Solutions For Your NEADS

by Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor

Tom Hopkins’ NEADS acronym found in his book Low Profile Selling, Act like a Lamb…Sell like a Lion, concludes with the letter S for Solution.

N – NOW E – ENJOY A – ALTER D – DECISION S – SOLUTION

In marketing we must find the customers’ current situation, what they like about it and what they would change. We then must determine who will be making the decision to change. We then present that person a solution.

In marketing we present a solution that best satisfies the customer’s desires based on the information we have collected. They told us what they liked and what they would change. We address both and present a solution. Of course the solution always has options. The options are there for several reasons. The most important one is should they have to choose between two or more solutions, they will choose one of the solutions we present and not one of our competitors.

A great example of this is a recent auto purchase my wife and I made. Her desire was a midsize car easy to maneuver around town with specific options. My preference was a large vehicle because when I drive it we are usually on a road trip and I wanted the smooth ride of the larger vehicle. This decision included what we liked about our older vehicle and what we would change as well. We opted for a larger vehicle with the options she wanted. The choice was made easier when we found the midsize vehicle did not have those desired options. As for the Decision it was up to her. She is very happy with our choice.

In life our solutions may appear to have a single solution but we will usually find there are options. These are not only options which we look for but also options that may be forced upon us. The example here was the midsize vehicle did not have the desired options. We must go in open minded with a clear idea of what we want and look for what we want and even something better. Each and every solution has an option and also has an expiration date. We must continue to evaluate and upgrade along the way. Be sure to take time to take time and go through the steps of the NEADS acronym.    

So you have the final step of the NEADS acronym. You must first have an honest evaluation of where you are NOW. You then determine what you ENJOY about your current position. You determine what you don’t like about your current position and would CHANGE. You determine who will be involved in making the DECISION to change and move ahead? And finally you must determine the SOLUTION.

This is a process that must be repeated as necessary. You can use it at the drop of a hat when making daily decisions or you can have a weekly, monthly or annual appointment to sit down and take a look at all that is important in your life. NEADS is a great tool and one that I have gone back to again and again. I hope you find it as useful as I have. Try it and let me know what you think.