So What? - the secret to sales

Author

Dan Pope
May 05, 2023

So What? The secret to sales success

God, I feel SO. BLOODY. SUMMERY this week babes - it’s Fun-Believable

Did someone say BBQ Season? Hell Yeeee.

The boys: Malcom, Greg, Tony and Geoff (with a G) are coming round… the Chap-skis’, brew-ski’s, bant-ski’s, YAAAA BISH-ski’s

Time to stick on my fluorescent Oakley Sunnies (with neck strap #SafetyFirst) and get my Fat-Face-3 Quarter lengths down from the loft.

And, yes, I know what you’re thinking am I invited?

Course you are.

And will there be hummus and Thai Sweet-Chilli Sensations?

Duh! SEN-fucking-SATIONAL

On this week’s Feast….So What?

So What? is the secret to sales, unlocking more grocery listings BUT So What? is also the antidote to calamity and worry.

Buckle up. Strap In. Let’s tuck in.

STARTER: So What? - THE secret to sales

Founders are UNREAL at selling their brand story, always laced and fused with rambunctious-zeal and rebellious-passion.

BUT.

Tonnes of Founders STRUGGLE to make their PITCH speak BUYER LANGUAGE = prevents them unlocking listings.

Rebecca Oliver Mooney, Head of Innovation at the CoOp was a wonderful guest on Hungry. We waxed lyzzy about what Founders and Challenger brands get wrong when pitching to grocery retailers.

Despite their zeal, the founder’s pitch is a million miles away from buyers needs.

The usual scenario:

BRAND PROPOSITION —————————————————————————————————- BUYERS NEEDS (aka miles away)

One trick will change everything. Always, ask So What?

🥳 Better scenario 🥳

BRAND PROPOSITION — So What? — BUYERS NEEDS

So What? brings your pitch CLOSER to your BUYERS needs = unlock the listing.

Some examples GUYS and GIRLS, ok (sorry for sounding like a huffy breath Math’s teacher)

🍎 BRAND PROPOSITION ONE: We sell expensive chocolate that tastes really good.

So What?

🍎 So you’ll make a higher cash margin per product sold, increasing your total category value vs. your competitor.

🍎 So you’ll have a fun vibrant challenger brand, bringing new customers to the category.

🍎 So you’ll be known as the buyer who bought in the fun new brand.

or

🍐PROPOSITION TWO: we sell paint balling days at Clapham Junction train station.

So What?

🍐So you’ll spend more time with your friends building deeper connections with them.

🍐So you’ll escape the mundane boringness of life and feel adrenaline, making you happier.

In sales asking So What? does two things, first, it brings your proposition closer to the buyers needs.

Second, it forces you to sell BENEFITS not FEATURES. Remember we’re in the business of selling the sizzle (benefits) not the bacon (features).

MAIN COURSE: You’ve got a USP!! So What? No one cares about your USP.

🍓Why Challenger Food and Drink Brands must STOP focusing on their USP Lessons from Rude Health 🍓

“Unique Selling Points are easy to copy”

Said No 90’s business coach, ever.

They zealously peddled “Unique Selling Point is everything”

20 years later.

Unique Selling Points are easy to copy.

Competition pile in, create similar products.

Every PB brand has a Deep Roasted peanut butter.

Dairy Alt Milks or Protein Bars or Snacking - same thing.

What to do when the competition are ravenously gorging are your heels?

Focus on your UAC.

Unique Authentic Connection.

(God, I’m becoming a 90’s business coach, no wozza - there’s a sick bucket at the end of this post)

Unique Authentic Connections are impossible to copy.

UAC’s are built by authentically doing the little things, differently.

These compound, making you impossible to copy.

Rude Health is my FAVE example.

Everyone piled into Alt-Milks. Yet Rude Health are still EVERYWHERE.

🍓Tone of Voice - Quintessentially frivolous and charming: “You’re in Rude Health when…” - impossible to copy.

🍓 Brand Depth and Buyer Love - the Rude Health cafe, probably looked ghastly on the P&L - but the brand depth and buyer love - impossible to copy.

🍓 Bold, bountiful branding - Rude Health were THE FIRST, to add bold branding to the category, the infamous red lips and white teeth - impossible to copy.

🍓 People - every Rude Health employee makes "you feel at home”. - THE most impossible thing to copy.

Anyone can copy your USP.

No one can copy your UAC.

DESSERT: So What?

How ya doing so far?

Stuffed ya face-off with sausages?

Hope the Rosé is beginning to massage and bath you in a serene, bliss pool of absolutely-piddled!

IT’S DESSERT TIME!!!

Today’s dessert is SO, SO sweet. Sweeter than Tesco Trifle.

Sweeter than lip stick-red strawberries smothered in avalanches of snow white cream, under the blankets of blue sky with the sun shimmering like a white marble. Sweeter than cute old couples-in-sandals slurping 99 Ice Cream on serene park benches.

Ed Williams, co-founder of Candy Kittens on the podcast, taught me a stoic lesson that I’ve kept crumpled in the back pocket of my brain.

So What?

Yes, So What? is great for unlocking listings, but it’s ALSO a great stoic lesson to remain steadfast during adversity: the antidote to calamity.

The challenger journey requires You to be your Hero (… Babyyyy, I can kiss away the pain… I will stand by you forever… - soz, I do the occasional Enrique Iglesias Tribute Act at my local on Friday’s, the punters fakin’ LAV IT… En-Ricky Double-Glazing-ias).

The challenger journey is littered with seething spikes of crushing setbacks, as your trundle forward through the high spiky grass, rats and snakes and spiders are ready to pounce at any time.

Listings snatched from the jaws of victory, product issues, people issues, petty issues - it's RELENTLESS.

In times of stress, asking yourself: So What? put’s EVERYTHING in perspective.

🍑 Lost a listing. So What? - still got my health and family and friends, tonnes of other retailers out there.

🍑 Lost a valuable team member. So What? - there’s tonnes of other great talent out there, it’s an opportunity to build a better team.

🍑 Having issues with production. So What? - you won't be worried about this in 3 weeks time.

🍑 Embarrass yourself at a dinner party. So What? - you're not that important and people don't care anywhere near as much as you think they do.

So What? takes the STING out of calamity.

Well, well, well,

BIG-CONGRATS you’ve survived my waves of waffle, if you enjoyed this, PLEASE share with a family, friend or foe!

Hungry Supper Club: 24th May, Coal Rooms Peckham

Oh! And our next Founders and Directors Supper club is on 24th of May, Coal Rooms, Peckham - £60 squid for 3 courses of deliciousness - we’ve got a couple of seats left, if you fancy coming, please reply to this email with your NAME and BRAND.

Have wonderful bank hols

Popey xx

Still Hungry?

Course you are.

Good. Gluttony is cherished here.

Gorge and stuff-ya-face with more delicious episodes, here