The point here is that to propose a solution you have to go right back to the problem you're trying to solve or the opportunity you want to take advantage of. The punter usually has several different ways of solving the same problem and will choose between them. If the solution is indeed a drill, then he or she will start to evaluate drills based on the features they deem important - and that will depend on the individual. For example, an occasional DIYer will have different criteria to a professional carpenter.

The buying journey looks like this (abbreviated version)...

1. Recognise or anticipate problems, needs or opportunities (the start, except for impulse purchases)
2. Prioritise those problems or needs (how important it is to you)
3. General awareness of possible solutions (different ways of skinning the cat)
4. Research potential alternative solutions (the internet makes this easy)
5. Decide to proceed with the favoured alternative (in this case, a drill)
6. Define essential features of chosen alternative (price, quality, longevity etc)
7. Shortlist suppliers or products that meet the criteria (often two or three suppliers/products)
8. Evaluate suppliers/products (trials, demonstrations, articles, reviews etc)

and so on - there are numerous other stages, (some you might not even be consciously aware of), before you open your wallet/ purse and make a purchase.

But - the night draws in, it's getting dark, my beer is calling and so adieu.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Oh dear. Have we become Americans?

Do people not understand the concept of metaphor?

Nobody in their right mind believes that Black and Decker should re-write their copy to only talk about holes. Nor that people buy sausages just to listen to them.

The point is that what a customer wants from a purchase is often different from the product descriptionn or what the owner believes the benefits to be.

That's all!

 

[GraemeL]

FEATURES and BENEFITS

 

[Mark T Jones]

FEATURES and BENEFITS

Or features, advantages & benefits if you really want to get into it.

 

[Newchodge]

My brother is heavily into computers. He built his own at the age of 16 in 1972. Recently I told him I was thinking of getting a new computer and asked his advice. He knows what I use a computer for and he understands my level of understanding. Yet he started off by asking me what spec I wanted. When I said I wasn't sure he offered alternatives like this much xyz or that much zyx. We weren't even close to speaking the same language.

I think there are a number of small businesses where the business owner is like my brother. They are selling something based on their own perception and their own enthusiasm for their product. After all it is there baby! Hence all the threads on here from people who have thought of something brilliant, that no-one seems to want to buy,

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Grrr.... god save us from fridge magnet marketing slogans.

Nobody ever bought a sausage because it sizzles - they all sizzle. They don't buy a drill because they want to make a hole - everybody in the world knows that every drill ever made can make a hole. People buy particular drills and particular sausages and they buy them for all sorts of complicated reasons that you have to figure out carefully - you don't get that information from a bumper sticker.

What's worse is that these aphorisms assume that people are dumb, generally they're not, they'll shout back at you "this is all sizzle, there's no damn sausage. I want a firkin' sausage!"

The slogans only exist because they make the snake-oil salesman sound smart but it's antiquated 1970s polytechnic business school stuff - WBAWI (what business are we in?)

"You're not selling perfume, you're selling hope!"
(aka, "it's not the scent it's the sex" - my own contribution to the genre)

Here's a £10k bill for marketing consultancy. pfnrrr.

But does the man in the street know the difference say ten years ago between the older hard disk drive and one called SSD
I guess you would sell it on the speed and reliability and nothing to do with "solid State" or size etc. If fact you would be educating the non technical buyers, but the technical buyers would look at reviews etc and buy samsong ones as the best at that time

 

[Newchodge]

you would be educating the non technical buyers,

But why? I have enough going on in my head without adding a level of virtually useless (for me) knowledge.

 

[UKSBD]

But why? I have enough going on in my head without adding a level of virtually useless (for me) knowledge.

It's like I said people buy from people

I had a puncture last week, needed a new tyre
Spent 10 minutes looking online
About 10 different brands, all with 4+ star reviews, varies different grade ratings, a to d for fuel consumption, a to d how they do in weather, rating for how noisy

prices varied from £50 to £130

I could have spent time researching and gone for a *** *** * based on info a provided by website I have no idea if I trust or not

Instead, I just went to my local garage and just said put a new tyre on it, not the cheapest, but a cheap one which you think is best

New tyre, fitted, balanced £95

I could have spent 2 hours researching and saved £20, but I trusted the person who has more knowledge than me

I didn't want a enhanced dry cornering, increased braking ability, efficient grip, three large ribs, blah, blah, blah - I just wanted a bl***y tyre.

 

[cjd]

Ah, silly you! He didn't sell you a tyre, he sold you time!

You outsourced the purchase to someone who had worked out all the relevant features and prices and you paid more for it as a consequence. Newchodge is doing the same thing - though hopefully she's getting mate's rates. Some products require you to be an educated buyer which means understanding stuff or you have to pay an intermediary to understand it for you.

 

[Nico Albrecht]

About 10 different brands, all with 4+ star reviews, varies different grade ratings, a to d for fuel

I'm a bit puzzled by this. It's just a quick 10-second trip to the other side of the car to check the brand and type of the tire on the same axle. Then, you can simply purchase the same tire and brand again. I always opt to replace both tires on the same axle; it's just smoother that way. Anything else could potentially mess with the ABE and ESP systems in the car. So, why not take the easy route and check the other side of the axle for the brand and type, then order the same again?

Instead, I just went to my local garage and just said put a new tyre on it, not the cheapest, but a cheap one which you think is best

Were they advised to replace both tires on the same axle, as any reputable tire shop would recommend or at least have the same brand and model, or did they simply install a new one and leave the other side with the used tire?


Reviews matter most when you're replacing all four tires at once and seeking optimal performance tailored to your preferences. Personally, I prioritize tires that offer quick stopping and excellent grip on wet surfaces, shaping my purchasing choices accordingly. Fuel efficiency and noise levels, while considerations, take a back seat in my decision-making process.


In reality, to achieve the advertised results, you'd have to buy four new tires, rendering reviews irrelevant. The only viable option is to blend in the existing tire.

 

[Fagin2021]

Nobody in their right mind believes that Black and Decker should re-write their copy to only talk about holes. Nor that people buy sausages just to listen to them.

Of course not - but B&D might produce a YouTube video about 'how to build a dog kennel out of old wood pallets' - in which Black & Decker products feature. Then, you've helped them solve the real problem (housing the dog) with the help of your products. The trick is not to oversell. If the potential kennel-builder decides to buy a saw or drill, you already have a head start over the competition.

The point is that the buying process often starts long before product selection stage. This isn't always the case - but even in the @UKSBD example of a puncture - he actually went through all 8 stages outlined in my post above...

1. Recognise problem - got a puncture
2. Prioritise problem - immediate
3. General awareness of possible solutions - tyres with different capabilities
4. Research alternatives - spent 10 minutes looking online at capabilities & prices
5. Decide to proceed with favoured alternative - buy new tyre
6. Define essential features - cheap but not cheapest, good enough for job.
7. Shortlist suppliers - local garage
8. Evaluate suppliers - have dealt with them before and trust them.

If you think through all the stages of the buying cycle there are implications for keyword research, PPC campaigns and website content.

 

[DontAsk]

Instead, I just went to my local garage and just said put a new tyre on it, not the cheapest, but a cheap one which you think is best

Exactly what I do. Never had an issue.

Similar with Power tools. I always buy Screwfix own brand, Erbauer. Tools are great and customer service is second to none. I even got a small refund, as well as a brand new replacement, for a faulty one as the price had gone down. How many businesses do that? Occasionally I will downgrade to Titan, e.g., there was no cordless strimmer in the Erbauer range.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Of course not - but B&D might produce a YouTube video about 'how to build a dog kennel out of old wood pallets' - in which Black & Decker products feature. Then, you've helped them solve the real problem (housing the dog) with the help of your products. The trick is not to oversell. If the potential kennel-builder decides to buy a saw or drill, you already have a head start over the competition.

The point is that the buying process often starts long before product selection stage. This isn't always the case - but even in the @UKSBD example of a puncture - he actually went through all 8 stages outlined in my post above...

1. Recognise problem - got a puncture
2. Prioritise problem - immediate
3. General awareness of possible solutions - tyres with different capabilities
4. Research alternatives - spent 10 minutes looking online at capabilities & prices
5. Decide to proceed with favoured alternative - buy new tyre
6. Define essential features - cheap but not cheapest, good enough for job.
7. Shortlist suppliers - local garage
8. Evaluate suppliers - have dealt with them before and trust them.

If you think through all the stages of the buying cycle there are implications for keyword research, PPC campaigns and website content.

Here's reality

I have worked a lot with start ups, including delivering courses under the NEA scheme - a 'mixed bag' of attendees, to put it politely

If I'd pitched into 'marketing' at this level, I can guarantee half of them would be asleep in 2 minutes. Mostly the ones who actually need to know.

On the other hand, if I pitch in with a jolly cliche like 'sell the sizzle not the sausage' it's likely that most will

1. Remember it
2. Think about it.

Ideally
3. Question /challenge it - which means we are having a marketing discussion on their terms.

Which us kind of what the thread is about

 

[UKSBD]

Of course not - but B&D might produce a YouTube video about 'how to build a dog kennel out of old wood pallets' - in which Black & Decker products feature. Then, you've helped them solve the real problem (housing the dog) with the help of your products. The trick is not to oversell. If the potential kennel-builder decides to buy a saw or drill, you already have a head start over the competition.

The point is that the buying process often starts long before product selection stage. This isn't always the case - but even in the @UKSBD example of a puncture - he actually went through all 8 stages outlined in my post above...

1. Recognise problem - got a puncture
2. Prioritise problem - immediate
3. General awareness of possible solutions - tyres with different capabilities
4. Research alternatives - spent 10 minutes looking online at capabilities & prices
5. Decide to proceed with favoured alternative - buy new tyre
6. Define essential features - cheap but not cheapest, good enough for job.
7. Shortlist suppliers - local garage
8. Evaluate suppliers - have dealt with them before and trust them.

If you think through all the stages of the buying cycle there are implications for keyword research, PPC campaigns and website content.

It was actually a bit different (and to my earler description)

Got a puncture on a late Saturday night
Wanted someone who could repair tyre on a Sunday (main purpose of my initial 10-minute internet search was finding anyone open on a Sunday)

Took it in to the place who could do it on a Sunday, they tried to repair it but couldn't, so I just took their advice on what to do next.

As it was only a £95 tyre and as they weren't charging for the attempted tyre repair, I just went with what they suggested.

They may have ripped me off, but so what, I got it sorted (had it been a £500 purchase I may have thought more about it)

A tyre is a probably a bad example really as cost wasn't my main factor, I just wanted it repaired, and if not repaired sorted quickly.

I'm similar with virtually everything I buy though, 95% of what I buy Online is from Amazon because of who they are and the service they provide.

I buy a drill bit from Amazon, not because of the bit, not because of the hole but because of Amazon.

Actually, that's probably not true with a drill bit, as local merchant sells them, but same principal, who I am buying off is more relevant than anything else.

 

[japancool]

I just wanted a bl***y tyre.

No, no you didn't. You wanted a means of getting from A to B. Or even, you wanted to do something at B.

 

[UKSBD]

No, no you didn't. You wanted a means of getting from A to B. Or even, you wanted to do something at B.

I already had that, I had a spare

 

[Fagin2021]

I have worked a lot with start ups, including delivering courses under the NEA scheme - a 'mixed bag' of attendees, to put it politely.

You probably have sympathy for Henry Wilt.

 

[Cre8 Business]

There are a few themes that keep popping up more and more on the forums and one that is becoming more apparent is peoples inability to understand their own business and what they do. This is borne out, especially in tech related businesses, by people using technobable to describe their business that nobody (especially their target audience) will understand.

I say to people 'sell the sizzle, not the sausage' - if you described the technical build of a sausage, very few people would buy them, but sell the smells, tastes and what they deliver and you will get sales.

I am creating a fun website (might have a free book/guide in there) to promote, in single terms, why businesses should promote benefits and not features.

@Mark T Jones made a great comment on a recent post 'People Don't Want A Drill They Want A Hole' which highlights that drill makers should sell the benefits of the drill (it makes a hole better/faster/cleaner/bigger) not, as a priority, the features. This does not mean you do not mention the features, but you are best to at least say - 'feature - this is what it means to you'.

Anyway, loving Mark's comment, I would like to ask fellow members what other cliches would you use to highlight the importance of sizzles, not sausages?

You are absolutely spot on, I couldn't agree with you more.

Similarly, too many small businesses get caught up in their name and believe that when marketing themselves, their brand should be at the forefront of the message. I always find this quite strange as fundamentally all a client is interested in, is the benefit of the product and what it can do for them.

 

[japancool]

You are absolutely spot on, I couldn't agree with you more.

Similarly, too many small businesses get caught up in their name and believe that when marketing themselves, their brand should be at the forefront of the message. I always find this quite strange as fundamentally all a client is interested in, is the benefit of the product and what it can do for them.

Sometimes, the benefit *is* the brand. People don't buy Louis Vuitton handbags because they're roomy, functional and spacious, they buy them because it's Louis Vuitton.

 

[Newchodge]

Sometimes, the benefit *is* the brand. People don't buy Louis Vuitton handbags because they're roomy, functional and spacious, they buy them because it's Louis Vuitton.

I don't think Louis Vuitton counts as a small business.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

And they buy Louis Vuitton to show there friends and others that money is no object which is why the logo is always prominent

 

[Joseph K]

I don't think Louis Vuitton counts as a small business.

I totally agree.