The Art of Persuasion in Sales

The right selling words, actions and techniques will help you influence actions. You might know how much your company needs your program or solution, but it's up to you to convince them. Salespeople who know how to paint an irresistible picture of their product or service, or how to reassure hesitant prospects with confidence, are well on their way to closing the deal. Learn to develop your powers of persuasion and you will influence more people. Verbal Techniques Everyone likes a story so paint word pictures. Use words that appeal to all the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Use words that take your prospect on a mental journey in which they experience all the benefits of what you're selling. To help convince people, give your idea to them mentally before you ask them to buy it physically. Use powerful, exciting language. Great salespeople choose words that transform their prospects from passive, disinterested listeners into eager, excited buyers. To help you decide what to say, assess your audience's behavioral style (DiSC). Many hesitant people want to be convinced, but need extra coaxing Stir the High D dominant types to action with phrases like "Let's run with it, the Bottom Line is..., and Just do it." Change a disinterested High C conscientious type with phrases like "proven approach, best-available, highest quality." Put High S steady type's conce s to rest with words like "safe, systematic, guaranteed, and structured." Draw out the excitement of a High I influencing style with words like "Amazing, High-powered, Fantastic, and Looking Good." These words help create a wave of emotion that will help influence your listener. If the person seems hesitant but has been receptive to your presentation so far, you can influence the High D with comments like, "This machine will help you stay competitive," or, “You need to move before the competition does.” Absolute words like always and never display confidence in your proposal and reinforce a buying decision: “It's always better to stay a step ahead,” or “You'll never regret making this decision.” One thought: when discussing price, avoid the word dollars. For some unexplained reason, a quote of 1,286 dollars seems like a lot of money, but a price of twelve eighty-six sounds better. Complement your words with effective voice inflection. Emphasize positive words to highlight benefits. First, analyze you’re the person's needs carefully to help you determine their buying motives. Later, as you present your proposal, use your voice to emphasize the specific benefits and their related features they thought were most important. To hold your audience interest, avoid speaking in a monotone. Fill your voice with enthusiasm if you seem excited about your proposal, you're more likely to pass your enthusiasm on to your listeners. Remember to adapt your tone of voice and rate of speech to your audience to help build trust and rapport.