Sell precisely with the 3+3 framework

When broken down to fundamentals, your customers will have many of the same and similar questions.

It's a good practice to sit down with your team and compile a list of all the questions you can think of that customers might have.

By doing so, you can then prioritize the areas in which you need to be thoroughly prepared, rehearsed, and inquisitive.

If you can address your customer’s questions before they even ask them, you’ll establish an immediate foundation of trust.

You’ll also add a touch of synchronicity.

There are three core questions that your customers will always have:

1. What is your solution for my problem?
2. How much does it cost?
3. How quickly can I benefit from it?

The third question is often underestimated, yet for many companies, it holds significant importance.

The speed at which someone benefits from your offering is not synonymous with how swiftly you can deliver your product or service.

Rather, it’s part of their ROI calculation.

Understanding that both you and your customers are constantly engaged in this ROI assessment will shift your perspective on ROI in marketing and sales.

Here’s my formula:

Our ROI > value created > their ROI

Realize that your company isn’t Dunder Mifflin: one of only two paper suppliers in Scranton, PA.

If customers believe your solution is promising but the benefits will take too long to materialize, they will seize their momentum and move forward with someone else.

Individuals responsible for purchasing decisions in companies often require buy-in from managers and colleagues.

After securing the necessary buy-in, they’ll proceed with or without you.

Unless you possess a monopoly on a specific product or niche, your company is replaceable.

This is a sobering reality that most businesses should come to terms with sooner rather than later.

You're competing for your customer's attention. But once you've captured it, they're invested in the problem and solution.

Their investment in the solution is not your solution.

It is any solution.

So, what are the other +3 questions in the rule?

The specific industry you operate in will introduce another 3 primary questions that you’ll need to address.

In fact, there will likely be more than 3.

However, remember that we’re prioritizing high-level questions to construct a consistent narrative and approach for tackling sub-questions.

You want your company to operate within a knowledge framework.

So, if your customer poses the same question to four different representatives, they’ll receive four similar answers.

People aren’t robots, so it’s not about delivering rehearsed responses verbatim.

It’s about agreeing upon the fundamental concepts that define your company’s reality.

What do these additional 3 questions entail?

For instance, a company offering a SaaS presentation suite might frequently encounter questions like:

1. Why should I use this instead of tools like Canva and Adobe?
2. Is this an advanced tool, or more template-based and quick?
3. What is the learning curve?

If you’ve addressed these 3 questions, you’ll build authority with your customer in your niche.

The reason we opt for the number 3 is that it’s a manageable count of questions that most people can think of on the spot, without becoming stuck or overthinking.

Think of questions you'd want to ask me, the author. How many came to your mind immediately?

Following the 3+3 framework, we understand that its core isn’t necessarily about numbers, but rather about prioritization, adhering to fundamental business principles, and formulating fundamental niche guidelines for marketing and sales.

Precision, like that of a skilled dart player, is your aim.

However, even the best dart players can’t hit triple-20 every time.

They simply make sure to always hit the board.