Close More Sales: Psychology Of Sales - Tip #1
For decades, the psychology of sales have been studied and scrutinized to decipher what makes people buy
. By incorporating these simple tips into your sales meetings, telephone calls, and presentations, you can see for yourself and test some simple methods that have been proven to increase the number of closed sales.
In other words, if you continue reading this article and begin using these techniques, please use them for good and not for evil!
Tip #1 Keep It Positive
No, we're not talking about "positive thinking" here, we're talking about getting the prospect speaking about what they like about a particular product or service, and why they like it. This helps you to frame your pitch in such a way that it hits the key points and features that the customer is most interested in. While it may seem obvious not to belabor any negative aspects of what you're selling, it's worth mentioned here that it's never appropriate to badmouth another company or their product or service. If one of your competitors should arise in conversation, it's best to merely draw a contrast between what they're offering and what you're offering. Notice the difference:
Negative slant:
Customer: "I've used Company X's widgets in the past, but I wasn't particularly impressed with them."
Salesperson: "Their quality is very poor, I can't tell you how many clients I've had switch over to us because they were so dissatisfied with the complete lack of organization at that company."
Positive slant:
Customer: "I've used Company X's widgets in the past, but I wasn't particularly impressed with them."
Salesperson: "I see. The thing that really sets our company apart from others is our commitment to quality. We actually triple check each widget for quality control before it ever leaves the factory, plus we offer a 100% money-back guarantee or hassle-free replacement for any part that might sneak past our tight quality standards."
Can you see the difference? By keeping things positive, the sales rep in the second example stays focused on the main point: why his/her product is the best choice. In the first example, the sales rep takes a negative approach, making the other company look bad in the hopes that it will in turn make his company look better.
The bottom line is this: people almost always buy from someone they like. Staying focused on the positive rather than delving into negativity always creates a more attractive, likeable impression.
Likewise, if the prospect should mention something negative about your company, product or service, it is imperative that you keep things as positive as possible, without making excuses, and with complete integrity. For example:
Negative:
Customer: "I called to ask a technical question recently, and the person I spoke with wasn't able to help me at all."
Salesperson: "Oh, that was probably Suzy. She was horrible, and she's been let go. Rebecca is our new technical expert, you'll love her."
(Notice how that doesn't address the real concern the customer has - whether or not they will be able to get their questions answered when they call for assistance.)
Positive:
Customer: "I called to ask a technical question recently, and the person I spoke with wasn't able to help me at all."
Salesperson: "Really? What was your question? Perhaps I can answer it."
Now the sales person can engage in a productive conversation, possibly answer the client's question, or call someone who can answer it.
In the positive scenario, the sales rep might mention new initiatives that have been put in place (or will soon be put in place) to address any chronic issues. For example:
"We've just implemented a new training program for our technical staff. In fact, every technical rep we have must spend two weeks on the factory floor, training on every aspect of production, to help them better understand the process used to create our finished product. I think that the next time you call for assistance, you'll find that the knowledgeability of our technical staff has improved dramatically. And, you can always call me, and if I don't know the answer, I will find out from someone who does."
See how the positive scenario actually addresses the customer's true concern?
Look for more ways you can use positive language and the positive angle to win more sales (and get more repeat business from your existing clientele). Positivity can go a long way in closing more sales.
by: Andy Grant
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