A friend of mine was recently selling the contents of his city house - chairs, tables, lamps - the usual collection of things you accumulate over the years.He posted them online at reasonable prices and waited for buyers.They came quickly… but every conversation was a negotiation. People pointed out the smallest flaws:
Every imperfection became a problem.
At the same time, he was selling the contents of his country cottage. Similar furniture. In some cases older and more worn.
Completely different response. Buyers paid the asking price. Nobody complained about scratches or faded fabric.
“Perfect for a cottage.”
Same seller. Same marketplace. Similar furniture. So what changed? The story in the buyer’s head.
A house belongs in a showroom story - polished, matching, nearly perfect.
A cottage belongs in a different story - relaxed, mismatched, a little rough around the edges.I
n the first story, a scratch is a defect. In the second story, it’s character.
Businesses often miss this. They spend enormous energy improving the product, adding features, refining details, and polishing the offering.But customers rarely evaluate the product on its own. They evaluate the story surrounding it.
None of those things necessarily change the product very much. But they change the story - and the story changes the value.
Which raises an interesting question for every business owner: What story is playing in your customer’s head when they think about you?
Because if the story is wrong, even a perfect table can be hard to sell.
Until next time,
Andrew
/kcl-goes-green/HeaderLogo-60x300-ID-e065fb7a-094d-4fc6-d8c1-f4f88e7523f5.png)