There are lots of interesting methods for encouraging and persuading others, especially in a sales situation. Yet, there’s only one technique I know that works for both the buyer and the seller.
Truth.
Telling the truth creates the best opportunity for creating a sale.
It is important for the buyer to tell the truth about what their needs and budget are, but for right now, I’m going to focus on you, the seller.
Truth-telling builds trust, credibility, and safety for the buyer, along with confidence and integrity for you.
Action – Don’t withhold truth. Don’t exaggerate or baffle. Don’t know the answer? Then admit it. If your product or service doesn’t benefit the buyer, refer them elsewhere. Let people know the pros and cons, and be open and approachable.
People seek out sincere truth, which is one of the most powerful and attractive influencers there are.
(Photo by Starush at Dreamstime)
So true. It is a difficult mountain to scale, because so many sales people do not subscribe to this theory. I have lost many deals because I would not lie, but the many customers I do have are with me for life, because they know that they always get the truth. Slow and steady always wins. Good job Nancy
One of the things I know about you Mike is that I can trust what comes out of your mouth.
And most people are cynical and hesitant when being approached by a sales person through previous experiences of manipulation and dishonesty. Unfortunately, that creates a pre-existing wall that sales people must transcend.
Fortunately, though, we can innately feeeeel honesty and as the wall starts to crumble, the relationship can move much more quickly.
Thanks for sharing Mike!
A couple of examples.
1. I walked on to a used car lot a number of years ago. I had an absolute limit on the amount I was able to spend. The first thing I did was to communicate this to the salesperson. He showed me a car that he said would suit my needs. The sticker price was 50% above the limit I had set. I asked if I could buy the car, including tax, for the amount I had stated. He said no, but not too much over. I turned around and walked off the lot, while he tried to point me to other vehicles.
I never went back.
2. I worked for a technology manufaturing company whose stated values were to meet the customers needs, regardless of the amount of the sale. The way it worked in actual fact was, if we did not have the right product to meet the client’s needs, we would help them seek out other vendors, and work with the client through their relationship with the competitor, if needed. We would never recieve a commission on these sales. We would almost never get a referral from these competitors.
We had customer loyalty that was far higher than would be expected for the products we sold.
Oh, I like the #2 way of doing things (which is actually the number one way of creating success!). Kudos to that company.