Are Your Sales Slugging? See How the Power of the Second Person Can Double Your Sales!

How would you feel if I told you that there is one simple technique that has been scientifically proven to double your sales? It's so easy that anybody can do it, and when you do, you will see an immediate increase in your sales numbers. In fact, all you have to do is increase the use of one tiny, little word. Just one three-letter word, and your sales will soar. So, what is that word?

"You."

People love to talk and hear about themselves! The best way to strike up a conversation at a party is by asking someone about themselves. Where did you come from? What do you do for a living? What made you choose that profession? Do you have a spouse? Do you have kids? You, you, you, you, you!

People are obsessed with themselves (this is known in psychology as the "egocentric bias"), and for good reason. Every species evolved in a way to be concerned about self-preservation; an individual needs to make sure that he or she looks out for him or herself, otherwise the individual may not survive to keep the species alive. But how does this relate to sales?

The power of the egocentric bias in sales was proven by a team of psychologists in a classic 1982 study. The team went into a neighborhood and tried to sell what was then a new technology, cable television. The control group heard a sales pitch that went like this:

CATV will provide a broader entertainment and informational
service to its subscribers. Used properly, a person can plan in
advance to enjoy events offered. Instead of spending money on the
babysitter and gas, and putting up with the hassles of going out,
more time can be spent at home with family, alone, or with friends.

The sales pitch for the experimental group, on the other hand, was thus:

Take a moment and imagine how CATV will provide you with a
broader entertainment and informational service. When you use it
properly, you will be able to plan in advance which of the events
offered you wish to enjoy. Take a moment and think of how,
instead of spending money on the babysitter and gas, and then
having to put up with the hassles of going out, you will be able to
spend your time at home, with your family, alone, or with your
friends.

The two sales pitches are very similar, but the biggest difference between the two is that the first one never made use of the word "you," while the second one made extensive use of it!

Even though the messages were similar, the sales numbers were not; 20% of homeowners who received the first message subscribed to cable television, while 47% of homeowners in the second group subscribed (more than twice as many as the other group!).

If you frequently use the word "you" in sales, you will appeal to a very natural human bias. Take it a step further and don't just use the word "you," but also really take the time to understand what your prospects care about, and what's likely to appeal to them. Make sure you understand the problems your prospects currently face, and present information that's highly relevant to them. Appealing to your prospects through the word "you" while also appealing to their needs is a highly effective manner of reaching out to them, and inspiring their faith in your product or service.