How to Influence People: Three Persuasion Techniques for Making Your Sales Soar

Are your sales lagging? Has it been difficult to meet your quota? Looking for a more effective way to persuade customers?

For the last century, psychologists have been studying simple persuasion tactics that can be used to motivate people and get them to take immediate action. This article gives you three persuasion strategies guaranteed to have a positive impact on your sales. n nStrategy #1: Make Your Product Appear “In Demand” or “Hard-to-Get”.nAlways present yourself and your product as “limited,” “scarce,” or “in demand.” Why? People want what they can’t have. Repeatedly, persuasion researchers have shown that human beings find more value in things that they have a hard time obtaining.

Car salespeople are quick to let us know, “This is the last model like this available—after it goes, that’s it.” Newspaper and television ads tell us that the “sale ends soon,” that “supplies are limited” and that “time is running out.”

When customers feel an opportunity is about to be taken away or product is running out, they want it more. Therefore, present your opportunity as “scarce,” “exclusive” or “in demand.”

Strategy #2: Talk Losses, Not Gains.nPersuasion experts know that salespeople who learn to talk losses, not gains, will achieve optimal results. In other words, rather than telling a prospect what he or she will gain by using your product, tell them what they are going to lose by not using your product.

Why is this strategy more motivating? This strategy works because the pain of losing something that you already have is more intense than the pleasure of gaining something you don’t have.

Insurance agents sometimes make the mistake of presenting insurance as a gain. “With this policy you gain peace of mind,” they say. The better approach is to tell the prospect what they stand to lose by not buying the product. “Think about all of the things that you currently have—your new Cadillac, your expensive Asian rug, your beautiful new home . . . Without this policy, you are at risk of losing all of those things.”

By talking losses, you effectively disrupt comfort zones and provide customers with the motivation to act. Paint a picture of what the customer already has but stands to lose. This approach creates a more motivating message.

Strategy #3: Position Yourself as Someone Valued by the “Experts”.nWhen uncertain about what product to buy, human beings often look to the behavior of others, especially experts, to determine their own course of action. This is why you often see advertisements claiming that “four out of five doctors recommend … ,” or, “the fine food experts since 1969.”

You can use the expert strategy for your own purposes. Do this by finding experts who have a high opinion of your product or service. Share their testimonials, advertise awards your business has earned, collect and share comments of satisfied customers. Convince your customers that you’re the best by showing them that the experts say that you’re the best.