Bake The Cake With Love

Most of us have experienced the absolute joy of a home made cake made by a parent or grand parent. Most of us have also helped them make them as some point.   They taste just that much better than a store point commercial cake don’t they?

In sales, that cake is your proposal/package to your client. So, why is this analogy important to think about?

So, if the cake is the end output of sales – the offer. The ingredients are the various components that make up that offer – the products, services, pricing, value proposition etc.   The recipe is the process you used to get there – the journey – and how much of the various components are added and used within the proposal to get to the end position.   The person baking the cake is the expert – they’re making the decisions on what to use & when.

And now is where we deviate. Your parent or grandparent bakes this cake with love and emotion. They bake this cake knowing you like the cake a little denser, with more chocolate chips. They WANT you to enjoy it, it means so much to them as they will usually get much pleasure from your feedback. They have a recipe – but choose to use it or adapt it.   Also, it’s even better when you, as the consumer, have participated in the baking process.

Now the commercial cake is made with the intention of it tasting good – but completely remotely to you, as the consumer, and your tastes and preferences. Guesses are made. A recipe is often followed precisely to ensure consistency and control costs. Ingredients are selected against a compromise of costs and quality.

Which would you rather eat? Isn’t the picture above already making you hungry?

Next time you’re selling to a client consider the following – ‘I am baking this cake with love?’ Think about:  Why am I selling to the client? What reaction do I want from them (focus on the emotion)?

The reaction question is important – the cake made for you was made because your parent or grandparent WANTS you to enjoy it. They know you’ll eat it (ie: the sale will conclude) – but this isn’t enough, they want you to LOVE the cake. In sales terms, this means your client can accept your proposal, but it doesn’t mean they LOVE it. A signature or commitment isn’t an emotion.

The great things that happen in selling aren’t often because we have great products or great pricing. They happen because we do them for great reasons.