Practical Sales Training™ > Connect > The Diagram Effect
The Diagram Effect
Some things are easy to picture. A product, a room, a car. Others aren’t, and that’s where most sellers struggle to explain what they actually do.
A diagram fixes that instantly. It turns something abstract into something your buyer can actually see.
What Is It
A diagram is a simple way to explain something, but it does more than that too. It also signals experience and expertise at the same time.
This matters most if you sell something intangible, like advice, coaching or consultancy. A diagram gives your buyer something concrete to hold onto.
Why Does It Work
It works for a few reasons. First, it makes a concept easier to understand. A visual connects faster than an explanation ever could, since your buyer sees the shape of the idea instead of just hearing about it.
Second, it adds tangibility. An intangible offer like coaching can feel vague on its own. A diagram makes it look structured and established instead.
Third, it implies expertise. A diagram takes thought and care to build. So if you’ve built one, your buyer assumes you know your subject properly.
How Can You Use It
There are three types of diagram worth considering, depending on what you’re trying to show.
The “How To” Diagram
This explains a process step by step. It works well when your buyer needs to understand how something happens, not just what the end result looks like.
The Comparison Diagram
This shows how your offer compares to something else. It’s useful when your buyer is weighing up options, since a visual comparison lands faster than a written list.
The Size Diagram
This shows scale, whether that’s how big or small your offer actually is. It helps a buyer grasp proportion quickly, especially when numbers alone don’t mean much to them.
Choose And Name Your Diagram
Think about how you actually do what you do. Which processes, methods or systems show up again and again in your client work? Pick one or two, then decide which type of diagram fits best.
For extra impact, give the process or diagram a name. A named method feels more established than an unnamed one, even if the underlying idea is simple.
When It Works Best
This works best when your offer is hard to picture. Coaching, consultancy and other service based businesses benefit the most, since there’s nothing physical for a buyer to point at.
It’s also strong when you have a repeatable process. If you already do things the same way each time, that process is usually easier to diagram than you’d expect.
When It Becomes Dangerous
This backfires if the diagram is more complicated than the idea itself. A confusing diagram undoes the whole point, since you’re trying to simplify, not add another layer of explaining.
It also fails if the diagram doesn’t match what you actually deliver. Show a clean, structured process, then deliver something messy, and the gap will stand out fast.
Common Mistakes
Overcomplicating The Visual
A diagram with too many arrows and boxes loses its purpose fast. Keep it simple enough that someone could explain it back to you after seeing it once.
Never Naming The Process
A diagram without a name is easy to forget. Give it a name, and it becomes something your buyer can reference again later.
The Diagram Effect – An Example
Say a productivity coach builds a 3 step framework called “The Daily Flow Method.” Instead of just listing the steps as Plan, Focus, Reflect, she turns it into a circular diagram.
The diagram shows how each step flows into the next, forming a daily cycle of improvement. This simple visual becomes a key part of her sales page, her emails, and her coaching sessions.
It makes her process easier to understand and gives her method a name. It also makes her service feel more tangible, even though what she’s actually selling is intangible from start to finish.
See Also
