Improve Selling with a Diagram

One of the best ways to fast create a program is through the use of diagrams. Diagrams are, simply, visual graphics which serve to clarify complex ideas or relationships.

As I often tell my inner circle business coaching clients, when you can diagram your process, you can sell it.

What does this mean?

It means that you can't sell without clarity about what you do, and how you do it, and how your system or methodology is better than the competition's.

Too often, people try to sell complex or nebulous ideas (such as "more money" "more time" "more happiness") and they find that their target audience might appreciate the information, but, very often, they aren't stepping forward to purchase.

When your ideal clients appreciate and value your information, but don't take the next step to hire you, it means you haven't been direct enough. You haven't defined for them precisely what they will gain, how they will gain it, and what this will mean for their life, career or business.

To get started with diagramming, begin with a strong headline. What do you promise (or want to promise) to your clients?

Then, draw a flowchart or some diagram which represents the way things are currently done in your industry. This can be simple- just a box with some text, an arrow, and another box of text.

You don't need to be a wonderful artist to do this exercise. Basically, what you want to do is distill down the words or sentences you would use into simple, easy to understand graphics.

Then you'll repeat this process for your system or method. Make notes for yourself. How can you make your system as easy as possible to understand?

Remember, people must understand what you're telling them in order to move forward. A confused mind always says no.

Your goal with these diagrams is to make them easy to understand, and powerful in what they convey. You might start with one diagram that captures the basic idea, and then see how you can refine it further using different shapes or colors or arrows.

At the end, you want to keep it simple, but also make it appealing to look at.

Once created, you can use this diagram in multiple ways. It can be used as a teaching or selling tool, and it is particularly effective if the diagram is simple enough to have your potential clients draw it out while you speak with them.

When you ask the potential client to draw your diagram while you're speaking with them, it moves them to actively engage with your program or system, and to start to apply the concepts to their own life or situation. Not only do you demonstrate expertise and credibility by leading them through this exercise, they will absorb the information faster and better when they are actively engaged in creating it (i.e through diagramming.)

Let me give you an example. For example, let's say that your company installs fire ladders in people's homes. You may have your potential client draw a simple house, and then have them mark the pathway out of the house without the fire ladder. Typically, the pathway will be going from the upstairs bedroom, down the hall, down the stairs, and out the front door. Now, just think of how powerful it would be if you drew in a fire ladder, and used arrows to visually show that the homeowner (or his child) could simply open the window, and climb down the ladder in the event of a fire. Instead of 4 steps (leaving the room, going down the hall, walking down the stairs, going out the front door), there are only 2 steps (opening the window and climbing down the ladder.)

You can see that this would be a powerful demonstration of the benefits of installing fire ladders.

Now it's your turn. Diagram your business process and see how you can make it simple, clear, and compelling. When you achieve these three elements, your prospective clients will find it easier to say Yes.

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