“We tend to think our message is what moves people, but it’s what we do first to create a particular state of mind in our audience that makes them receptive, says Robert Cialdini, the author of Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. Research has proven the rule for reciprocation by a study, candy store shoppers were 42 percent more likely to buy something if they received free chocolate. “Many things that shape our frame of mind are so primitive and automatic that they aren’t really part of the deliberative process,” Cialdini says. Here are 6 hacks for guaranteed sales:
Find common ground – “It’s not just that people want to deal with someone they like. It’s that they want to deal with someone who likes them, and who is like them,” says Cialdini. To be best prepared for a meeting with a prospective customer, hit social media and LinkedIn hard and do some reconnaissance. “Then, if you have a shared hometown or alma mater or love of running, you’ll know to steer the small talk in that direction.”
Understand your opening speech – When researchers approached people and asked, “Do you consider yourself adventurous?” nearly 76 percent of people provided their email addresses compared to when they were offered a bottle of drink for this information. “This type of question, significantly increases the percentage of people who brand themselves as adventurous, which momentarily makes them “highly vulnerable to aligned requests – such as what you are pitching for or trying to market to them,” says Cialdini.
Focus on your best features – Visual cues can be used to influence the level of import; people give to quality, speed, service, or other exciting features. Some researchers created an online furniture store with either fluffy clouds or shiny pennies on the landing page, they found that consumers who saw clouds ranked comfort as more important than those who saw coins. Cloud watchers were also more likely to search for information about comfort features and purchased more expensive furniture. Yet when questioned afterward, most participants denied that the clouds or coins had any influence over their shopping behaviour. Cialdini further explains, “Drawing attention to the favoured feature is effective not only in getting audiences to consider it fully but also in getting them to lend the feature exaggerated significance.”
Leverage on your limitations – “People are surprised when you mention a flaw in your products or services, but that convinces them of your trustworthiness.” You earn more points when you highlight some of your limitations because they will believe you more deeply when you have a new products or service for sale.
Delete the competitors from your pitch – It’s great when you fully know your competitors but when pitching to your customers, don’t mention a word about them. When you ask people to consider a particular product, their intention to purchase it naturally increases. But when they consider that product after a mention of what your competitor has to offer, the impulse to purchase yours plummets. “There’s a substantial advantage for a brand when consumers focus on it in isolation from its competitors,” says Cialdini.
Scarcity sells – People tend to panic when a particular commodity is scarce and that makes consumers more likely to buy more. “FOMO is real,” says Cialdini. “Anything that plays to that fear–ticking clock emojis in an email marketing campaign, limited-time offers–can stoke that sense of urgency and that impulse to purchase.”
Source: Inc.com
