In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Matt Dixon. Matt is a Founding Partner of DCM Insights, the customer understanding lab. He’s also a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review with more than 20 print and online articles to his credit. His first book, The Challenger Sale, has sold more than a million copies worldwide and was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller. He has a new book launching in September 2022 — The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision.
Key Takeaway:
In sales, the worst thing you can hear from a customer isn’t “no.” It’s “I need to think about it.” Traditional sales advice tells you to double down on your efforts to sell a buyer on all the ways they might win by choosing you and your business. Turns out, what once rang tried and true, doesn’t work so well today.
In this episode, Founder of DCM Insights and best-selling author, Matt Dixon, joins me to talk about the growing problem of customer indecision and a new approach that turns conventional wisdom on its head. After extensive research and millions of conversations with high-performance sales reps, Matt has discovered that only by addressing the customer’s fear of failure can you get indecisive buyers to go from verbally committing to actually pulling the trigger. We dive into concepts from his playbook that will help any salesperson or sales leader who wants to close the gap between customer intent and action—and close more sales.
Questions I ask Matt Dixon:
- [1:44] Can you talk a little bit about the research that you did to prepare for the JOLT effect?
- [4:18] Why is indecision such an important sales topic?
- [5:44] Your research suggests that the old ways of approaching indecision might not be the most productive approach – can you talk about that idea?
- [9:02] Does indecision look a lot like the status quo?
- [11:38] Would you say that part of getting past indecision is figuring out how to dial down the fear of purchasing?
- [15:03] Do you run the risk of the cliche trial closes in this step?
- [16:59] Are you advocating to slim down the options for customers and not lead with all of the bells and whistles and possibilities?
- [20:03] We’ve worked through the beginning half of the JOLT methodology — can you unpack the LT of that acronym?
- [22:26] Is the T in JOLT to give prospects a safety net or is this sort of a last-ditch thing?
- [25:20] Where can people learn more about you and your work and grab a copy of your new book?
More About Matt Dixon:
Take The Marketing Assessment:
Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!
This Duct Tape Marketing Podcast episode is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network and Semrush.
HubSpot Podcast Network is the audio destination for business professionals seeking the best education and inspiration to grow a business.
Running a small business means doing it all. You deserve an online marketing platform that does the same! Semrush is an all-in-one platform that will lighten the load. Handle SEO, social media, and advertising all in one place. Attract new customers, save time and money on marketing, and get ahead of the competition. New to online marketing? No problem! Semrush will get you started. If you’re ready to grow online, try Semrush free today at semrush.com/now.
Free eBook
7 Steps to Scale Your Consulting Practice Without Adding Overhead
The Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network has helped me to grow my business by over 40% in the last 12 months. ~ Michael Quinn – Michael Quinn Agency, Fargo, ND