Anecdotal evidence isn’t enough

There’s a big, big difference between showing an example of a problem, and demonstrating the scale and/or scope of the problem.

An example could be isolated. Or it could be one of a thousand examples just that day. It’s hard to tell.

An anecdotal example can be explained away. Yes, we saw that too, your prospect might say. It was an isolated incident. We don’t see that very often.

These are stories that prospects tell themselves when they don’t believe there’s a problem, don’t want to believe there’s a problem, or they simply haven’t been faced with data that clarifies the scope of the problem.

Individual examples can be compelling, in part because they are specific. But they don’t come close to telling the whole story.

Measuring or estimating the scope of the problem is harder, but far more compelling. It allows your prospect to estimate the ongoing impact of NOT addressing the problem, thereby increasing the urgency to do something about it.

Many companies include examples of the problem in their sales presentations, and wonder why prospects don’t immediately light up.

Your prospect isn’t going to buy unless the cost of changing is lower than the cost of doing the same. Isolated, anecdotal evidence doesn’t change that value equation. But communicating the scope of the problem very well may.