How to Sell a Vacuum

Too often startups boast about their product’s features without ever acknowledging the need for which it was created. If you want my attention and my dollars, you’re going to have to convince me that you truly understand what I’m hoping to accomplish before you prescribe your solution.

If you’re selling a vacuum, don’t start by pitching its bells and whistles. Instead, sell a clean home. It’s the reason people look to buy a vacuum in the first place. Once you’ve established that you understand — or better yet, sympathize with — your customers’ needs it becomes easier to justify each feature by tracing it back to the product’s intent.

I’m not interested in a vacuum from a company that attempts to make the best vacuum. What I want is a vacuum from a company that first understands my need to maintain a clean home with little effort, and just so happens to believe that at this moment in time a vacuum is the best gosh darn way to get it done. That’s a company inherently poised for innovation that will make my life easier and more enjoyable.

It’s a small difference in proposition that goes a long way towards instilling long-term confidence and loyalty in the team behind your product. At some point in the future vacuums will no longer exist, but the need for a clean home will always be there. So which would you rather sell?

Good choice.