In my last vlog, I talked about persuasive selling. In this blog, I want to mention what is NOT persuasive selling.

I just read a sales blog that dealt with the objection, “I’d like some time to think about it”. The blogger suggested that the salesperson use this technique:

“It’s a fact that as time progresses you only retain about 20% of what you learned; so as you take time to ‘think about it’ you are actually becoming less informed. I’m sure you don’t want to make a less-informed decision, right?”  Then wait for the answer, and go for the close.

Is this clever? Maybe. But here is my problem with some of these types of “tricks” in sales.  To the educated buyer, they sound slick and manipulative. Once your prospect feels he is being manipulated, you completely lose your power of persuasion.

A few more examples of techniques that turn off many prospects:

1) “John, I’m going to be in your area on Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon.  Which works best for you?” (Nothing wrong with this when John has agreed he wants to meet with you, but if John never gave you that indication, he’s likely to recognize this false-choice cheesy sales technique.)

2) Ben Franklin Close: “Okay John, how about we fold this paper in half. Put the pros on one side and the cons on the other. Whichever is longer, that’s the decision we’ll go with today.”

3) This is a big one: OVERUSE of a prospect’s name. Research shows that you should use the name at the beginning and end. However, inserting the name often in your pitch actually works AGAINST you. Why? Because it sounds slick and salesy.

Prospects are more intuitive and educated than we may think.  Once a prospect starts seeing you less as a resource and more as a salesperson, you are losing your ability to persuade.

Keep in mind that there are great lines and techniques to help you move towards a solution.  Just remember, many of your prospects have read the same sales books as you have, so be careful that you don’t come off as an encyclopedia of slick sales techniques.  Your worst fate is that they see you marching towards that close without respect to the way they make buying decisions.

Enjoy the tip and learn more about persuasion here:

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In a nut shell, research shows that people are more motivated by the fear of losing than by the prospect of gaining. In sales, we tend to sell value – as we should.  Use this persuasive selling technique to motivate your prospect to invest in the value you offer. The secret is to show what they could LOSE by not purchasing your goods or service.

Here are some examples:

Copy machine sales:

Good: Our solution will save you time and money because our machine has a faster output and uses less resources like electricity and toner.

Better:  Right now you are wasting electricity and toner, plus your employees are losing valuable time because your current machine is slower and less efficient.  Our solution addresses that.

Selling a maintenance plan:

Good: With our plan you will have complete peace of mind knowing that we will keep you up-and-running and cover all problems associated with operations.

Better:  You understand the lost time and employee frustration when operations are down.  We ensure that you don’t lose that valuable labor and money associated with downtime and repairs.

Selling a hybrid automobile:

Good:  This car will save you approximately 20% on your gas consumption. During the life of this car you will save hundreds of dollars.

Better: Right now you are burning through an estimated 20% more gasoline than you would with our hybrid. Investing in his car will put a stop to that.

Selling optical fiber:

Good:  Our fiber is manufactured with tighter standards so it transmits data more efficiently.

Better:  Our fiber is manufactured with tighter standards; so it has less loss.

Selling a generic brand:

Good:  You can have the same high quality and save 12% off the name brand.

Better:  You’re wasting 12% on every dollar you spend on the name brand because we provide the same quality for less.

Will you share with us an example for your market?

This selling nuance makes a notable difference in the buyer’s mind. Research proves it, but the underlying reason is debatable. My view is that most people would agree that while it is good to save money, it is almost a sin to waste it. Therefore, it is far more persuasive to appeal to your prospect’s fear of losing or wasting something.

As with all persuasive selling tips, these are only guidelines and not rules.  Use each technique in context.

Have fun selling persuasively!

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