In our continuing study of what determines why people buy and why they decide to do the things they do, we have learned that all is not logical and rational in the real world. This article will give you 7 brand new key insights and frames in which to paint your selling pictures.
I guarantee no one has ever shared this information with you!
1. The Best of Times...The Worst of Times:
Are you Selling Security or Adventure? It only makes all the difference in the world...
When times are relatively good, on average, we are biologically programmed to venture out and increase risk and adventure in our lives. When times are bad, on average, we are likely to be much more conservative.
When participating in the sales process it is very useful to know whether your client (and the economy in general) is going through good times or bad. If she is going through good times you can appeal to her desire to experiment, her need to expand her horizons and explore. If she is going through bad times, you need show how your products will allow her to meet her conservative needs. The emotional appeal of your product is very important in determining whether you will make the sale or not. People will justify their purchase logically, but first need to fit the product into their emotional filters.
KEY. Appeal to your customer's need to take risks and participate in adventure in good times. When experiencing bad times, appeal to your clients needs of security and safety.
 | Does the economy allow you to appeal to their sense of adventure? |  | Should they be taking the plunge or being conservative? |
2. Your Appeal Should be to the Many, not Just the One
Our genes do not simply generate the tendency for us to survive and care for the self, but they virtually command and carry out a powerful compulsion to care for our children and the larger groups that we are part of. In fact, almost all of our genetic make-ups are so designed that we will help the larger groups we are part of survive before they will save themselves. (You witnessed this in all too vivid a fashion on 9/11/01.)
Not only is that an altruistic act, it is part of most people's genetic programming. The compulsion to care for others in our group is very powerful. Almost all people are pre-programmed to act in the best interests of the following:
- Themselves
- The Family
- The Group
- Society
- God
 | What kind of group might your customer belong to? |  | What about family? |
The big mistake that salespeople make is that they only appeal to the customer's best interest when they should be appealing to the customer's interest in how your product will help his family, his employees, his civic groups and church organization, society as a whole and even God. There is an old Mc Donald's commercial that illustrates how to appeal to the greater genetic needs. The theme song, "You deserve a break today, so get up and get away, to Mc Donalds..." plays in the background. The image is that of a man who has had a long day at work and the theme initially plays to his deserving a break. The genetic motivator however is not self-satisfaction. The motivator is when you see Dad and Mom and the kids all driving off to Mc Donald's together.
KEY. What a person may not be able to justify for himself can often be justified if it becomes obvious that it benefits our family, or society, or the group with which we belong.
3. Who Your Customer Wants to Be Like
In all species, including humankind, the masses are compelled to be like the leader of the group(s). Your appeal to your customer therefore, should in part be one of installing the desire to be like the leaders in his or her field. This could mean being a better parent, a better employee, a better supervisor. Your job is to show how your products and services help your customer be more like the leader(s) of the group(s) he is most intimately linked to. In general, we imitate our leader's behavior. As a sales person, we therefore want to show how using our products will make the customer more like the leaders.
4. Positive Attitude? Here's the Truth for Salespeople
Research completed last year reveals that projecting a positive attitude is not nearly as helpful to the self when contrasted with the impact that it has on others. When your customer sees your positive attitude it gives them optimism and encouragement that you are a good person to be with and buy from. "Generating" a "positive attitude" is very important to sales success, because it improves the relationship you have with others. Not feeling positive? Be the actor playing the role. Stay focused, eyes on the target and reap the rewards!
Let's be honest though: Generating a positive attitude for one day because you are down and out due to the taxman, a fight with the kids or a spat with the in laws is one thing. Generating a positive attitude because you are not able to truly be happy with what your life work is, is quite another.
You can only work off your reserves for so long before you need to do what is right for YOU and YOUR LIFE. Don't sell something or be involved in a company that doesn't get your juices flowing for any longer than is absolutely necessary. Find work that you would do for free! That's usually the work you ultimately get paid the most for.
To Be Continued...
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