When asking for a room upgrade at a recent hotel stay, I was informed that my room would be the Presidential Penthouse Suite up on the top floor. “Great,” I replied. I found out the desk clerk was obviously kidding when it became apparent the hotel only had three floors. After arriving in the room it smelled as if it had recently been painted, maybe that day. I called downstairs and, speaking with the same front desk person, I asked whether this was the only upgrade room they had. Her reply was yes, all of the rooms were the same.
I went downstairs to nab a newspaper and came back up to the room. I decided I was not comfortable with the smell and again called the front desk, asking to be moved to a different room. I returned to the lobby and the front-desk person gave me a key to look at another room that was in a different building. She asked whether I minded staying in the older section of the hotel. I said no and took the key to visit the older section of the hotel.
Walking to the room, I began to worry that it was not going to be much better then the first room she set me up with. What a surprise.
The room had brand-new carpet, new furniture, a refrigerator and microwave — none of which was in the first room. Plus, this room was obviously painted weeks ago and odor-free.
My question is, why didn’t the front-desk clerk sell the sizzle? Why didn’t she indicate to me that “All of our rooms are the same, but we do have a few that are newly furnished and some even have a refrigerator and a microwave?” Why didn’t she inform me that if it were her choice to stay anywhere in the hotel, it would be the reconditioned, upgraded, older section of the hotel?
Selling the sizzle for your business will help you increase your closing percentages month in and month out. It’s just a matter of clearly understanding, identifying, and communicating your sizzle.
If you aren’t doing this already, I’d assume maybe you don’t know what constitutes your sizzle. Maybe you haven’t created the dialog in which you can get your customer involved in wanting to buy your product or service.
The sizzle is sold anytime you walk into a Mexican restaurant and the chicken or beef fajitas are sizzling past you as the server delivers it to a waiting table. You hear, see and smell the sizzle, and you can taste the beef, onions, peppers, sauce and the newly made flour tortillas. Sometimes you order the same dish because of it.
What is your sizzle? Ask yourself these five questions and create your own sizzle for your next presentation.
1. What does your service actually do for the client?
2. For whom does it work?
3. What are the Top 3 reasons why your customers purchase your service?
4. What is the best feature that you feel is important in your service?
5. Would you purchase your service, and why?
It doesn’t matter what product or service you offer; there is sizzle that you provide as a company that you can bring to the table in your presentation. Look for something that will stand out and make your presentation sizzle with success.
