You’ve got to be brave… but not stupid. Courage is not a synonym for foolish.
It’s counter intuitive.
But it works…so well that you need to make changes today.
You tell them the benefits of working with you, your system, your method, your product or service. They know what they are going to get…what’s in it for them, and you have pointed out the pain they will experience if they don’t.
Those two (long) sentences will help you achieve a lot of objectives and goals. But, being good isn’t being great.
Here is what makes you great…
Learn to do the side-by-side comparison.
Let me give you an example. The Psychology of Persuasion is far and away my best selling book. It’s sold about a quarter million copies. Next to Robert Cialdini’s Influence: Science and Practice, it is the second best selling book about persuasion of all time.
Imagine that I want you to buy PoP instead of ISP. Here is a side-by-side comparison I might utilize to convince you to go to Amazon.com and buy The Psychology of Persuasion, now.
P of P Influence: S & P Step by step Method X Laws of Persuasion X X Lifetime of Sales Experience X Real Life Tested X Backed by Solid Research X X Respected Authority on Sbjct. X X Most up to date X Persuasive Body Language X Rapport Building X Extensive Bibliography X X
If Dr. Cialdini were to utilize the same concept, he might sell his book vs. mine this way…
Influence: S & P * P of P Academically Superior X Principles in Depth X Respected Authority on Sbjct X X Footnotes X X Misuses of Persuasion X X Most used as College Text X Extensive Bibliography X X
The side-by-side comparison is powerful and it sells. It sells in print and it sells in verbal communication. Coke and Pepsi do this. Mastercard and American Express do this. Each highlights their own products and services.
And there is a way to do it all wrong.
If you place yourself side-by-side with your competitor and point out ALL high points for your product and service and ALL deficiencies for theirs, you will LOSE far more often than if you showed strengths of both sides.
Here’s how to do it all right when you are nose-to-nose with your client:
A) When comparing yourself or your product or service to a competitor, be prepared to “warn” the client about what the competitor will say to get you to buy their product. Be careful to maintain integrity and ethics by only stating facts and *not* derogating your competitor.
State their position. Even at it’s best, it shouldn’t be as good as yours. Here’s the mistake some people make…
“Sure you could go out with him, but do you really want to be alone while he spends Saturday night at the bar with the guys shooting pool?”
However, this says nothing about *you* and it doesn’t reveal any possible positive reasons to go out with the other guy.
And here is where most people can’t go…but must. They must say,
“You know, he’s probably a decent guy. His job is stable and he probably won’t end up on the streets. All I can tell you is that what you say is important to you is in line with my personal values and beliefs, and that is what you said was most important to you…and when I’m with you I can’t even get my mind onto being anywhere else.”
Obviously, if it isn’t a fact, it isn’t effective. If it is a fact, it will be. You *must* talk about what the other guy has to offer, whether it’s MasterCard, Coca Cola or Robert Cialdini. If you don’t, the other person is left with a mental vacuum that will need to be filled. Better it is filled by you than having your client go talk to them…Fill it, then remind them about the key benefits you have to offer.
“They will tell you that foreign made cars are so much better, but don’t fall for it. The latest Consumer Reports shows that cars are getting closer and closer in quality. And, this car is $5000 less than theirs.”
Notice that you didn’t say that CR says that American cars are better. Because there isn’t any research to support that. But the fact you state IS true and the tiny difference in quality should more than be erased by the price differential.
B) A powerful method to persuade is to…state their position and then state yours…and highlight the differences that benefit them. Just like the checklists above comparing the books, you win!
C) A more persuasive (and proven to be the MOST effective method of persuasion)…to state both sides, argue both sides as in a brief debate, THEN highlight the differences.
If you argue both sides, you have the highest probability of making the sale.
Science of Influence: The Master’s Home Study Program
with Kevin Hogan, Psy.D.
“The Power of persuasion transforms from art to science.” Kevin Hogan, Psy.D.
The ability to influence, the psychology of persuasion, the science and practice of persuading others to your way of thinking is the single most important factor in success; in business, management, in a professional practice, in maintaining intimate relationships and obviously, in selling.
Every useful communication involves persuasion. You want to become an expert in social influence. You DO want to win friends and influence people. You want your message to be accepted and acted upon. Period. Without effective persuasion techniques and finely honed influential skills can any of this be possible.
The Science of Influence is the master’s home study course. What makes the Science of Influence different from every other program about persuasion is that this material is fresh, potent, tested, and has nearly all of what you will discover is new! There is no rehash of past salespeople or scholars. This is the culmination of years of selling synthesized with the last five years of academic research into compliance gaining, persuasion and influence. No one has a program like this designed for you. I guarantee it.
In Volumes 1-12 you are going to learn incredible new tactics for defusing resistance and overcoming the knee jerk response of people that say “no.” Unlock the mystery of the “freedom of choice” and how critical the number of choices a client/customer has are going to impact her decision to buy from you now!
You already know that you can frame a message that will virtually guarantee success or you can state your message the wrong way and hear a “knee jerk no.” Now, I’m going to show you HOW!! Creating persuasive frames in business, your profession or your personal life is a skill that will literally bring you your hearts desires! I want to show you specifically how to create frames for your messages so you can customize your product/idea or service to your clients in such a way that they will be instantly ready to say “yes!” to you.
Start to reap the rewards of becoming a master of influence while you study in the privacy of your home!
The Science of Influence is the place to begin. What makes the Science of Influence different from every other program about persuasion? This material is fresh, potent, tested, and has nearly all of what you will discover is new! There is no rehash of past salespeople or scholars.
This program is the culmination of years of selling synthesized with the last five years of academic research into compliance gaining, persuasion and influence. You won’t find a program like this, designed for you, anywhere else.
