An insight scenario is a brief story about a customer you helped in an emergency using your product or service.
The best part of one: Since an insight scenario is about someone other than the prospect you’re calling on, he or she can accept it without feeling challenged or defensive.
Incorporating insight scenarios
Here are six tips for incorporating insight scenarios into your presentations:
- Create Value assumption. Try to present fresh insights in your presentation that are the result of feedback you receive from the prospect during the presentation.
- Listen for hidden value. Listen carefully to everything the prospect says, not only to explore the present situation but to identify needs the prospect may not even be aware of yet.
- Increase contrast with insight scenarios. Your goal is to get prospects to recognize themselves in your story. Try to create a before-and-after picture showing the prospect drowning in a problem and then benefiting from your solution.
- Listen for clarity. The insight scenario should help you draw out the prospect’s immediate problems.
- Increase clarity with questions. Ask questions to help buyers fill in the details so they see your scenario as specific.
- Justify the purchase. Present your solution in a way that helps the prospect justify the purchase.
Adapted from Insight Selling by Michael Harris, CEO of Insight Demand, a firm which teaches salespeople to deliver insights.
