subject: How to Sell Someone When They Don't Want to be Sold (Part 1) by:John Stuart Leslie [print this page] You see all the advertising that goes on television and the internet. Much of it is full of hype. Sometimes to the point of seeming like you are being sold "snake oil" that will cure ALL diseases -- whatever it is you have, it will cure it!
We all react to these types of ads differently. If you are sincerely in need of a particular product or it's on your radar to buy after you do your "research", you will certainly be in a more receptive position to fall prey to the claims made in the offers. You may in fact, be even more vulnerable because your emotions are being triggered.
This is all the art and science of consumer psychology. What makes people buy? It's true; nobody wants to be sold to. They want their decision to buy to be their choice, not persuaded by a slick salesman.
People have conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions always at the ready. But for most consumers these 12 psychological factors play some role in most sales situations:
1) they want what they don't have themselves,
2) they want what other people have,
3) they want what they cant have,
4) they want to cure their pains,
5) they want to feel good,
6) they don't want to miss out on an opportunity,
7) they want to feel like they got a good deal,
8) they want to avoid feeling duped or making a wrong decision,
9) they need to justify their purchase with logic.
10) they want it easy
11) they want it faster
12) they want it better
Here are the first 7 tactics in a series of 14 (see Part 2) that are used in effective sales strategies. Keep in mind that the degree of perceived "hype" and the consumer's negative reaction is a reflection of the degree that the consumer is not looking to buy whatever it is being sold and the degree of "hype" included in the delivery.
1) Give away your product for free (this is just your tactic to "upsell" them on something that they will end up paying for)
2) Claim that they will benefit from "unbelievable" results such as losing 30 lbs in 30 days (but make sure in fine print you say "results vary, example not typical")
3) Imply by visual association in your advertising graphics that if they buy your program, they too can park a Ferrari in their driveway
4) Claim that they will get rich quick by following your "proven system"
5) When making your pitch to close the deal, make the price seem cheap by adding all kinds of bonus offers so the perceived value of what they receive relative to the cost is inflated
6) At the very end of the pitch, tell them that you only have 3 left
7) At the very end of the pitch, also tell them that the offer is good for a limited time
Now I have exaggerated some of these tactics to reinforce the point that sometimes the benefits come across as unbelievable or "hype", but someone in the right state of mind may view it as plausible, being persuaded by other parts of the sales message. They may dismiss parts of the message, but their emotions keep them interested because there is an underlying need or want that is being addressed.
The key thing to understand is that whatever it is you are selling, if you keep in mind that everyone has these psychological triggers, you can address them at various stages during your "points of contact" with your prospects.
It is said that most consumers and the people that "sell" to them, go through around 7-8 touches or contacts in the decision making process. Impulse purchases of course are excluded. If your product is presented in such a way that conducting these 7-8 contacts is impractical, you must therefore pull out all the stops and perform a "point of sale" presentation.
When selling on the internet, the "sales page" does just that because the seller knows that if the buyer does not click through, chances are they will never come back. "But wait! There's more!"
Here is the bottom line for the MLM network marketing professional who should be in a sales mindset when qualifying people who may or may not be interested in their "opportunity". Address each of the 12 psychological triggers as they come up with honesty.
Know early on how motivated the prospect is in making the leap in getting involved in any opportunity. Ask them why they are looking. How successful are they in their current situation. Get to the why or what it is that motivates them. If they say they see an opportunity to be financial secure, ask them:, "So you want to be financially secure so that ________ " and let them finish the sentence.
You see, it is not always what they say that is the underlying motivating factor. the true motivating factors reveal the feelings, thoughts and emotions that have significant meaning to them and that what you want to reveal.
Knowing that secret will shape the rest of your conversation. They will also see you as someone who cares about them and not just selling your product.
About the author
John Stuart Leslie
Manifesting 24/7
"Grow Your Network As You Grow Your Self"
John Stuart Leslie is a network marketing professional providing solutions to struggling network marketers looking to stay in the game and achieve their goals.
