The three-second rule is key to your success.
No matter if it’s with your customer, your employees, your networking partners, your spouse or your kids; you must clearly state your case within three seconds or risk being ignored.
I saw Donald Miller, president of the Nashville marketing agency StoryBrand, speak at #Leadercast2017. He stressed the urgency of clarity in sales and marketing.
“Our brain has two functions. Survive and thrive…and conserve calories,” Miller explained. “The way it conserves calories is: It decides relevance quickly.”
If you cannot gain a foothold in your customer’s “survive and thrive” awareness within three seconds, their brain shuts down and says, “I don’t need this info.” They stop listening to you. You become unimportant.
I experienced this at a concierge desk in Williamsburg, Virginia as Lisa and I were checking in for an anniversary celebration.
We had entered “Williamsburg vacation package” into Google and clicked on a search return. We found what looked like a great rate at a resort with tickets to area attractions. The site prompted us to enter a promo code on the next page so that we’d get our free tickets when we booked our accommodations.
OK, done. Nights booked, and the promo code was already in the box; so, we’re good to go, right?
When we checked in, the desk clerk was wonderful to us, despite having some IT problems with their key-coding software. After the process was complete, she said, “See the concierge desk for your welcome packet.”
We rushed over to the concierge to claim our free tickets, because they, surely, must be in the welcome kit.
“Do we have you checked in?” the concierge asked.
I showed her my key card, secretly doubting it will unlock the door to our unit, but pressing onward in hope.
“What will you be doing while in the area this weekend?”
“Hopefully, enjoying those free tickets you have for us,” I replied with a big grin.
“Hmm. Tickets? I don’t see any tickets. What web site did you book under? Maybe you can find a confirmation email that can…”
I’m not sure what she said after that, because three seconds had elapsed. My brain had shut off. Nothing else was important. I was ignoring her while I grabbed my phone to find the email that would get me those tickets.
“…so, if you’re not an early riser, we could put you on the 12:00 trip,” she concluded.
“I’m sorry. You’re going to have to repeat that again, because I didn’t hear a word you said. I’m trying to find out what happened to my tickets.”
So, she went through the sales pitch again. How her resort management company likes all guests to see all the amenities and the benefits of becoming members of their timeshare club. How they have an 8:30 van that would pick us up and take us on a tour of the property. But if we’re not early risers, they also have a noon option.
“No thanks. I didn’t expect a sales pitch when I checked in.”
“This is not a sales pitch…yadda, yadda, yadda. We offer a $50 Visa gift card just for taking the tour, but I can up that to $75 for you…yadda, yadda, yadda.”
(The quotes trail off into “yadda” because, once again, my brain had determined her words failed my “survive and thrive” test. My brain stopped processing the sales pitch.)
I turned to Lisa. We reluctantly agreed to the noon trip around the grounds.
“Great. Please sign this appointment card and enter your household income where it’s highlighted.”
“But you said this is not a sales pitch. The disclaimer right here clearly says this is a sales presentation!” Lisa exclaimed.
Suffice it to say, things got ugly for about five minutes. The concierge, her manager, my wife and I all got red in the face. It was resolved that we did not have to attend the real estate investor’s presentation to use the resort premises during our stay. We would not get the $75 Visa gift card. We would not get free tickets to area attractions, either. Neither would we stay at the Powhatan Resort nor any other Diamond Resorts property anywhere on the globe again. We would be certain to inform others of our decision and encourage them to join us in our lifelong boycott.
They lost me for life.
They called our room on the night prior to check-out and asked if we’d like a free 4-day, 3-night stay at the property of our choice in the Diamond Resorts chain.
“No.” Click.
Here’s where I believe they went wrong:
- Confusing on-line process. There were no tickets. What we were offered at the concierge desk was a Visa gift card worth the value of the tickets I had indicated I was interested in receiving when I booked the accommodations.
- Fine print practices. The headlines promised one thing; the fine print revealed a gotcha. Where I come from, we don’t market with fine print. We use headlines because we’re proud of what we offer. We don’t need a team of lawyers to write disclaimers that will protect us in court or bind our customers with deceptive stunts.
- Incongruity of message. The concierge adamantly stated, “This is not a sales pitch.” The consent card and pre-qualifying form she presented to us clearly read, “This is a sales presentation.”
You want more people to listen to you?
Start with a short story or statement that illustrates why you matter to them. Capture their attention and engage their “survive and thrive” brain within three seconds.
Next, do not confuse them with unneeded wordiness, unethical practices or deception. Trust takes a long time to build and can be destroyed in an instant. “People do business with people they know, like and trust.”
To encourage more people to listen to you: Be concise. Be credible. Be honest.
Your personal reputation and the integrity of your brand rests upon this.
