Know Velocity

Every business is striving for an advantage over their competitors. A simple and very refreshing one is good manners. Small business can implement this quickly and benefit most from this.

Business for good and bad has become more casual.

Where decades ago every one was call Mr. and Mrs./Ms., today
everyone is known by their first names.

Instead of having a casual day, business are now casual everyday and you MAY only dress up for an important client.

In a time when everyone is being more and more casual, a great small business competitive edge is improving your manners and your dress.

This is an easy way to distinguish yourself from your competitors, make it easy for them to buy from you, and easy for them to work with you.

Here are some things to help you get ahead in today’s environment:

• Do remember that gatekeepers count.

This is one of the most important positions. Always be polite to the person who answers the phone. The gatekeeper is your key to getting to the decision makers. The best idea is to treat them as if they were the decision makers. In many cases, the gatekeeper helps makes the decisions or depending on the product – IS the decision maker.

• Do be respectful of their time.

Everyone leads very busy lives. Make sure you ask how much time the person has for your call or the meeting. Try to limit yourself to this timeframe. When the timeframe is up, you can ask if the person would like to keep going or if they would like to set up another meeting to continue.

If you are running late for a meeting, call and let the person
know. You may have to reschedule. Just don’t show up late and
expect them to change their schedule to accommodate you. In

fact, it is best to come early. You can learn a lot about your
client and the organization by observing things while you wait.

• Do place cell phones, pagers, PDAs and BlackBerries on hold.

Checking messages or taking calls during a meeting makes the client/prospect feel there is someone more important than them. They can also interrupt a critical portion of the meeting – for example if you are negotiating. When you are with a client make sure they feel they are the only one that is important to you. If you are waiting for a critical call, let your client know in advance. When the call comes in, excuse yourself from the room and try to make it as short as possible.

• Do learn proper table manners.

Don’t argue over the check. If you invite someone to dinner, you are paying. If you or your guest wants to pay – one pays this time, one pays next time. Also be mindful of what you are ordering. Try not to order the most expensive or the cheapest.

It is best to mimic the price range of your guest.

Don’t order alcohol unless your guest orders it. Don’t talk with food in your mouth. Try to limit business talk while you are eating. Talk business before the food arrives or at the end. If business is discussed while eating, someone always misses eating their food.

• Do answer emails and voice mail.

This includes, acknowledging receipt of reports and information. If you do not have the time to respond back in full to any questions or with the information requested, send a short note or make a quick phone call letting the other party know you will be responding and when to expect it.

• Do use proper language.

Do not use profanity or tell off color jokes in meetings with prospects or clients. If you do say something that might be taken as offensive, apologize immediately.

Remember the basics – like saying Thank You, Your Welcome
and Please.

Does it pay off?

At a conference recently we had a woman come by and sit by us. She had watched and noticed how nice we were being to those around us. She thought it was refreshing and wanted to learn more about us and what we did. We weren’t even exhibiting.

We were attending just like her.

So yes, it does work!

OTB Strategic Consulting, Inc. is run by successful business people with decades of experience in successful ventures. Our latest ventures include business consulting and financial consulting firms. Members of OTB are business, sales/marketing and financial experts, seminar speakers and authors of the ebook/course, Business Consulting for Small Businesses, and the newsletter, Small Business Authority Newsletter. To get your free subscription and free reports including 10 Major Pitfalls Every Business Must Avoid, visit http://www.otbstrategic.com or http://www.megabusinessconsulting.com.

Filed at 5:58 pm under Sales Tips + More
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You have just walked out of the office of a potential new major
customer that you have anxiously been waiting to meet with for
weeks and again, you realize you have no idea what is going to
happen next as a result of your meeting. Worse yet, you again
“spilled all your beans” by telling the potential client how
they should solve their problems, hoping that they will LET YOU
help them by throwing some business your way. You tell
yourself, “I think I’ll get some business here because I know
they liked me!” Sound familiar?

Selling is Truly a DIS-qualification Process!

Most seasoned sales professionals will tell you that effective
selling is essentially a customer DISqualification process. You
systematically define whether any given targeted customer
justifies the time and cost of further pursuit. You must
clearly define if your potential customer clearly understands
and sincerely appreciates the value of your product or service
offerings to a level of justification that they can, and will,
make a reasonable purchase commitment to you. If they cannot or
will not, they do not qualify! Don’t waste your time, move on!

This potential customer disqualification process is best
implemented via a straightforward, “2 and Sales Call Selling
Process”:

The “2 and Sales Call Selling Process”

It starts with setting up an appointment to meet face-to-face
with a potential customer, (the “half” call). The next step in
the process, (the first call) or visit, is best described as a
“fact-finding session”. The final step in the selling process
concludes with a second face-to-face session, called the
“Presentation Call”, (the second call), where you present
solutions to the problems surfaced in the fact-finding session.
Warning: Mixing these two calls or sessions together or
attempting to consolidate both visits into one session can
dramatically reduce your probability of selling success!

Each of the 2 and 1/2 sales call selling sessions is based on a
logical and linear information exchange process between you and
the potential customer. Within each call or session you should
try to get answers to the following fundamental questions:

The “Half” Call” – Setting Up the Appointment:

Who within the targeted organization would benefit most from
your product or service offering? (Varies by company type and
size) Does this person have the purchase authority to make a
valid purchase commitment?(If no, call a management level
“above” this position and get referred “down”) If you must get
referred to the person who has this purchase authority, can
you use the referring person’s name to get to the true
decision maker?

Do you have a clear understanding of exactly what you are going
to say when you make your appointment request? (Try using a
call script to keep you on track)

Do you have the ability to sound confident on the telephone? (If
not, why not?)

Do you clearly understand that your sole objective on this
call is to secure an appointment, with the person(s) who best
benefit from your product or service AND can make the purchase
commitment … NOT to make a sale?

The “First Call” – The “Fact-Finding Session:

Preparation is critical to achieving sales success. Do you know
anything about this company and it’s industry? Obtaining basic
information here will go a long way for you to establish
initial rapport and credibility with this potential customer
(If not, do some research prior to the visit)

Can you anticipate some likely problems a potential client of
this type and size will communicate to you?

When the potential customer communicates to you their business
problem(s) can you get more information from them about the
problem(s), such as:

* Do they know exactly what the problems is?
* How long has the problem existed?
* What will happen if the problem continues?
* What have they done to date to address the problem?
* What were the results of those efforts?
* What is the $ cost of this problem?
* Are there budgeted funds available to “fix” the problem(s)?
* Can and will they commit budgeted funds to fix the problem?

Once you secured accurate answers to these eight questions, FOR
EACH problem you uncover in this fact-finding session, then,
and only then, can YOU truly determine whether this potential
customer qualifies for the next step in your 2 and Sales
Call Selling Process, the “Presentation Call”.

The “Second Call” – The “Presentation Call”:
Start this meeting with a brief review of your findings from
your first fact finding session. Immediately establish that
the purpose of this meeting is to come to a decisive next step
to address the problems at hand, not to conclude with a, “We’d
like to think it over” meeting conclusion. Communication of
your presentation call conclusion expectations to the
potential customer at the beginning of the meeting is critical
to maximizing the probability of achieving your desired meeting
objective – to get a commitment!

Are you prepared to only focus on and “present to” the business
problems defined during your fist visit in line with their
communicated importance?

Are you savvy enough to ask for a reschedule of this meeting if
once you get there all or any of the purchase decision makers
do not show up?

Can you ask for a purchase commitment? (If one cannot be given,
can you ask why?)

Do you clearly understand what you achieved and what you didn’t
in this presentation call? What lessons did you learn that you
can leverage in your next sales opportunity?

Having a structured method to qualify, or should we say,
disqualify potential new customers not only improves your
probability of selling success, but significantly enhances your
self confidence during the process.

Selling your products or services does not have to be
psychological warfare between you and your potential customer.
Much of the success of selling is in your preparation of each
of the 2 and Sales Call Selling process steps and your
continuous audit of selling process improvements, defining what
specific selling tactics work best for you in any given selling
situation.

About the Author:

Mark Smock is President of http://www.business-buyer-directory.com, the
FIRST international business buyer directory of its kind.
Business Buyer Directory provides a non-traditional means for
proactive business buyers to locate businesses for sale
worldwide that meet their exact registered purchase criteria.

Filed at 7:35 am under Sales Tips + More
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1. Explore New Advertising Methods
The first sign that you might need to explore new marketing strategies, is a sharp decline in the effectiveness of your advertisment campaign. Yeah, you shell out a lot of hard earned cash to advertise, and the public turns its nose up! Don’t wait until your profits are plunging to start hunting for new marketing strategies.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could foolproof your selling techniques? Yeah, no more customers walking out with empty hands… no more profits disappearing into thin air! Here are 4 secrets that will help you put money in your pocket, and lengthen your current customer list.

1. Make It Easy
There’s an old adage that says variety is the spice of life, but hey, too many choices can lead to indecision and procrastination. We all know what happens when customers procrastinate… yeah, you lose a sale.

When a customer walks into your business ready to purchase, and suddenly sees several options he didn’t know were there, he’ll stop then decide… which one? If he’s uncertain… well, you lose a sale that was already in your pocket.

Make it easy for your customers to decide… yes, I’ll buy it… no I won’t buy it. Yes and no decisions are a lot easier to make, and are more likely to put cash in the drawer.

2. Offer Several Ways To Buy
Too many choices can overwhelm customers and cost you sales, but options of how to buy open up avenues for customers to purchase the product they’ve decided they need. They say there are different strokes for different folks… your customers don’t all use the same methods to buy. It just makes sense that if the method they prefer is available, they’ll be more likely to take advantage of it.

Convenience it the key to attracting buyers in today’s fast paced society. What will be the fastest and easiest for them… credit card, phone, fax, Internet, or cold hard cash?

3. Keep it Simple
You remember the frustration of spending 10 minutes pushing buttons on the phone just to get through a pain-in-the-neck automated ordering service. Heck, you just wanted to buy one item! Maybe it was the time you had to click your finger raw, just to jump through the hoops of an online shopping cart. Yeah, the temptation to just forget it is right there!

Don’t frustrate your customers with intricate ordering processes. Most likely, they just want to place the order in a few minutes and be done. Let them get frustrated, and they’ll go elsewhere, or just abandon the idea altogether.

4. Follow Up
One of my favorite catalog companies always closes out the sale with a special buy that is available only at the time of purchase. I’m not an impulsive shopper by any stretch of the imagination, but it stops me in my tracks every time. I know it’s a one-time shot, and I really consider whether I want or need it before I hang up the phone.

How many items would your customers buy if you were to follow up every sale with a special offer? Internet marketers have a world of options at their fingertips. The products you offer don’t even have to be yours… and you can still make a profit!

Affiliate marketing is sweeping the Web. Think about it… would your customers benefit from an ebook that deals with the product they are purchasing? You can offer it to them, and let the owner handle ordering process while you collect the commission. It’s as easy as 1, 2, and 3 and profitable too!

Boosting your sales numbers and profit dollars isn’t as tough as it sounds. Implement these 4 simple selling techniques, and watch your sales steadily climb… and just think… they didn’t cost you a penny!

Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing solutions that drive huge results for small-to mid-size business clients. Allyn is the owner of AllynCutts.com and works personally with clients to design and deliver off-line and on-line direct marketing strategies that focus on measurable results.

Submitted with Article Distributor.

Filed at 11:08 pm under Sales Tips + More
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A trendsetter and expensive is what the ipod nano is to most people. It makes a statement that I have arrived and I appreciate technology to the fullest. To some it is just another music player to others it is the best.

Here are a few reasons why you may want one:

1. It is pencil thin and can fit into your wallet along with other paraphernalia.

2. Imagine a space of 2GB or 4 GB–this means you can store from 500-1000 songs. Pure listening pleasure.

3. The click wheel and color display take music towards new horizons—plays 14 hours of music.

4. Carries photos, pod casts, and audio books. You can navigate through many photographs using the click wheel. Photos can be transferred and synced with a folder using the itunes softwear.

5. The ipod can be accessorized using the dock connector and head phone jack. So music follows you around at home, in the car, and even while walking or running. Where ever you go the ipod will follow.

6. Its feather weight and so easy to lug around. The screen does not crack or break easily contrary to fears. However the ipod is not scratch or stain proof.

7. Synchronized with iTunes and the iTunes Music Store, the ipod can access the world’s largest selection of music.

8. The pod has a state of the art processor, system performance, and flash memory. The technology is such that it never skips.

9. The system requirements are everyday, either a MAC OS x 10.3.4 with aUSB port or Windows 2000 SP4 or windows XP.

10. Music is your whole life and pure unadulterated sound is something to die for.

Expensive, the ipod retails at US$199 for 2GB and US$249 for 4 GB. But it sets the trend and gives a vison of what music heaven can be.

About the Author: Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888discuss.com/shopping-deal/, the premier REVENUE SHARING discussion forum for Online Shopping including topics on shopping deals, finding coupons, shopping discounts, price comparison, and more. He also freelances for the premier Cheap Shopping Deals site http://www.1866shopping.com.

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Filed at 10:09 pm under Sales Tips + More
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If you are like me, you notice when people need to take time off. They can’t concentrate, they are rude or have short fuses and they lack focus or direction. This is no way to be in a selling mode. If you deal with customers and someone brings you a big production problem, how are you going to help them? Customers don’t need attitude; they need a solution-oriented, sharp response. You can’t deliver this if you are drained. On some days you might not be able to stop because the day is too hectic and there are demands that must be met. On these days, it helps if your batteries are at fully charged. In today’s world, we must find the time to escape the hectic pace and recharge our batteries.

I was driving down the road and plugging in the cell phone to make sure my batteries wouldn’t run down. I was tired and my eyes were dropping from a long day. On this particular day, the computer seemed more like an enemy than a friend and new problems seemed like huge obstacles in my path. You know what I’m talking about. What I really wanted was a place to plug myself into and get recharged. When the days seem so long it is a mixed blessing. There is always the extra sunlight to cut the grass or do something around the house. Stuff you really don’t want to face. The trouble with the extra time is that we don’t always get the recharge we need to keep going and we run ourselves ragged. I know because I’ve become less effective and sometimes I just can’t get some things done on time when my pace is too hectic.

How to charge your Sales battery:

We each have different ways of recharging our batteries. For me, it is a leisurely walk around the neighborhood on a summer day. Now, I’m not trying to sound romantic because I often do this alone. It is a time for me to think alone and solve some of the world’s problems and many of my own. I also enjoy reading the Sunday paper with a hot cup of chocolate. I can also charge myself by cutting the lawn, washing the car or planting flowers. If we are smart, we will find time to relax and get a quick recharge. This is not just a dream world. The fact is that we need to take time for ourselves to be more effective. In some countries they take naps during the day as a way to be more effective. Now, I am not suggesting that we all take naps during the day. However, I am suggesting that we get enough rest to be effective in the day.

How does this relate to sales?

In selling it is very important for the salesperson to listen effectively to the client for opportunities. Without the proper rest, we can’t listen because we are too tired and can’t concentrate. The result is missed opportunities and missed business. When I am tired it is very difficult for me to listen effectively to anyone or anything. I will miss key messages and my time is wasted on the experience of the moment. Don’t let this happen to you!

Steve Martinez, teaches businesses how to increase sales by automating the best practices of sales. http://www.sellingmagic.com

Filed at 4:09 pm under Sales Tips + More
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Former General Electric CEO and legendary manager, Jack Welch, nailed the problem recently when he said there’s just too much beating around the bush and indirectness in corporate communications. People are more interested in not hurting each others’ feelings than in improving productivity, and we simply need more frankness, says Welch.

In my own small way I’m trying to remedy this situation, especially when I deal with salespeople. For example, I put out a request for a proposal and about ten companies responded. Quickly, I boiled the list down to five, called the references of the three in which I had genuine interest, and then I selected the contract winner.

Within minutes of making my decision, I phoned the others and told them, nicely but directly, that I had selected a different firm. (Of course, I left open the door to a few runners-up, in the event the chosen-one falters down the road.) Most of those I called were surprised, if not flummoxed by the fact that someone like me took the time to say, “Sorry, but I’m not buying from you!”

I did it for several reasons:

(1) It’s courteous, and what comes around, goes around. I’m a salesperson, too, and I appreciate frankness.

(2) It saves everybody’s time, and this improves productivity. I’ve calculated that I have to leave at least three non-answered voice mails or messages to figure out that someone is uninterested, or is possibly ducking my calls. These calls may be spaced over a week or two, and during that time I’m thinking I still have a living, breathing buyer when I’m really chasing a phantom.

(3) Although I have my vendor’s hat on when I’m selling, in many cases, I’m also a potential or actual customer. The person who fails to return my calls at Countrywide dooms her company to not even getting close to earning my mortgage business, the next time I need one.

(4) It’s a golden opportunity to give and to get high quality feedback. I would have gladly told any potential suitor how they missed the mark and why I made my selection, but no one asked! By the way, price had nothing to do with my choice. More subtle, but powerful and significant factors entered into the equation, which every vendor should hear about, so they can improve.

(5) It takes a lot of energy to avoid someone’s calls. Why waste the time of your receptionist by asking that he or she join your conspiracy by being forced to say you’re in a meeting, on conference call, or by lying with whatever the excuse of the day happens to be?

(6) If you waste my time, it becomes a cost of doing business, and I have to pass along this waste through higher prices, lower quality, or inferior service. Which would you prefer?

(7) There’s too much frustration and anger in the world, already. Why add to it?

So, then next time you have a choice, try using directness. In the long run, it will help us all.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, Copyright 2005

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a popular keynote speaker, consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books. He is the author of the Nightingale-Conant audio program, The Law Of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable. Gary teaches Entrepreneurship and Consulting at UCLA Extension, and he is President of Customersatisfaction.com and The Goodman Organization, in Glendale, California. He can be reached at gary@customersatisfaction.com

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1. Team-up with your weaker competitors to beat your stronger competitors. You can create win/win joint venture and cross promotion deals with them.

2. Design your site so it will be worth bookmarking. Your visitors will bookmark your web site if it’s full of free original content like articles, ebooks, etc.

3. Offer your customers back-end products. It is easier to sell to existing customers. If you do not have a back-end product, join an affiliate program.

4. Increase the perceived value of your product. You could offer an affiliate program, give away free bonuses or use famous endorsements on your ad.

5. Remind your visitors to promote your web site. Use phrases like; “Refer This Our Web Site To A Friend” or “Link To Our Web Site”

6. Make your testimonials more powerful. You can include pictures, hand written signatures and contact information with each testimonial.

7. Up-sell to all your customers. You could sell add- on products, deluxe products, extra parts, related products, add-on services, etc.

8. Place your ad in targeted e-zines. Ask the owner if you could place your ad in a higher position in exchange for a percentage of the ad’s profits.

9. Use permission marketing to increase your sales. You simply ask people to sign-up to your e-mailing list. They’ll already be interested in messages or ads.

10. Provide a privacy statement and all your contact information on every page of your web site. This’ll persuade your visitors and prospects to trust you.

Filed at 11:09 pm under Sales Tips + More
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When it comes to closing the sale do you really know how to close? Do you freeze up afraid to close or don’t know what to say? Do you know how and when to close the sale or even if the prospect is interested in your product?

Well, read on and I’ll share with you six ways to overcome these common challenges and increase your closing ratio.

Your Attitude Makes a Huge Difference

Before going to any appointment get yourself in the right frame of mind. Go in with the attitude that you will close the sale.

When I’m driving to an a appointment I’m not listening to the radio, I’m imagining how the sale is going to end up, me closing the sale. When I arrive at the appointment I sit in my car for a few minutes, close my eyes and visualize every thing happening just as I want it to. I see the prospect approving the contract, giving me the check and us shaking hands and smiling.

If your attitude going in is negative you might as well get back in your car and go home.

ABC – Always be Closing

Be prepared to close the sale at any time. Be ready to close when you walk in the door. The sales process doesn’t have to continue through all the steps. You can close the sale at any time.

I have seen many salespeople with a prospect who is ready to buy, money in hand, waving it in the air, however, the salesperson stops them and says wait, I haven’t finished my presentation yet, let me tell you how great I am.

They’ve been taught to go through all the steps so they keep talking and many times talk themselves out of a sale.

At any point during the sales process the prospect is ready to buy…close the sale.

Understanding What They Want and Need

“Closing is the process of helping people make decisions that are good for them”

Closing the sale begins when you qualify the prospect. Make sure you are qualifying every prospect thoroughly. Determine their emotional wants and their motives.

It’s at this stage the prospect will tell you their hot buttons and give you the road map to close them. Also they will become comfortable with you and by showing an interest in their needs you will set your self apart from all the other salespeople.

How to Recognize Buying Signs

Buyers will often give you signs they want what you’re selling. These signs can either be verbal or visual. Let’s start with the verbal.

A buyer may start asking more questions. They nod their head in agreement. They require more in depth information. They start talking about how things will be when they own the product.

Some visual signs to watch for are a smile, a raising of the eyebrows or moving closer to you so they can see better. If it’s a couple they may show more affection or they may look at each other in a certain way.

When you have memorized your presentation you can be more aware of these buying signs and your closing ratio will increase dramatically.

When you know what you are going to say and don’t need to think about it, your sales will increase dramatically because you can sit back and watch their body language and buying signals and you’ll know when they’re ready to buy.

How to Make the Decision to Close The Sale

When you have qualified the prospect properly, the buying signs are there and you know they want to buy, make the decision that the best thing for them is to buy.

Then focus your attention on talking about the things they like or feel are important as you close the sale. Put your personal feelings about your product or service aside and focus on the buyer.

Assume the Sale

If you’ve done everything right and the buying signs are there, assume the sale and begin filling out the order or what ever the next step is. Keep moving ahead until they stop you. If you did your job and your closing the sale at the right time, they won’t stop you.

I have given you an overview of the closing process, however there is much more to closing the sale. Far to many details to discuss in this article. So I have created a free 4 day e-course to give you more indepth strategies and closes.

Do you have only one or two closes in your arsenal? Is your best close, well, what do you think? or the real powerhouse, can I put you down for one? Or do you just want to master the closing process so you can increase your sales?

Then take my free four part mini course where I go deeper in to the process of closing the sale.

Filed at 2:10 pm under Sales Tips + More
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Procedures, customs, and traditions are often specifically established for the purposes of creating psychological commitment. Consider fraternity initiations, military boot camps, political rallies, protest marches, and demonstrations. When we make our vows, beliefs, statements, or endeavors public, we feel bound to them. We can back out on commitments and claims we’ve made public, but we will pay a psychological and emotional price. What’s more, the more public we made those commitments, the greater the emotional price tag will be.

Three Steps to Using the Law of Dissonance

Step One: Get a Commitment

You can create or reveal commitments in your prospects by ensuring that the commitments are public, affirmative, voluntary, and effortful (PAVE).

Public

Make your prospect’s stand as public as possible. Get a written commitment and make that written commitment public. Involve family and friends in the proposed action. Engage your customer in a public handshake to seal the deal in front of other employees and customers.

Affirmative

You want to get as many “yes” answers as possible because yeses develop consistency within the person that will carry over into your major request. This technique reduces dissonance and makes it easier for prospects to say yes to your final proposal. Even if it is a watered-down, easy request, getting a yes to any request makes it easier to evoke the same response down the road.

Close with a series of questions–ideally six–that all end with a yes. Desire increases with each yes, and decreases with each no. Every time we say yes to a benefit, our desire goes up.

Voluntary

When getting commitments, start small and build up to larger commitments later. You cannot force commitments. Long-term approval has to feel like it comes from your prospects’ own will, something they want to do or say. They have to volunteer to test drive the car, write on the contract, or request more information. When they make a commitment, you can make the action more voluntary and solidify the commitment by saying things like, “Are you serious? Do you really mean that? You’re not just pulling my leg, are you?”

Effortful

The more effortful and public the commitment is, the more commitment it will create down the line. The more effort your prospects exert in making the commitment, the more it seals the deal. You don’t want to ask a prospect to do something extreme but you do want them to exert extra effort.

Remember the car dealer example? Car dealers often offer a great deal on a car just to get people in the lot. The prospect then makes a commitment to come in and look at the car only to find that it’s already been sold. Already committed to being there, they browse the lot and find another car they like. They then start to fill out the paperwork, talking terms and completing forms. These are all small effortful commitments that later lead to full commitment. Many times, the car dealer will continue obtaining these small commitments only to come back and say he can only give $2,000 for the trade in instead of $2,500 like he promised. At this point, the buyer has exerted so much effort and has created so many small commitments that the extra $500 won’t break the deal.

Step Two: Create Dissonance

Once you have the commitment, you can create the dissonance. You create that dissonance or imbalance by showing your prospects they have not kept or are not keeping their commitment. For example, “You said you needed this right away. Why do you have to think it over and come back tomorrow?” The person’s self-image is squeezed from both sides by consistency pressures. The prospect feels great internal pressure to bring self-image in line with action. At the same time, there is pressure from the outside to adjust this image according to the way others perceive us.

Step Three: Offer a Solution

As a Master Persuader, whenever you create dissonance, you always need to offer a way out. You need to show, prove, or explain how your product or service can reduce the dissonance your prospect feels. For example, “If you donate right now, we can continue to feed the homeless children in Africa.”
Keep in mind that the final solution or major request is what you ultimately want to accomplish. You prepare your whole persuasive presentation around the moment when you will ask for that major request. Once your prospects accept the solution, they have convinced themselves that they made the right and only choice. As a result, they feel great about their decision. This makes the cognitive dissonance disappear. The decision was their personal choice and they have solved the dilemma in their own minds. They know exactly what to do.
The solution is your call to action.

A pair of researchers, Elliot Aronson and Judson Mills, claimed that “persons who go through a great deal of trouble or pain to attain something tend to value it more highly than persons who attain the same thing with a minimum of effort.” Additional research confirmed their assertion when coeds who were required to endure pain rather than embarrassment to get into a group desired membership more than their counterparts. In one particular case, the more pain one young woman endured as part of her initiation, the more she later tried to convince herself that “her new group and its activities were interesting, intelligent, and desirable.”

Conclusion

Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you’ve seen some success, but think of the times you couldn’t get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade.

Filed at 10:38 pm under Sales Tips + More
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