psychology of selling, The

The key to higher sales is developing a presentation that taps into your prospect's psychological needs. Each phase of the sales process satisfies a need that moves your customer closer to the sale.

In a telemarketing presentation, tapping into your prospect's psychological needs allows you to overcome the disadvantages of not having visuals or face-to-face contact. Several keys to unleashing your sales power are hidden in the attention, interest, proof and closing steps of a sales call.

* Curiosity, Human nature makes people curious, therefore you can instantly capture the prospect's attention by designing your opening to target the need for information.

One way this is accomplished is with the use of a benefits hook. A benefits hook asks the prospect if he or she would want a particular need solved. It is asked as a rhetorical question and, obviously, your product can help solve the problem. For example: "If there was a way you could help protect the environment for your children, would that be important to you?" "If you could increase repeat business by 38 percent, how important would that be?" In each case, the prospect knows this is a sales call, but the benefit is significant. The prospect is intrigued. Curiosity makes the prospect want to learn more. It is essential to immediately hook the prospect on a possible benefit. Getting the prospect curious about a benefit prior to discussing your product is crucial to sales success.

* Use RADAR to increase sales, A technique I call RADAR satisfies many of the prospect's emotional needs during the interest step.

The R stands for rapport. People are much more likely to buy from someone they like. Most prospects want to be helpful, polite and friendly. It feels good. You can create that mood by showing interest in the client as a person by simply asking questions about him or her as an individual. Questions such as, "How did you get into the advertising business?" or "What made you go into business for yourself?" will get the prospect to open up. These questions will also make the prospect less defensive.

The AD stands for asking about difficulties. People are programmed to avoid pain. The greater the pain, the faster they will move to avoid it. "What is your biggest difficulty with discount long-distance calling plans?" Or, "What is your major concern when selecting an insurance carrier?" These questions get the prospect to notice a difficulty (pain) they should consider changing.

Difficulty questions also guide you on how to direct your presentation to what is relevant to the specific prospect.

The second A stands for affirmation questions. One of our greatest desires is to be heard. People love to be listened to and understood. Ask the prospect, "If I understood you correctly, what you said is...isn't it?" This little question will thrill the prospect because it shows you were listening. This is an experience we all enjoy and, unfortunately, many prospects do not experience it often enough. You benefit by showing the prospect you are different from other people and also confirm that you are focusing on the right issue.

The Final R stands for results. Another essential psychological need is to feel in control of our lives. People are driven to action when they feel those actions create results that will move their lives forward.

Ask your clients what benefits they want to experience by eliminating their problem. Try to learn how that will specifically improve their lives. When you know their key motivation you can easily show prospects how they can take control of their lives and improve them. The emphasis shifts to them buying rather than you selling.

RADAR taps into many of your prospects' psychological motivations. To reap the greatest benefits, be sure to use open-ended questions where prospects typically give you an explanation instead of just a yes or no response.

Psychology selling skills require you to know your prospects, therefore you need to spend the first part of the sales process learning about the individuals rather than focusing on a product. It is not until completing RADAR that you should start discussing your product. In the "proving value" phase of the sales process, top producers focus on selling benefits, not facts.

* Satisfy the ego. People need to be smart and they love to be right. When you prove your product's value, prospects have many opportunities to be smart and right. For instance, you can have them work out the savings benefits from using your product. You can get them to point out how your product's features solve their problems and concerns. When you allow them to see the benefits that come from your product's features, you move toward the sale. When you have the prospects state it as their idea, you move very close to getting the sales.

Many reps frequently get sales like this without even realizing it. When the prospect stops the presentation and says, "I'll take it" before you even ask a closing question, you have brought the prospect to this state.

* Buying is the prospect's idea. Another key to psychology selling is to let the prospect feel he or she is buying rather than being sold. In the closing phase of a presentation, a client should never feel forced to buy. Prospects hate to be pushed and will resist if they feel you are selling for your benefit. When you move them through the sales process and tap into each of the techniques discussed, prospects will decide to buy because they see it benefits them. They are excited and feel good about this.

By focusing on developing rapport, uncovering the prospect's pain and solving it with adequate benefits, you will have ample opportunity to steer the prospect to a buying decision. Prospects will feel confident in their purchases when you use the techniques outlined here. They will not feel sold or coerced when you meet their psychological needs. The sale will be solid, your customers will be more loyal, and very likely, they will share referrals and recommendations.

Consistently high producers in telemarketing do more than focus on what they say to their prospects. The top achievers also take a close look at themselves and their sales habits.

* Set goals. It is not enough to want higher sales. You must have a specific monetary or unit amount in mind for a given time period that stretches you to do your best work while remaining realistic.

When you put your goal in writing, your mind begins to turn your intangible dreams into reality. The mind needs specific direction. All professionals know where they are going. Give your brain a detailed goal and the world's most powerful computer will automatically guide you to top performance.

* Reap rewards. Sell benefits to yourself as well as your prospects. As you set goals and achieve positive results, be aware of how your growth benefits you and your family. Be specific. Will you win an incentive trip for your family, get a bonus that allows you to go to your favorite restaurant or will extra commissions allow you to afford a new car?

When your mind sees the benefits that come from your extra efforts, your skills will rise to the level necessary to bring those benefits into your life.

* Enthusiasm and smiles. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are enthusiastic about your product, you will be more successful. This is crucial in telemarketing. Your voice is your greatest asset in conveying the attributes of your product or service.

If you are excited, your prospect will sense that there is something good here. It is your enthusiasm that brings a script to life.

Smiling is one of the most natural ways to bring your enthusiasm to the surface. When we smile, we are friendlier, more energetic and enthusiastic. Even when you don't feel like smiling, do it. Your mind will automatically be triggered into a happier state of being.

* Script and pad. Even the simplest of presentations should be written out. A script allows you to select the most appropriate wording to move your prospect through the sales process and to use that wording on each and every call.

Even more important, having a script in front of you allows you to put your energy into listening to the prospect rather than thinking about what to say next.

When you uncover an important need, problem or interest of the prospect's, jot it down. Writing it down assures that you will remember the point, work it into your presentation and leaves your mind clear to listen for more vital information.

* Call averaging, Call reluctance is a problem that plagues even the heartiest of telemarketers. Put the emphasis on average dollar amount of each call instead of only the calls that result in a sale. That way, every dial becomes profitable, including hang ups and not ins. For example: if you make a $100 sale every 20 calls, it could be viewed as 19 no sales and one sale, or you could view it as 20 $5 sales. When you view every dial as a sale, you'll make more calls.

This approach offers several benefits. First, it takes the pressure off each call. It helps eliminate "cherry picking prospects" and procrastinating on the non-hot leads. Last, it allows you to know exactly how many calls you must handle each day to reach your financial goals.

As you take stock in your selling skills and develop the habit of designing your presentations to satisfy the prospect's psychological needs, you will create strong client relationships while increasing sales.

Sales success can be further enhanced as each sales representative reviews their own motivations and habits. When the selling process meets the needs of all parties involved, telemarketing representatives develop into true professionals.

Mark Anthony is president of Training For Success, Inc., a New York City training company specializing in success coaching and sales training.

Copyright Technology Marketing Corporation Apr 1995
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