I’m a RedBull drinker. I don’t do Monster or 5 Hour Energy. I’m a Mac (Apple) guy, not much of a fan of Microsoft or Android. I’m on my second Audi and have never had a BMW or a Mercedes.  I’ve been with AT&T for 15 of the last 17 years. I fly United 99% of the time.

I’m pretty happy with the choices I make and I’m a fairly loyal customer, but in spite of my loyalty, there is always a little fire inside me that is open to something else.

All it takes is a Mercedes ad showing a slick new interior and killer technology, a Samsung ad showing their phones dropping in a toilet unharmed, a Sprint plan that saves me 200 dollars a month,or a Southwest commercial with better frequent flyer program too feed that fire inside me and get me to contemplate change.

When the fire is fed and grows, I pick up my head and look across the way. I take a longer look at the Mercedes. I consider flying Southwest on my next trip. I look at Sprints coverage and new plan, asking myself, is it worth switching? In spite of my loyalty and happiness with my past choices, like a gas stove, there is pilot light inside me waiting to be turned up. I haven’t ALWAYS been a Mac guy. I made the “switch” in 2005. Apple provided plenty of fuel.

I don’t always act. It takes a lot to get me to switch, however the pilot light is always on. Getting me to pick up my head and take notice isn’t so hard and that’s the message here.

Too often, as sales people, we assume that our customers won’t switch. We assume they are happy with their current product or service and in most cases you’re right, they are. BUT, that doesn’t mean you can’t get their attention. It doesn’t mean that they are shut out to something else. It only means they are happy with what they know, and all they know is what they have.

The key to getting a customer to switch is to give a little gas to their pilot light and that gas is information that can or would improve their situation or make their life better. There is always a reason to switch. Sometimes the reasons don’t exist yet, but the reasons are there. You have to 1) make sure your product or service can provide compelling change and 2) know how to feed the little fire inside the buyer.

Don’t automatically assume that because someone is happy with a product or service that they won’t switch, people/companies switch everyday. Everyone has the “switch” pilot light. Eveyone is susceptible to change, if you know how to trigger it.

And by the way, if you haven’t figured it out yet, that also means switching from you or your company.

Switching is hard, getting people to consider a switch, not so much. Learn to trigger your buyer’s “switch” pilot light, that’s what gets them to pick up their heads and take notice.

Do you know how to turn up you prospects and customers pilot light?