?? Mind Hacks: No.1 sales mistake you should avoid

How to make your customers more willing to even listen to you?

[This article was ?? by Roman Buri?, Senior Consultant @ Mindworx ??]

We've all been there. We have the best darn product or service in the universe, but the customers just aren't biting. Why is that?

The reason might be simple - your offer is not within their “zone of acceptance”.?

In other words, it's like you're selling your customers a pizza oven when all they want is a slice! They’re not ready to buy. So they feel like they don't really need it and simply won't listen to you.?

You can picture the zone of acceptance as a mental state in which your customers are ready to listen to your offer. Is your offer out of the zone? Then you're out of luck.

But here's the kicker: The zone of acceptance is expandable!?

2 ways to expand your customers' zone of acceptance

01 Warming up?

Clients might not be ready to listen to you because they don't realize they might actually need the product. The key is to provide them with valuable info. Don't be a salesperson. Be a tourist guide with their best interests in mind and show them around.

For example, maybe they feel like they don't need a loan. But what if you show them 3 easy ways to finance anything they need?

They might realize they don't need to spend all their life savings to renovate their home. Next time, they might be more willing to listen to your loan offer.

02 A foot in the door

The key is to start small. For example, a consulting firm wanted to help a client increase the number of people who uploaded a video application for a job position. The two-step process was quite a complicated one.?

So, they reached the zone of acceptance gradually. First, they asked people to fill in a short questionnaire about why they thought they were good candidates.?

The following day, they received a "congratulatory email" that they had passed the first round.

The email invited them to download the mobile application, which would continue the selection process along with some tips on how to create a good application.?

And the results?

Even though the new process was twice as long, the number of applications increased by 25%.

It's simple: every small "yes" from your customer expands their acceptance zone. It's like building a sales fortress one brick at a time.

Now, go ahead and ask yourself:

What's the small fry in your customer's zone of acceptance? Do you need to sell them a TV and internet package right away, if all they need is more mobile data??

So, next time you receive an invitation for our webinar, you know what's going on… ??

??What to take away?

• Customers may not respond to offers that don't align with their current needs.
• Warm up your customers by providing valuable information without pushing the product. They are much more likely to listen if you are relevant but don't sell right away.?
• Start with small requests or actions to gradually expand their zone of acceptance. Once your foot is in the door, your customers will be more likely to accept even bigger offers.?

?? Mind Hacks Newsletter

Mind Hacks is a monthly newsletter written by smart folks at Mindworx Consulting. It is crafted for curious minds eager to delve into the fascinating fields of consumer psychology and behavioral economics. Our goal? To translate complex principles into practical insights you can relate to easily.

We are a team of business consultants with a shared passion – we believe in the power of behavioral economics and consumer psychology. Our results from dozens of completed projects for the largest companies in the banking, insurance, and telecom industries reinforce this belief.

Since 2015, we have been refining our approach to ensure that our clients get the best that behavioral economics and consumer psychology have to offer.