People don’t buy products. They buy feelings. You aren’t selling toys or pet supplies or carpeting. You’re selling joy, contentment, pride, satisfaction. You’re selling the way someone feels after she makes the purchase. You’re selling the heart. For you, every day is Valentine’s Day.

How would your business change if instead of selling products, you decided to sell joy? Pure, unfiltered, even-the-toes-are-tingling joy. How do you sell joy? How do you service joy? How do you show off joy? Sure changes what you say to the customer, doesn’t it?

“You’ll find joy because…”
“This will bring you joy when…”
“The joy is in…”

Maybe you sell nostalgia. Here is an ad I wrote for the 2006 Christmas season (one of our best ever)…

Christmas Eve, nineteen sixty-five. He didn’t know if he would make it. Nine months of active duty, he missed his family. And he was an uncle now. His sister had a baby girl, a precious little child for which a stuffed animal from an airport gift shop just wouldn’t do. As his dad picked him up in the family sedan, he asked, “We got time to stop by the Toy House?” “Of course, son. Welcome home.” Merry Christmas from the Toy House in downtown Jackson where Christmas magic happens.

The big box stores sell commodities. That’s the race to the bottom. You sell emotions. That’s the race to the top. The key is to know which emotions you are selling. Get that right and you’ll own the hearts of all your customers all year long without having to buy them chocolates or flowers.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS We sold Nostalgia, Fun, Education, and Help. Wanna know what you should be selling? Read the article Understanding Your Brand and then download the Branding Worksheets. Email me if you get stuck.