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Sales Psychology: WhyLogic makes or breaks every sale
Look at the
mental make-up of salespeople themselves and brake down the beliefs
required to successfully pitch products.
Today, I’m
counting backwards through my keys to sales success by analyzing the
logical, rational approach to sales. You’ll get specific tips that
show you precisely how to rationalize the dollars right out every
prospect’s tightly guarded wallet.
Emotion
versus Logic (battle of the sales gurus)
In the 70s and
80s every sales training consultant worked hard to convince the
world’s corporations that the secret to their customer’s dollars
lay in the artful manipulation of logic and reasoning.
In the 90s some
clever person figured out that emotion made the big difference. The
gurus started saying things like “People only ever buy what feels
right”.
They’re both
right. JamesChartrand summed it up perfectly in a comment the
other day:
“We buy on
emotion and justify with logic.”
Both elements
are critical parts of the same sales equation. If you want to be the
best salesperson possible, you must master both.
It’s also
worth noting that sales techniques lacking logic tend to create
buyers remorse. Why? Because the right feeling might make you hand
over cash but it’s “good decision making” that’ll keep you
happy for weeks to come.
Good decisions
need to be rationalized and justified. Here’s how to make sure it
happens every time…
A few weeks ago,
I was unfortunate enough to get pitched by an “emotional sales”
trained sales rep. I was shopping for summer clothes – having just
finished my recent mountain hermit experience. Having already decided
to buy an armful of stuff, the eager shop assistant asked me if I was
“… on the lookout for shoes today?”
When I replied
with a noncommittal mumble, he dragged me over to a rack of beautiful
Italian business shoes, loudly describing the various kinesthetic and
emotional good vibes that other customers had reported after wearing
them.
The poor guy was
doing his best. In his defense, I was wearing a suit and tie. He
thought I looked like someone who might buy a pair of overpriced
shoes.
The problem? I
already own a pair. I was wearing them. I wasn’t looking for
business shoes – I was looking for sneakers.
First
step: Find the Buying Criteria
Our buying
criteria are the logical checklist that we hold at the front of our
conscious mind while shopping for anything. It’s what we tell
ourselves we want.
Eliciting the
buying criteria from your prospect must always be
the first step in any sales pitch. This fundamental piece of
rationalization must come before everything else.
Why? Because
otherwise you don’t know what the hell the person wants!
The shoe
salesman had a fantastic opportunity to show me sneakers, but he
assumed my buying criteria and pissed me off by delivering a “hard”
emotional sell for something I didn’t want.
Opening your
prospect’s mind to other purchase opportunities is a valid
argument, especially in retail… but it’s only ever appropriate
after you find out what they’re really after in the first place.
The over-eager
shop assistant missed the chance to sell a pair of sneakers (which
they DID stock) simply because he didn’t think to ask “What else
are you looking for?”
Finding the
buying criteria is easy. If you’re involved in face to face sales,
just ask. People will appreciate it. If you’re selling online,
simply make sure that your landing page gives people ample
opportunity to find what they’re looking for. Even better, clearly
list what you’ve got so that the people who don’t want it can
move on, fast.
Second
step: Give reasoning suggestions
Once the buying
criterion has been established and you’ve confirmed that you have
what the prospect wants, it’s time to do battle with the inner
critic.
Don’t start
meditating on the voices in your head – I don’t mean
your inner critic, I mean the prospects! As a salesperson, you need
to be able to reach inside their mind and silence the subversive
outbursts of that voice of so-called reason.
The inner critic
isn’t always negative or destructive. It’s main objective is to
keep us safe. This can be either deadly or fantastic, depending on
the situation. In the context of purchases, the inner critic pipes up
to protect us from impulsive, stupid decisions. This is good news for
trigger happy consumers but bad news for you, the salesperson.
And it gets
worse…
While your
prospect’s inner critic is trying to talk them out of buying your
stuff, it is also playing an insidious psychological game. It adopts
the form and voice of nearest and dearest family and friends. Is that
manipulative or what?!
The prospect
will unconsciously hear their partner’s voice, questioning (or
berating) them for making an unnecessary purchase. Perhaps they’ll
hear the voice of a good friend, doubting their judgment. Some people
(more than you’d think) hear their parents warning them to watch
their spending.
No matter what
the judgment, criticism or question is, the unconscious mind wraps it
up in a voice that pushes enough emotional buttons to get noticed.
Like a shape shifter scrooge, it morphs into an authority figure
who’s opinion the prospect values.
This is what
you’re up against.
The good news is
that your prospect is up against it too. She desperately wants to buy
what you’re offering, but the voice of the critic weighs heavily on
her mind.
How to
silence the inner critic for good
When crafting
your pitch, scripting your patter or writing your copy, you need to
list the logical, rational reasoning with which your prospect might
disarm the voices in their head.
At the
penultimate moment of the sales process, it’s likely that your
prospect will be paralyzed by the inner critic and it’s emotional
hold on their thinking. This vice-grip prevents your client
rationalizing to the best of their ability.
Enter the
salesperson – it is your job to help!
Here’s
the formula to craft your critic-busting pitch:
1. Think
of all the people who will be affected by your prospect’s decision
to buy. Depending on your product, you may need to include
even people who would notice your prospect’s purchase.
e.g.
- Partner
- Parent
- Colleagues
- Close friends
- Boss
- Teacher
- Staff
Not all of these
will be relevant – it all depends on your specific product.
2. List
every rational justification for your purchase you can dream up.
3. Test
them out with your own inner critic.
Run through the list of
people you’ve got and imagine them berating you for buying your
stuff. Are your reasons good enough to shut them up?
4. Go
back to step three and be twice as tough.
I shouldn’t even
need to explain why.
5.
Incorporate your new found rationalization into your pitch or
advertising.
My business took
off through rationalization.
Years ago, I
often struggled to successfully pitch my consultancy services to
large corporations. I didn’t know it at the time, but every time I
failed it was due to a lack of rationalization.
When I pitched a
“decision maker” their inner critic would morph into their boss.
Even as I spoke to them, I’d see their eyes glaze over as they
heard questions like:
“You’re
a manager, why do you need a consultant to help you manage your
people?”
“Why can’t
you sort out your own staff issues?!”
“How is
this expense justified?!!”
Everything
changed for me when I figured out what was going on. I started
pitching executives a trial service. I’d develop their sales people
or leadership team and deliver a comprehensive, empirical Return
on Investment Report upon completion.
I’d even show
them an ROI report from a previous client, just to give them a taste
of what was to come.
An ROI report
completely justified the expense. The ability to drop a slick folder
onto their bosses desk was music to their ears. The inner critic
slunk away with it’s tail between it’s legs!
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