Effective Persuasion Techniques for Sales

How to make a persuasive sales pitch

Understanding various, effective persuasion techniques could help you make sales and meet targets. It can also create an edge over competitors in the market.

Everyone can be persuaded. Persuasion is a process. For some, an art. The objective is to change a person’s attitude and/or behavior towards an idea, event, person, or object. Think back to a time where you were convinced… You happily bought something from someone. Were you possibly persuaded by a great salesperson?

7  Key Persuasion Techniques to use in Sales

Establish a common ground

Many people buy products from the people they like, therefore a salesperson should establish rapport with potential customers. You should establish areas of commonality and if you don’t know what you have in common, then you should ask questions about their criteria and be genuinely attentive to the prospective client. Keep smiling and strive to be likeable. Be confident, enthusiastic, prompt and respectful. A sales person should never argue with customers.

Point out the benefits

You should highlight the major benefits of using the product or service to the consumers. You should try to show how it is a good idea to buy the product e.g. by aligning with their personal goals and criteria and showing them how it is beneficial to buy the products from you. You should avoid trying to push for a sale, as it will make you look desperate.

Turn objections into strengths

Every salesperson should expect to be objected to. This is normal in selling, therefore, a good understanding of the products will help you to counter any objections and criticism raised. You should agree with the prospect’s objection and then illustrate how it is easily overcome by your product or service. Also, illustrate the advantages of the product that will eliminate the prospects pain points and help satisfy their wants.

Commitment and consistency

You should try to get the prospect to believe in something small or take a small action first. Once committed, the prospect will most likely agree to a larger idea later. This technique employs the fact that people tend to behave in a consistent manner, once they take a stand, they will act in ways consistent to the decision as a means of defending and justifying it.

Use the reciprocity principle

The principle implies that when someone does something for us we feel obliged to return the favor. In selling, if a sales person gives a gift to his prospects and clients it will endear them to him and might result in them making big orders in future. The gifts don’t have to be expensive but something useful and valuable e.g. they may be in form of educational content. This technique is very effective for lead generation.

Social proof technique

People tend to follow others (bandwagon effect) more so when they don’t have sufficient information to make the decision on their own. This technique will involve you telling your prospects that other people are using the products and so they should as well e.g. by showing them logos of current customers and their testimonials. As well you should refer to celebrity endorsements.

Scarcity

This involves letting people know that they stand to lose on a chance to get a special product or they may have to wait longer for the product. You may use this technique to derive quick sales but you should be genuine about the deadlines and quantity limitations.

You should use these effective persuasion techniques for sales and as well as try to learn more about human behavior and what triggers people to make purchase decisions. The understanding will help you achieve sales success more comfortably.