What Great Sellers Know (and You Should, Too)
At Easy Biz Solutions we’ve always been a huge advocate for training and education – specifically, sales training. In the last 5 years, that desire to learn and grow has been reinvigorated.
We all want to be great sellers. When your a great seller you’re able to understand why you’re selling a product and how it will genuinely help your customer. Which results in a natural sales process and experience.
Even if your a seller that has been working for years and has been through countless training, there is still more to learn. You should always be at the top of your game. But remember there’s always room for growth and improvement.
Selling skills are critical in organizations that rely on ongoing buying from customers or clients. The ability to build relationships with customers, persuade them to make purchases and generate repeat business is at the heart of selling.
I want everyone reading this to be the very best at influencing people. As that will help in sales, relationship-building and managing your teams (outsourced and in house) and your customers.
Feeling the same pull to improve and enhance your skills?
My advice is to pick up a copy of Dr. Robert Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. In this book, Dr. Cialdini talks about the importance of getting people to say YES.
Keep in mind the more yeses you can bank, the more successful your business will be. It’s that simple.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion book unpacks the innate psychological triggers that drive persuasion and behavior changes, enabling all of us to be more successful at engaging, influencing and converting new and existing customers which, of course, is the ultimate path to growing and scaling your business.
All of this goes back to Dr. Cialdini’s seven (was six) principles of influence, which pioneered decades ago. Want to know those principles?
Yes? Continue reading then.
Cialdini has identified 7 key influencers of persuasion, thats based on his 35 years of evidence based research:
1. Reciprocity
This is the “tit for tat” of the influence world.Do something for someone and they’ll do something for you. In our business, we give things away a lot those compelling front-end offers, free gifts, add-ons, shipping, you name it.
We do it in the hopes that customers will engage with our brand more and, in turn, want to take that next (paid) step with us.
2. Commitment and Consistency
We’re naturally inclined to get in-step with ideas that sync with our own self-image.By understanding your Customer, targeting their interests and goals and asking for some sort of action or next step, you’ll gain greater commitment—and people who Commit are likely to be consistent.
3. Social Proof
The simplest form of social proof? Testimonials and case studies. They’re powerful because people want to do, see, buy and invest in what other people do, see, buy and invest in.
Spend time collecting testimonials from satisfied customers and promote them. People trust feedback from strangers as much as their own inner circle—use that to your advantage.
4. Liking
This principle is the simplest people will be more likely to buy from you if they like you. Having an established relationship is incredibly powerful in the consumer landscape.
By using real, relatable and accessible content, tones and visuals in your marketing, you’ll make people feel comfortable and that will make them more likely to like you and want to buy from you.
As a rule, we prefer to say yes to the request of those we like over those we don’t.
5. Authority
The greater the perceived authority of a person, the more likely people are to comply (refer to the Stanley Milgram experiments).
Experts and other authority figures wield tremendous influence with consumer audiences. Position yourself as a successful entrepreneur and authority figure or tap a well-known influencer, or partner to help organically share your brand story.
6. Scarcity
You’ve likely seen this in lots of promotions and marketing messages. Scarcity is powerful because it hinges on customers’ natural FOMO—fear of missing out.If people think they’re going to miss out on getting something, they’re more likely to take immediate action.
Telling people registrations close TOMORROW or that space is limited will likely stir some action among your audience.
7. Unity
For decades, Dr. Cialdini had six principles. However more recently, though he’s added a seventh. Unity refers to the shared identity that an influencer and consumer are part of.
This could be a that connection. For example a family bond, the bond over creating something together—or a simple persuasive statement.
For example, “I’m an entrepreneur like you” unifies us both under the entrepreneurial umbrella and creates a bond. You need to be able to bond with you customers to sell.
Do this by using lingo that they understand and use. Share stories that they can relate too. Make them feel like they are an important part of your and/or companies success (because they are).
But, whether you grab his book here or not.
The important thing is to keep learning, growing and evolving so you can be the best seller, entrepreneur and influencer you can be.
Do that, and your business will excel.
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Need some help? Connect with me on messenger here.
Talk Soon,
Nicky
