While in Dubai, I walked into a store and while casually browsing through a nice selection of ties, this salesman approached me and said: “I think you should try this suit on.”
Now I work in sales myself, so it’s not difficult to spot a “trader move” and anticipate it. However, I decided to oblige him and try the suit on.
He took care of all the details and did not force nor push anything. He was confident yet subtle in his effort to convince me. I was sold the moment I put that suit on, mostly because I really appreciated his approach.
That encounter reminded me that the most important skill you can have, no matter what you do, is PERSUASION.
Sometimes, when we are trying to sell a product or a service, we get too caught up in mechanical specifications, such as features, commodities or advantages. Those aspects are certainly important, but there is something more.
Look at a company like Apple. You might describe them as a brand that sells consumer electronics and software; however, Apple products are successful for how easy they make our lives – they sell simplicity. Just in the same manner that Rolex sells status and Harley Davidson sells a lifestyle.
In the sales world, this is a crucial aspect of persuasion: the importance of feelings and humanity over matter and commodities.
Here is the thing: no one buys something if the features and benefits do not suit them, as good as they may be. Build your relationship with the client by treating them as individuals. Ask questions, listen to the answers, tend to their sincere necessities: that propels you to close the deal.
The art of persuasion is essential to sales and marketing, but it is used in many aspects of our daily lives.
Ask yourself: when was the last time that I persuaded someone by simply talking about features, commodities, and/or advantages? Did I appeal to the other person’s emotions? Did I try to understand that person and leverage their feedback to increase sales efficiency and effectiveness?
Back to that suit salesman in Dubai: he convinced me not so much because of the product itself. Yes, he was charismatic, but more importantly, he was sincere, and that is why I bought the suit.
If we look our clients as simply targets, and our sales as simply products, we are turning ourselves into little more than a commodity!
We could name thousands of details and techniques that are directly related to the art of persuasion: the words you use, the tonalities you employ, the atmosphere, your external appearance. But all this will crumble if you neglect the most important thing, the emotion.
Look at your potential customers as people you would like to see smiling. Or even beyond that, imagine yourself as that customer. Understand what motivates your customer to buy and assume the sale. The confidence you show will make it easier to build a relationship and by the time you are done, they are persuaded without even realizing they have been sold.
