Joining my first sales job out of college, I soon learned that I wasn’t a natural persuader. Fortunately, my mentor, Gary, was, and I took his sales leadership very seriously. He was a genuine and honest salesman who had been in business 7 years when I started. Throughout my first year, I took detailed notes on what and how sold our product, and ways I could make it my own. Please note that the following list simply indicates what they are without going into much detail. This way I can cover more of them and you can keep learning later.
My 7 Must-Have Sales Influence Principles
1) Trust: This principle works together with another one that is not on the list, which is belief. It essentially boils down to having faith in what you’re recommending. Once you have their trust it’s an easy job from then on. I put this first as it represents the foundation of all sales and sales relationships.
2) Emotion: People remember how they felt long after what you told them. The best salespeople and professionals take prospects on a journey that involves stories that evoke an emotional response. This causes prospects to associate pain with their current state and with the future if they don’t follow the salesperson’s advice. Likewise, the stories provide sensations of pleasure when considering life with the intended product.
3) Stepping Stones – I’ve always loved the famous sales idiom: “once they accepted the link, they bought the entire chain.” While this is not always true, it gets a lot of validity and helps explain the springboard-to-sale theory. Never expect someone to buy from the start. Think of sales as a gradual process of getting small commitments or shares. The more they agree with the first two stones, the more likely they are to buy the big stone at the end.
4) Justification: Customers buy in their hearts and justify in their heads. My second beginning of excitement is only the first half. During or after the emotional journey, you should also provide hard facts to support the “yes” decision. They often withhold these facts when justifying their purchase to their peers.
5) Participation: Explaining all the features and benefits of your product while both of you are sitting still is a weak approach. Psychology supports greater understanding, ownership, and passion when a client participates in the presentation. Get your prospects involved and they are more likely to see themselves as part of the solution.
6) Inclusion: Nobody likes to feel left out. We all want to be included in the larger group, so start employing this principle by making your prospect want to be included with your existing customers. This principle is related to envy, social proof or consensus. The more effective a product is in meeting similar demographic needs, the more your customers will want to engage.
7) Indifference: This is what the seller should convey but balancing with enthusiasm. The goal is to show fervor for your product without showing desperation. I correlate indifference with the separation of emotion from the result. As soon as his prospect feels that he absolutely doesn’t need her to buy right now, he ironically becomes more interested. Balancing opposing behavioral cues is like tuning the strings on a guitar. You will need to find the right level or tension to drive your lead.
These 7 Sales Influence Principles are universal, so I encourage anyone to find ways to employ them in their individual sales business. Just like I learned them, I recommend choosing a good sales or persuasion book along with working under the wing of a good mentor. Over time, they will become part of your communication style, regardless of whether you were born a natural salesperson or not.