"How do you want a sales person to sell to you?”

And you have replied.

• 56% (9/16) Let me explore on my own.
• 31% (5/16) Guide me based on my needs.
• 13% (2/16) Have a chat while helping me.

My thoughts on it:

A little less than half want a sales person's help in some form.

A little more than half want to explore alone. Without the help of a sales person.

Isn't the sales person there to help us?

Is there perhaps a distrust of sales people?

Perhaps we don't want to be sold to?

Or at least don’t want to FEEL being sold to. It’s uncomfortable. Nobody likes it.

Is it perhaps a combination of the two?

Something else?

Thanks to the internet, the knowledge gap between buyers and sellers has decreased compered to 20+ years ago. At least in B2C.

Still, can we be as much of an expert on the product or service we want / need to buy as the person selling it?

Some buyers are. Most aren’t.

We just cannot be perfectly knowledgeable about everything we need to buy.

But there are the review sites; the ratings; the expert, celebrity or other endorsements. In today’s world, we have learned and have become conditioned to rely on them. This is what exploring on your own often means.

What are reviews and ratings?

They are forms of Social Proof. It’s what we use to decide when we are not an expert in a specific field. We look at what others, esp. others similar to us, have done and what they say. We do it all the time.

What are expert opinions, celebrity endorsements?

They are forms of Authority. I.e. when we are not knowledgeable enough about something, to help us decide, we turn to what the people who are knowledgeable (authorities on the topic) say.

Dr. Robert Cialdini calls Authority and Social Proof two principles of persuasion. In other words, the subconscious mental shortcuts our mind resorts to when we need to decide. We think we decide rationally. But in reality, most of our decisions are based on such shortcuts, which often override rational thinking. Even in huge personal and business decisions.

Why?

Because the shortcuts don’t use much energy. Rational thinking burns tons. And neuroscientists tell us that the brain's main task is not to think but to maintain life and save energy. Therefore, it relies on the shortcuts in 95% off decisions. That’s almost ALL decisions!

The energy saving shortcuts often get involved in the last minute even in otherwise very rational decisions.

Besides Authority and Social Proof, there are five more universal principles of persuasion. And they are equally powerful decision drivers in sales and all decisions, be that on or offline.

They are: Reciprocity, Liking, Unity, Scarcity and Consistency.

Do you use at least some of them when selling your products and services?

Or all of them to strategically communicate your win-win to customers, prospects?

Did you know that certain principles of persuasion are more effective at ethically influencing decisions in certain parts of the decision making process than others?

For example, Reciprocity works best for building relationships. Scarcity, on the other hand, usually moves people to action.

This is why an in-depth knowledge of the principles of persuasion and of their strategic use is key for sales and persuasion.

Yes. It's a science.

If you speak the language of your clients' and prospects' decisions making mechanisms, the language of the energy saving mental shortcuts, you are increasing the chances of them buying.

And if you don't speak it strategically, then your clients and prospects may lose out because the chances of them buying into your win-win offer are considerably lower.

You may lose out too because you cannot help more clients.

When do you want to STOP losing out?

#persuasion #influence

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Hi My name is ákos Gerold. I help leaders, sales teams and engineers become top 2% persuaders and presenters.

Sounds like what you need? Drop me a line.