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The “Sameness/Difference” Sales Technique

Do you know customers that have been in the same job since time began? Or that have the same lunch every day? Or lived in the same house for decades? In sales psychology terms we call them ‘sameness’ people. They simply don’t like change, certainly not in the contexts mentioned.

Then again you may know customers who revel in change – at work, possibly at home, again it can depend on the context. We call these ‘difference’ people. There is no right or wrong – but if you can identify these particular characteristics in your customers, increasing sales is easy!

How about you?

When you think about buying new clothes for work do you think about getting clothes like the one so and so is wearing….or do you think about getting something that’s different from the one that so and so has?

Or how does your current job relate to what you were doing five years ago? Do you focus on the similarities or the differences? How about your current car…how does it relate to your previous one? Is it the same make – or totally different?

Have you got a feel yet for your own ‘sameness’ or ‘difference’ preference?

How does this help your selling skills?

If you can ascertain whether your customers are ‘sameness’ or ‘difference’, then you can tailor your language accordingly. You’ll connect and engage with customers more deeply more quickly – and achieve sales success.

Ask them a question such as “What’s the relationship between your work this year and last year?” – an innocuous question that will elicit a reply which should provide you with some real nuggets of information. Your question needs to be worded in the correct context i.e. in this case work. And always use the word ‘relationship’. Never substitute this for say ‘difference’ as to do so would corrupt their answer.

If their answer revolves all around how similar things are, then they are ‘sameness’ orientated, whilst if they talk along the lines of thing being completely different then they are ‘difference’ orientated.

Any ongoing conversation will help you decide their leanings. And remember they could lean a little to both camps i.e.
“it’s like before but ….”

What to do with the information?

To a customer with a ‘sameness’ preference: Begin by helping them identify commonalities and similarities before moving on to how your service or product is better. When talking about the differences frame them as small, gradual and evolutionary.

To a customer with a ‘difference’ preference: Talk about newness, uniqueness, how your product or service is different from things they have tried before. Introduce commonalities and similarities casually.

The main thing is to use language that will light up your customer – irrespective of your own natural tendencies.
Please ask if you would like to know more about this wonderful sales psychology technique.

Until next time.

Leigh

About the author

Hi I’m Leigh Ashton of The Sales Consultancy

Whether you’re a small business or a leading brand, an area manager or a Chief Executive, whether you’re new to sales or an experienced sales professional. Even if you’re not in sales at all but want to understand it, you’ve come to the right place.

The World of Sales is changing.

Today’s conventional sales training doesn’t address the psychological barriers that get in their way.

My approach takes your sales team through a process that:

* Helps them identify their psychological barriers and gives them the tools to overcome them
* Teaches them how the mind works so they can keep motivated and stay focused
* Gives them the ability to identify the psychological patterns of their clients and prospects so they connect with them at a deeper level and close more sales

And at a higher level…

* It creates more success in other areas of their lives so they are happier generally…and happier sales people generate more sales

Wherever you are on your personal sales journey what’s the best course of action for YOU.

– Sales Training – that actually gets results
– Leadership and Management
– Personal Coaching and Mentoring
– Sales Mentoring Programme
– NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and how it can help you accelerate your success
– Keynote Speaking