It’s Hard to Tell the Truth

It’s harder to tell the truth than to tell people what they want to hear.

The truth is that results are difficult to produce, they’re more expensive than you think, and that the change is going to be difficult and perhaps even disruptive. The truth is that things may have to get worse before they get better. You can see how that might not make you real popular, can’t you?

Telling people what they want to hear is easier. All you have to do is switch to our firm to produce better results, we’ll save you money, and there will be a seamless transition that won’t disrupt your business at all. Now that sounds good, doesn’t it?

This is the contrast principle at work. Better, faster, cheaper? Or better, slower, and more expensive?

Some of your prospective clients will buy the big lie that is better, faster, cheaper. Some will buy the lie three or four times in a row, switching providers over and over again, always hoping that the lie is true. Some of these prospects will eventually tire of pursuing the lie and finally invest the time, energy, and money necessary to producing the results they need. Some will learn to live with something inferior and never make the investments.

Other prospects are too old, too wise, or too committed to believe the lie. They know better. They make mature, rational business decisions. They’re skeptical of anything that sounds too good to be true because they know that there is no way that they could possibly deliver three outcomes as at odds with each other as better, faster, cheaper.

It’s your job to recognize what your buyer believes. When you recognize they believe the big lie, you have to challenge that belief and ask them how they deliver better, faster, and cheaper to their clients or customers? When they hang on to the belief with all their hearts, you have to find your way over them, around them, or abandon them. Some is this group doesn’t want to hear the truth. They’d rather take the blue pill.

When your buyer recognizes the need to make the right investments, it’s your job to help them make those investments by helping them see how investing in you is going to help them produce the results they need. It’s easy to tell this group the truth; they want to hear it. They want the red pill.