.png)
When I say “sold,” I mean products that the buyer is already aware of and generally accepts the need for.
Let’s start with a little background, just to set the stage. My wife—who also happens to be my business partner—and I run two businesses. In some miraculous way, our B2B side perfectly complements our consumer-facing side. Initially, we dove headfirst into financial services, focusing on personal insurance lines. Now, there’s a ton I love about the insurance game, and a newbie agent once asked me, “Why insurance? Why build a whole business around that?”
The short version? I never learned to work with my hands. Seriously, I’m a grown man with hands so soft my friends clown me about it all the time. That’s the easy explanation. But if you want the long story, it has to do with offering something everybody already knows.
Think about it: insurance is practically a household word. We all need it one way or another—health insurance, life insurance, auto insurance—the list goes on. And it’s also highly portable. It doesn’t require a ton of logistics or shipping trucks and warehouses.
Heck, that’s partly what nudged me into the software business, too. I realized I could hop on the phone, talk to a prospect, and not have to lecture them on what life insurance actually is or why they might need it. My job, in those cases, is simply to figure out the best option given their situation.
But not all sales are that straightforward. In fact, in the art (and sometimes mess) of selling and marketing, I’ve noticed that some products are basically “sold” while others have to be “told.” And there’s a world of difference between the two. Let’s break down what I mean:
Featured Books:
“Sold” Products: When Familiarity Breeds Contemplation
When I say “sold,” I mean products that the buyer is already aware of and generally accepts the need for. Insurance is a classic example. Folks may not want to buy insurance (let’s face it, no one wakes up giddy to pay a premium), but they know it’s a thing and can understand the necessity. That means you’re not starting from scratch, educating them on a brand-new concept or having to prove the product’s existence. You’re simply guiding them toward a solution that fits their specific needs.
Why “Sold” Products Have a Head Start
Familiarity: One of the biggest benefits of selling a known product—like insurance, for instance—is that your prospect already understands the general idea. You don’t have to spend valuable time educating them on what it even is or convincing them that it’s necessary in the first place. Instead, you can cut straight to the real conversation: Which policy, plan, or version makes the most sense given their situation? This familiarity reduces the “warm-up” phase and lets you concentrate on providing value from the get-go.
Fewer Objections About Legitimacy: When people already know the category, they’re typically not questioning whether it’s real or worthwhile—they already accept that the product or service is “legit.” That means you can skip the stage of proving that your offering isn’t snake oil. Sure, they may ask about cost, brand reputation, or specifics like coverage limits, but that’s a different conversation altogether—one where you’re clarifying details rather than justifying the entire concept. This simplifies and speeds up the sales process, saving you from having to defend against a fundamental disbelief in what you sell.
Consultative Focus: Because you don’t have to explain what your product is from the ground up, you can adopt a more advisory role right away. This is where true consultative selling shines—you find out what matters to the customer, ask the right questions, and guide them to the most fitting option among your offerings. Instead of “selling” in the pushy sense, you’re more like a trusted advisor who helps them navigate their choices. People appreciate this approach because it feels personalized and genuinely helpful, rather than purely transactional.
Strategy Tip for “Sold” Products
Emphasize Differentiators:
When a prospect already recognizes they need something—whether it’s life insurance, a new phone plan, or business software—they’re halfway sold on the concept just by virtue of knowing it’s relevant to them. That’s why your differentiators matter so much. You’re not introducing them to a foreign idea; you’re showing them why your option best fulfills the need they’ve already acknowledged.
If your policy or product is cheaper, highlight potential savings over time. If it’s more thorough, emphasize the ways it can offer them peace of mind. If it pays out faster or integrates more seamlessly, show them how that shorter waiting period or simpler process could improve their day-to-day life. The more you tailor these benefits to their specific situation (e.g., family size, budget, risk tolerance), the more likely they’ll see your offering as a perfect match rather than just another face in the crowd.
Leverage Portability or Easy Access:
For intangible offerings like insurance or software, convenience and accessibility can be your golden ticket to sealing the deal. Think about it: if the product isn’t something you can hold in your hands, you need to convey how easy it is to obtain, set up, or switch over.
A simple application process, user-friendly interface, or flexible payment options can tip the scales in your favor. For example, if you’re selling cloud-based software, emphasize how quickly new users can get up and running—sometimes within hours.
If you’re selling an insurance policy, focus on how the customer can sign up online, manage their account with a mobile app, or file a claim with minimal fuss. By spotlighting the frictionless nature of your product, you reduce the hurdles that might hold buyers back, making it clear that choosing your solution will fit neatly into their life rather than complicating it.
“Told” Products: When the Story Sells Itself
Now let’s talk about “told” products: These are the kinds of items or services that people aren’t necessarily aware of—or if they’ve heard of them, they aren’t clear on why they’d ever need them. It’s like the quirky gadgets you see on QVC or HSN: you might not have realized you needed a sandwich maker that flips into a waffle iron until you sat through a 30-minute demonstration.
By the end, you’re suddenly convinced it’s going to solve all your breakfast dilemmas. For these products, the salesperson’s job is to paint the picture of how life-changing they can be. You can’t just say, “Look, here’s a gizmo.” You have to show the person where it fits into their routine, how it simplifies or enhances something they do every day, and why it’s worth the investment—even if they never thought they wanted it before.
That’s why the approach here is less about comparing your offering to existing, familiar options, and more about sparking a whole new desire the buyer didn’t realize they had.
Challenges with “Told” Products
Longer Learning Curve:
When someone has never heard of your product—or doesn’t fully grasp its purpose—they need extra time to wrap their head around it. You have to start at square one, explaining the concept and showing how it solves a problem they didn’t realize they had. This can stretch out your sales cycle significantly, because you’re not just selling a solution, you’re educating them about the problem in the first place. If you rush past this step, you risk leaving them confused and unconvinced.
Higher Skepticism:
People tend to raise an eyebrow at unfamiliar gadgets or groundbreaking new services. They wonder if it’s truly innovative or just a gimmick. So in the realm of “told” products, you have to do more legwork to earn trust—through demonstrations, testimonials, or hands-on trials. Essentially, you’re proving that it’s not snake oil but a genuine solution that can improve their life. This skepticism can be healthy, but it means you must be prepared to field more questions, offer proof, and show tangible benefits before they’ll commit.
You Might Be Creating the Market:
Being the first to introduce something completely novel can be exciting—you’re the pioneer! But it also means the burden of educating an entire market often falls squarely on you. You’re not just trying to stand out in a crowd; you might be the only one out there, forging a path that didn’t exist before. This often involves significant marketing expenses, continuous outreach, and a lot of trial and error to figure out how best to communicate your product’s value. It can be a long, expensive process, but when it finally clicks, you have the advantage of being seen as the category leader.
The art of storytelling
Demonstrate the Value—Big Time:
When you’re introducing a product or service nobody’s heard of—or that they’ve barely considered—you can’t rely on name recognition or familiarity to do any heavy lifting. That’s where show-and-tell comes into play.
Think live product demos, before-and-after visuals, user-generated testimonials, or case studies that highlight how customers already using the product have benefited. The idea is to help people see your offering in action, not just read about it.
If it’s a physical gadget, show every angle, every function, and how it fits seamlessly into daily routines. If it’s software, walk them through a live screenshot demo or a short video that captures how effortless life becomes once they use it. The more concrete you can make your product’s value, the easier it becomes for buyers to visualize it in their own lives.
Connect Emotionally:
Often, “told” products hinge on painting a vivid picture of a better or easier life—one the prospect might not even know they could have. QVC and HSN do this brilliantly by walking viewers through a typical morning routine transformed by the new gadget on display, showing how it saves time, reduces stress, or just makes things more fun.
Whether you’re selling a revolutionary kitchen appliance or a life-changing software platform, build an emotional storyline around it. Highlight the relief, excitement, or confidence your product can bring. If you can tie it back to a universally recognizable pain point—like being short on time, disorganized, or wanting more convenience—you’ll strike a chord that purely logical facts and figures can’t reach.
Be Patient:
Because you’re potentially creating awareness where none existed before, the sales cycle can stretch out. Prospects might need multiple “touchpoints” or exposures—perhaps through social media ads, a friend’s recommendation, an in-store demo, and finally an online review—before they’re ready to commit. This isn’t a sign of disinterest so much as a natural part of introducing something new.
You’ll need to blend education, entertainment, and reassurance to shepherd them along. Keep following up with informative content, compelling demos, or success stories until they feel comfortable taking the plunge. Recognize that not everyone will “get it” immediately. That’s okay—it’s part of pioneering a new category. Stay consistent, keep the conversations flowing, and eventually you’ll hit that “aha” moment where they decide they have to have what you’re offering.
Navigating Both Worlds
Chances are, if you’re an entrepreneur or salesperson, you might find yourself working in both arenas—some aspects of your business involve “sold” products, while others require the “told” approach. My wife and I experience this firsthand.
On one side, we handle insurance, which is largely “sold” because nobody’s like, “What’s life insurance?” They might hate paying for it, but they get the concept. Meanwhile, on the software side, we may need to educate potential clients about a tool they’ve never seen before and how it can integrate seamlessly into their existing workflows. It’s a totally different conversation.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
How Much Education Do My Prospects Need? If the answer is minimal, you’re probably in the “sold” zone. If a deep dive is necessary, welcome to the “told” space.
Do They Already Feel an Urgency or Pain? With “sold” items, prospects often have a ready sense of pain (e.g., “I need coverage” or “I need a new phone”). With “told” products, you have to highlight pain points they might not be aware of yet.
What’s My Unique Value Proposition for Each Buyer? Even if you’re “selling” an already well-known solution, you still need a clear differentiator. For brand-new products, your value prop might be educating prospects on an entirely fresh approach they didn’t know they needed.
Putting It All Together
At the end of the day, deciding whether you’re in “sold” or “told” territory helps shape your entire go-to-market strategy. With “sold” products, focus on how you’re better, faster, cheaper, or more aligned with the customer’s life. With “told” products, zero in on education and demonstration—show people the vision and help them see what’s possible.
We entrepreneurs and salespeople need to know the difference because each path comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. You might love the comfort of selling something familiar, but you might also find joy (and big profits) in being the first to introduce something entirely new.
Just be prepared to talk a whole lot more if you’re in the “told” camp. And maybe, just maybe, one day someone will discover a brand-new product we never knew we needed—like, say, a way to keep your hands magically soft while still letting you build a business empire without a single callus. A long shot? Perhaps. But if it lands on QVC, I might just tune in for that full 30-minute demo. After all, you never know what might wind up in your cart.
So the next time you’re gearing up to pitch your product—whether it’s an insurance policy, cutting-edge software, or the latest contraption that slices, dices, and organizes your entire kitchen—ask yourself: Am I selling something they already understand, or am I telling them about a whole new category? The answer will guide you toward the approach that’s most likely to win the day.
Comentarios