"4-Step-Sale" review (Article-11)

INTRODUCTION

Recently I enrolled for a Mini-degree in "Digital Psychology and Persuasion" from CXL Institute. I would love to share whatever I will learn from this Mini-degree through a series of articles.

This is my 11th "Digital Psychology and Persuasion" review article in a series of a total of 12 articles. I will be posting an article on each weekend for consecutive 1 upcoming week in which I will cover all the tactics and principles of Digital psychology, Consumer Behavior, and Persuasion and Neuro-Marketing which will surely help anyone passionate about marketing.

WHAT ARE 4 FUNDAMENTAL STEPS?

You will directly increase your chances to sell if you follow the four fundamental steps:

• Diagnose the pain to craft a message that concretely shows how you can eliminate it.
• Differentiate your claims by showing the contrast between you and your competitors 
• Demonstrate the gain that your solution provides to your prospect.
• Deliver to the old brain in a way that has maximum impact.

EXAMPLE OF DRINKING WATER

Let us take en example of selling drinking water and try to implement these four fundamental steps:

1. The more thirst (-pain-) your prospects are experiencing, the more potential you have to sell them the water.

2. If you have two competitors who also sell water, assuming that your claims are equally as strong as those of your two competitors, your selling probability is immediately divided by three.

3. Let’s assume that your unique claim is that your water is the most refreshing. The more strongly you are able to prove what your customer will gain by drinking your “most refreshing” water, the greater your chance is to close the sale.

4. To stimulate your creativity, imagine you and your two competitors are selling water in the middle of a desert. As a way to impact your prospects’ old brain, you could advertise your water using a large billboard with a fountain of actual cold water flowing out of it while giving away small samples for them to taste. This surely would have more impact than just using a small sign that said: “Fresh Water.”

Let us dig deeper into each of the four fundamental steps:

1. DIAGNOSE THE PAIN

In this step you should ask the right questions and listen carefully to your prospects’ answers. The true pain often lies below the conscious level, so be prepared to unveil pain your customers did not even know they had. Since the old brain is self-centered and concerned with its own survival above all else, it is highly interested in solutions that will alleviate any pain it is feeling. That is why humans spend more time and energy avoiding pain or looking to destroy pain than we devote to gaining higher levels of comfort. Focus on the pain your prospect is experiencing, not the features of your products or service. For example, if you’re selling electric drills, your prospects couldn’t care less about the actual drills. What they really want are holes. Therefore, your diagnostic or solution should focus on all the issues they have about the holes they need to make, not the drills. Combining your expert knowledge with their own understanding of their current situation and their desired outcome will lead to an accurate diagnostic of your customers’ pain.

2. DIFFERENTIATE YOUR CLAIMS

Have you noticed that approximately 95 percent of all Web sites or brochures start with the same sentence: “We are one of the leading providers of . . .”? Such an empty claim or neutral statement works against you. To reach the old brain more effectively, you should say (and prove) a contrasted statement like, “We are the only provider of ...” As you have learned, the old brain responds favorably to clear, solid contrast. Powerful, unique claims attract prospects because they highlight the difference, gap, or disruption the old brain is proactively looking for to justify a quick decision. Claims simplify and accelerate purchasing decisions. During every one of your sales pitches, your prospects will be thinking of two contrasting scenarios, regardless of whether they come up in your discussion:

? How does this compare to other options?

? How does this compare to my doing nothing?

So ask yourself, “Is my solution uniquely able to cure my prospects’ pain?” If you can quickly point to what is absolutely different and valuable about your solution, you create the contrast that the old brain seeks. More importantly, you become the only vendor that can solve their pain.

3. DEMONSTRATE THE GAIN

Focusing on the unique benefits of your solution as recommended in Step Two is all well and good, but technically, it doesn’t prove any thing. Remember, the old brain prefers tangible information over complicated or abstract concepts. It needs solid proof of how your solution will enable it to survive or benefit. Since the old brain can’t decide unless it feels secure, you need to concretely demonstrate, not just describe, the gain your prospects will experience from your product or service-the benefits of a specific cure to their pain-in a way that satisfies the old brain’s need for concrete evidence. Remember, when it comes to communicating the benefits of your solution (commonly called your value proposition), it’s not just about value: it’s about proven value!

4. DELIVER TO THE OLD BRAIN

The latest brain research shows that the old brain always makes the final call. This is why, when you deliver your message, your impact is directly linked to your ability to sell to the decision-making part of your prospects’ brain. The language of the six stimuli will trigger a response because it is a language the old brain understands. In fact, your ability to deliver directly to the old brain affects your selling probability as much as the three other factors-pain, claims, and gain-combined.

As a conclusion, we must not underestimate the powers of human behavior and marketing psychology in order to get success as a good marketer and to grow our business exponentially.

Congrats! You are now one step ahead in the competition after understanding Marketing Psychology and Consumer behavior.

Stay tuned for the next Article!

 (This article is a review for the mini degree, "Digital Psychology and Persuasion" from CXL institute". Content is inspired from available online resources and content provided by CXL institute.)

Thanks :-)

Gaurav Panwar