Customers, prospects, vendors, and peers must say “yes” more often than “no” if your sales staff is to succeed in the coming years. Getting to “yes” necessitates a high level of persuasion and influence. Persuasion and influence require much more than a quick grin, a firm handshake, and an outgoing personality, contrary to common assumption.
In 1993, Robert Cialdini wrote Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, a book that explores, investigates, and proves how influence works. This book should be read by everyone on your revenue team, whether they work in sales, marketing, or general company development.
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The six influence skills are as follows:
Reciprocity is a concept similar to the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. You get what (or if) you give, to be more exact. When we receive a gift, it is a deeply embedded human need to repay it in kind. If a salesman shares an ebook with a potential customer, for example, that individual is more likely to return the favor. At the very least, they will express gratitude. As a form of reciprocation, they are likely to agree to a meeting.
Liking – If people like you, you have a better chance of influencing them. We like folks who are similar to ourselves. Praising and pointing out similarities are two techniques for increasing your likability. Always be genuine in your compliments. To show that you understand their business, use imagery and language that resonates with their target audience.
Testimonials are a great approach to provide social proof. Assume that your target audience consists of injection molding company operations managers.
In that instance, a testimonial from another operations manager in a comparable business is more likely to be trusted. Using social media influencers with a specific niche’s credibility to recommend your product or service is one technique to leverage social proof.
Because of their perceived expertise, people seen as experts can convince and influence others. This approach could be used by a salesperson by promoting an internal subject matter expert or positioning oneself as an authority on solving an issue that his target audience faces.
People will desire to be consistent with their spoken or written opinions, ideals, or commitments, according to the principle of consistency. Getting your customers, prospects, colleagues, employees, or boss to articulate a position out loud is a strong way to persuade them. It’s even more effective if you can persuade them to write it down and share it with their peers.
Scarcity – It’s human nature to want what we can’t have or to want more when we only have a limited number of options. You have a scarce offering if your sales staff has unique experience or access to a renowned specialist. In your sales pitch, use the shortage to your advantage. A limited-time deal is more appealing than a reduced-price offer.
Those are the six methods of persuasion that are certain to boost your power. These aren’t brand new. In truth, these principles have been written and debated since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. When salespeople learn how to be better influencers, they will be able to clinch more deals.
As you coach your team, keep the fundamentals in mind. The final and most important element to remember about the six principles is to use them authentically. Feeling manipulated is something that none of us enjoy. When using these six persuasion concepts, be honest.