1- A Friend Asked Me to Call vs. Telemarketer at 6:00!
It’s 6:00 p.m. and the phone rings. Yes, it’s another
company rep interrupting your dinner to ask you for the zillionth
time if you want a better rate on long distance. How do you respond
(react might be a better word)? I tell her “I’d rather
pay MORE money than hear another sales pitch.” Stunned, the
rep has no objection-handler to overcome the, “I’d rather
pay more…” objection.
Now, contrast this fiasco with someone calling, conveniently at 8:00
p.m., and saying very conversationally, “Sue, Mitch asked me
to call you. He said you might be able to help me. Do you have a few
minutes to speak?”
What’s
the difference? Do I even have to ask?
2-
Asking, vs. telling and selling!
While most of us enjoy engaging in dialogue and conversation, few
people like to be talked at or pitched. You increase acceptance, lower
resistance and eliminate rejection not by telling and selling but
by asking inquisitive and direct questions. Curiosity may have killed
the cat, but it’s a life-saving characteristic of all successful
people. Are you curious?
If you want to get people on your side, become interested rather than
being interesting.
3-
When you’re ready vs. ACT NOW! The words, ACT NOW are
compelling. They engage the unconscious trigger known as SCARCITY.
Scarcity is powerful as an unconscious trigger.
“If
you don’t get it now, it will be gone forever.” We all
value something more when it is scarce and time-limited. All too often,
this is a fabricated emotional ploy contrived to invent demand, heighten
interest and cause immediate action.
Beware of the influence peddler. Unless there is a real limit on an
offer, product or service, this tactic is a smuggle. Smuggling is
bogus and short-sighted. You make a sale. So what! Your aim is to
create a lifetime customer or business associate. You do that by giving
people the respect to make a decision in their right time frame -
not yours! Let them know you are ready when they are ready.
4-
Support People vs. Change their Minds!
George Bernard Shaw said, “When given a choice between changing
one’s mind, and proving there is no need to do so, most people
get busy on the proof!”
A powerful way to gain acceptance and trust of other people is to
support their past choices and decisions. Most of us have plenty of
people in our lives ready to criticize and even condemn OUR choices
and decisions. If we have someone who is unconditionally supportive,
we are drawn to that person like a bee to honey. BE that person.
Rather than try to convince or persuade, try to understand the other
person’s viewpoint. If you empathize with me, you are on my
side. Support everyone.
5-
Familiar vs. Revolutionary! Have you been involved in a revolution
lately? Only 5% of buyers are innovators - those who rush to own a
product when it’s brand new. Most people follow comfortably
behind and many are downright frightened of anything revolutionary.
Today, it seems everyone is claiming their products are revolutionary
and breakthrough. Parroting this mantra raises a red flag, leads to
higher resistance and can cause outright rejection early on.
Most
people don’t want a revolution; they simply want a solution!
Stop using revolutionary. Start talking about what’s familiar
to them.
6-
Destination, Benefits vs. Vehicle, Products! You’ve
likely heard the old business adage… people buy benefits not
facts and features. People want to go somewhere; the vehicle is often
secondary. They want to see the benefit and feel the value of a decision.
Often they don’t care about the product.
Seller's speak = vehicles and products. Buyer’s language = destinations
and benefits. Do you explain your offer in seller’s speak, you
create more resistance than is necessary, and sometimes cause outright
rejection. Turn this around today
Speak
about their destination, not your vehicle. Talk only about the value
and benefits they want, not your products or services.
7-
Medium I Like vs. Medium I Don’t! How do you like to
get your information? Phone, fax, mail, Email, Internet, audio, video
or face-to-face? Ask this question of EVERYONE you meet. The answer
to this question gives you a decided edge in prospecting and increases
the level of acceptance you experience. It will also save you a fortune
in marketing materials and mailing costs.
You may have life-changing information, but you if you don’t
give it to me in a medium I like, I may never benefit from your knowledge
and wisdom. If I don’t have time to read, and you send me a
20-page letter, it’s likely to sit in my IN box for a long time.
“What’s your preferred medium?” Ask this question
and your materials are given a higher level of attention, priority
and acceptance. Then ask, “How important is this to you? When
will you actually review this information?” Try this out this
week.
8-
Open Conversation vs. Rigid Presentation! When a seller rigidly
follows a script or prepared presentation, it doesn’t take long
before the other person gets fidgety and antsy. A buyer is merely
a spectator whenever a seller is on a pre-determined, pre-destined
track.
It IS important for new people to learn a presentation approach, to
have an outline, agenda and framework for a call, interview or meeting.
Since human interactions rarely go as planned, it is also critical
that your presentation has flex-ability built in.
You gain high acceptance and limit resistance (and objections) when
you engage in a dialogue that is mutually beneficial. Maintain a give
and take conversation. Discuss what’s most important to the
other person. People disengage from a conversation in which they feel
talked at, rather than spoken with. If they are not involved or don’t
participate, they become passive spectators. Spectators have more
time to think of reasons WHY NOT, rather than emotionally buy into
the FEELINGS WHY.
Go
into every meeting, appointment and phone call with an agenda. Explain
YOUR purpose, then ask what he wants to add, delete or change on the
agenda. This gives control to the buyer. Check his body language throughout
the discussion - be certain you don’t adhere too rigidly to
your agenda, or stray too far from his. Create a dialogue, encourage
a positive exchange ideas and information and watch people open up.
9-
One Key Result vs. Lesser Priorities! Every person has ONE
over-riding consideration, ONE key result, ONE critical outcome to
reach, ONE most important decision to make. If you can uncover the
ONE and align with it you gain the status as a trusted advisor. You
are always in the game and often, first in line. Ask,
“What
ONE thing, above all others, is the key factor for YOU?”
Uncover the KEY RESULT, the single most important consideration. Then
demonstrate the value of the benefits that directly and specifically
get this KEY RESULT, and you’ll get little or no resistance.
10-
Law of Relaxation vs. Law of the Farm! Don’t you laugh
when you hear people drone on about how you can make a gajillion dollars
by next Friday… with no work? “We’ll grow your business
for you.” Better yet, IT WILL BUILD ITSELF!
Whenever I hear this poop, it saddens me to think how many people
actually buy into this drivel. This is theft of expectations, and
a blight on good business people everywhere. This message cheapens
and demeans the effort, struggle and hard work that success requires.
The Law of the Farm is the iron law of nature that dictates the harvesting
of all natural resources and governs the cycles of all living things.
There’s a time to sow, and a time to reap.
