What numbers do you use in your sales conversations? Do they make your listeners yawn or say, ‘Wow!”? Look at this powerful technique for turning Ho-Hum numbers into OMG! reactions.
From Ho-Hum to OMG!
A census often creates change in the number of congressional seats a state will have. In its recent report that shows how only a few people can shift the number of those Congressional seats, The New York Times report “popped”
those abstract numbers by adding a concrete comparison to each one.
- “New York lost a seat this year because it was short 89 people, about the number of riders in an MTA car.” [Wow! – such a big loss for a state of 19.45 million!]
- “North Carolina gained a seat with a margin of 3086 people, about the capacity of a basketball arena.” [Wow! – such a plus for a state of only 10.49 million people]
- “Minnesota held onto its seats by a margin of only 26 people, about the capacity of a roller coaster.” [Wow! – Lucky Minnesota]
- “Oregon could have added a seat if only it had 231 more people, about the size of a marching band.” [Wow! -what bad luck for Oregon.]
What Numbers Do You Typically Use?
- Costs?
- Savings?
- Size?
- Percentages?
- Odds?
- Investment?
- Performance?
- Longevity?
- Views?
- Readers?
- Other?
Try “about” comparisons to make them “pop” for listeners. For example,
- “Your return on this investment will be 10%, about the cost of sending your child to college.” [Wow! I can certainly use that!]
- “It will cost $X, about the cost of a latte a day for a month.” [Wow! That’s pretty reasonable!]
- “X viewers will see your ad daily, about three Madison Square Gardens’ full of people.” [Wow! That is a lot of eyes on my ad!]
Comparison Power
Numbers by themselves are abstractions. They gain meaning and impact best when put into a concrete context. Comparisons are an excellent way to create that impact. What comparisons can you use for the numbers in your world?
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Pay Say!
If you need help making your sales or presentations “pop” as well, contact me for a free 15 minute consult at amiller@annemiller.com
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