How important is the pre-frame in your sales pitch or marketing piece?

I recently learned about this little-known psychological technique in Russell Brunson’s book Dot.Com Secrets. As I read about how the pre-frame applies to online sales funnels, it got me thinking about a time it was used on me in a retail setting by a very good watch salesman.

His setup and pitch was so good, in fact, that years later I still have these “ah-ha” moments about why it was so well executed.

If you’re in a sales or marketing role, pre-framing needs to be a big part of your strategy. It may just be the most important part. And it applies to every type of business; not just online marketing and retail.

If you’re new to the concept, Brunson sums up pre-framing as:

“…the state of mind you place someone in as they enter the next step of your funnel. Changing the frame of mind, the mindset, can profoundly change the answer to a question or the experience you have…”

Russell Brunson, DotCom Secrets

In the book, Brunson talks about how he tripled his sales at conferences by playing an “introductory video” before he got on stage. This three minute video was full of testimonials from real business owners, and even celebrity gurus like Tony Robbins. When Russell finally jumped on stage, the audience was “primed” to listen, and his sales started improving consistently after that.

Why did this simple three minute video work so well? Because Brunson could control the frame through which the audience saw his presentation. Before he made the video, his presentations lived or died by how well conference promoters introduced him (and they usually did a shitty job).

Effective Use of Pre-Frame in Trade Show Marketing

I’ve seen pre-framing work to great effect at trade shows. In this setting, manufacturers spend thousands – even millions – of dollars just to stand out from the other riff-raff.

Contractor A stops by our booth, and he picks up one of our brackets. A sales person approaches, attempts to talk-up the product. Contractor A is just not hearing it. He starts turning his body to make a clean getaway. Before he does, Contractor B walks up.

“Hey! Do you know what this bracket does?” Contractor B asks Contractor A. “This has been a game-changer in our shop. It does so-and-so-and-so…”

Contractor A raises an eyebrow, and faces our booth again. He asks for a catalog. He asks about specific applications. He wants to know which distributor to buy from.

Contractor A’s change of mindset had nothing to do with our beautiful flyer. Nothing to do with our salesperson’s expertise. And it had nothing to do with the potential value of the product. Contractor B’s pre-frame did all the work!

In DotCom Secrets, Russell boils down an effective pre-frame into seven critical steps. While these steps refer to online landing pages, you can already see how they apply to literally any selling or marketing environment.

How an expert watch salesman Pre-Frames his pitch, turning “just browsers” into real Shoppers

A few years ago, I walked up to a store called Westime on Sunset Boulevard, which sells high-end luxury watches. I had no intention of buying a watch that day. My plan was to browse for 5 minutes, fantasize about the watch I’d buy if I had the money, then leave.

As I enter the spotless showroom, I see two sharply-dressed sales people at one end of the store; a man and a woman. I move to the opposite end of the store, putting display cases between us, hoping to escape a sales pitch (even a low-pressure one). I’m sure most shoppers can relate.

Pre-frame Phase #1: Determine Traffic Temperature

In Brunson’s method, this is where you gauge the mindset of the prospect. Are they hot, warm, or cold? This should tell you how to personalize the next 6 phases.

The salesman sees me and walks over; a genuine smile on his face. He’s wearing a dashing blue suit with perfect tailoring, a crisp white shirt with a relaxed collar, and no tie. He reaches out to shake my hand, and I catch a glimpse of his a silver watch, twinkling like a disco ball under the track lights.

“Hi I’m Alex,” he said. “How did you find us today?” His delivery was genuine, catching me off-guard. It was a far cry from the usual “is there something I can help you with?” I expect from most retail settings.

“I was just shopping for clothes for my sister-in-law’s wedding. I saw this store and figured I’d stop in for a look.”

“Can I get you a coffee, espresso, cappuccino?” he asks. “It’s on the house.”

“Sure,” I said.

And here’s a subtle move: he asked the female salesperson to fetch the coffee (as if to demonstrate his prestige).

Now I couldn’t go anywhere, cause I was waiting for coffee. Alex asks me more about the wedding and about myself. Where I was from, where I live now, and what I do for a living.

His small talk was sincere. I didn’t hear a trace of a pending sales pitch. Alex was either the worst watch salesman ever, or he was a genius. I couldn’t tell.

Phase #1 Analysis: I was definitely Cold Traffic. From the first few questions, Alex could tell I was not there to buy a watch that day. He could also tell I knew very little about watches. But I did have a life event coming up where I just might be susceptible to “keeping up with the Jones’s”.

Pre-frame Phase #2: Set up the Pre-frame Bridge

In funnel-building, this would be the eye-catching banner ad or PPC link that leads you to a landing page. For Alex, it was gourmet coffee and an offer to try on expensive watches.

The pre-frame bridge can’t be generic. It must be set to the temperature of your traffic.

The saleswoman brings the coffee in a ceramic cup and saucer. She includes a cube of brown and white sugar, and offers a creamer in the other hand. Definitely NOT the Styrofoam cup of mud you get at at the bank, or waiting for an oil change.

“So what type of watch do you see yourself wearing?” Alex asked.

“Well, I like the look of Rolexes. But I think they’re a little played out” I said. “I guess I’d have to say Omegas.”

“Omega is a really solid Swiss brand. Did you know that every part of an Omega watch is still made in the same factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland?”

I did not.

“That’s a big difference between Omega and Rolex. To keep up with demand, Rolex makes up to 2,000 watches a day. To do that, they have to source parts from different factories around the world. So the quality of craftsmanship is actually different from one batch to another. Rolex kind of diluted their brand name by doing that. But then again, a Rolex is still a Rolex in the minds of most buyers.”

Alex went on to talk about Omega’s history of precision timekeeping. It was the official time keeper of the British Flying Corps in 1917. It was also worn by Buzz Aldrin on the Apollo 11 moon mission.

I was very impressed with Alex’s knowledge. He was not only teaching me about watches. He was demonstrating his value as an advocate for discerning watch buyers.

Phase #2 Analysis: based on my temperature, Alex had to extend a Cold Traffic Bridge for me to cross into Phase #3. “This bridge is the longest”, writes Brunson. “You have to do a good bit of preliminary work to get the prospect into a desirable frame of mind before he hits your landing page.” Russel calls Cold Traffic Bridges the “holy grail of online marketing.” It’s easy to convert a Hot or Warm prospect. Most people are terrible at converting Cold prospects.

Pre-frame Phase #3: Qualify Subscribers

This phase applies more to online marketing than it does retail stores. But there are some similarities.

In a sales funnel, this is where certain visitors will exchange their email address for free information. Visitors are “converted” from prospects into warm leads. After they a receive a few marketing messages, some of those leads become buyers.

So how does Alex, the luxury watch salesman, qualify a me as a “subscriber” in a store environment? One way he might do it is to see if I continue to pay attention and stay engaged.

As he let my try on a few Omegas, I started feeling guilty that Alex was “wasting” so much time on me. Did he not sense I was a terrible prospect?

“I really appreciate this. Full disclosure, I don’t actually plan to buy a watch,” I told him. “Not now. Probably not in the foreseeable future.”

If Alex had replied “Oh, okay. Thanks for your honesty,” and then walked away, it wouldn’t have offended me. I might have even been relieved.

“Hey, I understand,” he said. “But since you’re here now, why don’t I show you some of our other Swiss watches? I think you’ll really appreciate their craftsmanship.”

So I take my coffee, and Alex leads me down a hall. We enter a room that looks like a museum, complete with glass cases, sparkling jewelry, oil paintings, and a leather couch.

Alex takes out a gold watch – a Chopard – and lets me try it on.

“This is one of our most expensive time pieces. It goes for around $40,000.” He tells me the history of the brand, their manufacturing process, and how its accuracy compares with Omega.

From there, Alex shows me a variety of Swiss models in quartz and mechanical movements. He explains how some watches are like pieces of art, but don’t keep accurate time. Others are precise time keepers, right down to the milliseconds and leap years.

As I try on each watch, Alex carefully gauges my reaction. He asks “how does this one feel for you?”

With each successive watch, we descended the price ladder until we reached the $2,000 range. He rounded out the tour by showing me some pre-owned watches, as well as a Japanese Seiko that resembled some of the more expensive Omega watches.

Phase #3 Analysis: Alex did not let me off the hook when I said I wasn’t buying a watch. Consumers lie. Their behavior doesn’t. I stayed engaged through the whole 15 minute tour, and I learned a lot about watches. Alex had indeed “subscribed” me.

But could he call my bluff and sell me a watch?

Pre-frame Phase #4: Qualify Buyers

In DotCom Secrets, Brunson writes “…find your potential buyers immediately after you qualify subscribers. Don’t wait a day or a week.” In his own online sales funnels, Russell often entices subscribers with a “free” book. Subscribers are only required to pay $7 shipping & handling. Talk about a low-friction sale!

For our watch salesman, whose products start at $1,000, it made sense to show me the highest price items first, then work our way down. After seeing a $40,00 Chopard, a $2,500 Omega seems like a pretty reasonable price, right?

The watch tour ended and my coffee was done. I shook Alex’s hand and thanked him for my unexpected lesson in chronographs.

“It was my pleasure. As you can tell, I am a big watch nerd. I don’t just do this for a paycheck; its my passion.”

Alex continued, “I want everyone who walks in my store to have a great experience. Even if they don’t buy anything right away.”

With that, he handed me his business card, and off I went.

Phase #4 Analysis: Alex did not sell me a watch that day. Does that mean he’s really a mediocre salesman? Far from it. I was never going to buy a watch that day. He took my temperature, extended the bridge, and subscribed me. I left with his card and – more importantly – a positive and unique shopping experience I’ll never forget.

But let’s say Alex DID manage to sell me a watch that day. What might be his next steps be?

Pre-frame Phase #5: Identify Hyperactive Buyers

Brunson writes that out of the pool of buyers, you want to seek out those few hyperactive buyers. Folks that “are in some kind of pain right now and will buy more than one thing at a time”. He does this by offering another product before the buyer even completes the first sale. Often with at a one-time only discount of some kind.

Had I bought the watch, I’d probably worry about it getting damaged or stolen. Alex could offer some add-ons to relieve my worry, such as an extended warranty or insurance plan.

Pre-frame Phase #6: Age and Ascend the Relationship

Phase #1 through #5 all took place at the initial point-of-sale. At this point, I’ve left the store with my $2,500 Omega watch. How can Alex help guide me to bigger and bigger purchases?

One way is he can use my purchasing information to stay in touch with me. He could send Christmas cards, postcards, or even flyers for new items.

Over the years, I get promoted and now I have more funny money to spend on luxury items.

Life events such as anniversaries and birthdays will come up where I’m open to buying another watch. If Westime plays the long-game with me, they stand a good chance of staying my retailer of choice.

Phase #7: Change the Selling Environment

What happens if I get “stuck” somewhere in the middle of the Value Ladder? Let’s say Alex knows I’ve been eyeing that $40,000 Chopard. I keep making random “visits”, trying on that same watch model. But I never seem to actually buy it.

It could be that no amount of brochures, postcards or Christmas cards will be enough to move me. Here, Alex might resort to calling me instead, where I’ll be more likely to listen to his offer. It might be the right push I need to justify buying that watch.

Conclusion:

So how important is the pre-frame of your sales pitch, seminar, or marketing funnel? It is THE most important thing.

Westime looks at everything that happens during a customer’s experience in the store. They realize it pays to hire a well-trained and motivated sales staff. It pays to keep the store clean at all times, change out light bulbs, and serve gourmet coffee in ceramic cups. They don’t need to spin their wheels on “largest selection” or “lowest prices” like so many other stores do.

When was a time that you experienced the perfect pre-frame? Was it online, off-line, or blended? And how many phases did you cross in the process? Leave your comment below and I’ll reply back.