It’s pretty simple: Problem, Solution, Impact. Identify the problem, offer the client your solution, and then show them the business and personal impacts.
Your probably familiar with a few sales style acronyms like SPIN and RAIN, etc., and those are fine formulas, but psi is low pressure, and probably the easiest to remember.
The genesis of the low pressure psi formula comes from the Steve Jobs’ launch of the iPhone. There’s a 10-minute clip on YouTube that illustrates the point beautifully.
The Problem. Steve starts out with some background on the state of the world as it exists, then dives into the problem. He says there’s a category of things called smart phones (or so they say), which typically combine a phone, some email capability, and the baby internet. They have a common problem of not being easy to use. A major problem is being stuck with a fixed keyboard UI. Steve highlights some of the more common smart phones from the era and notes the keyboard and control buttons are fixed in plastic, forcing you to use the same controls for every application.
The Solution. Steve says the solution is to reinvent the phone. He starts with a revolutionary user interface. Steve points out how we solved the problem of UI over 20 years ago with the computer mouse. He teases the crowed by saying his solution is a stylus, then says what’s he’s actually going to just get rid of all the buttons and make the phone one giant screen. We don’t want to use a mouse and we don’t want a stylus. Steve kids further by saying we’ll use the best pointing device in the world; our fingers. Then he explains the new technology called mutli-touch and adds, “… and boy have we patented it!”
The Impact. Steve says the combination of the touch screen and the operating system are five years ahead of any other phone, allowing the user to multitask, or run multiple applications simultaneously. He says the iPhone lets you create applications and do networking that is desktop class right in the palm of your hand.
When it comes to the problem, you’ll want to probe a bit here. Sometimes people don’t even realize they have a problem. They just know something isn’t quite right. For impact, keep in mind this often involves more than just a business problem, but a personal one that your client needs to solve. These personal problems close more business than you can imagine.
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