The “X” FACTORS to SELLING Anyone & Anything
July 22nd, 2015 // 12:22 pm @ Scott Manning
If you want to be successful in whatever you do it’s important that you have an understanding of other people’s reality before you begin. The reality of your customer is that they live in a constant state of skepticism, disappointment, and doubt about themselves and anyone they do business with.
This is reality.
And if you are going to establish trust, win over their confidence, and earn their investment in you, you will be faced with not only their needing to be convinced about whatever promise you are making, you will also have to overcome all the baggage they are bringing with them from any previous experiences (whether they are relevant to you, your products or services, or not).
This is why I always say you have to sell, engage, and create relationship with your PROSPECTS before they can become your customers. Don’t wait for a “NEW CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE” have a NEW PROSPECT EXPERIENCE – wow them before they give you money – not afterwards…it’s too late.
And there are 4 ways, also like secret weapons, or “X-Factors” that will help your future customers to lower their guard, drop their shield, ease into the thought and take the risk once again of entrusting some one, some company, some idea of being worthy of doing business with.
Transparency about your Purpose:
Most businesses really miss out on this. They keep everything a secret. And it doesn’t feel good…it’s like the government. People want to know what you are up to and why you are doing it. You have to be your own biggest self-promoter and if you aren’t going to promote and share your mission and vision NO ONE ELSE WILL.
When you do not act, sell, convey with transparency it raises the caution of your prospects. There is an expression that I learned long ago, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and tell them what you told them.”
The same applies to selling and your company. This is why we do what we do and this is what it means to you. One of my favorite lines is… “It’s pretty simple, you get paid to do X Y and Z, I get paid to make X Y and Z better, more profitable, life-style driven for you.
Proof and/or Credibility:
Okay, so this is the place you usually go first. The obvious one is testimonials, stories of others, what people say about you. Ideally you have live customers or people as references to be available to Prospects who need that.
There are 6 or 7 different ways of showcasing Testimonials and building Proof. You can also include third party articles and statistics or other validating documents that support your claims and promises.
The bottom line is – give them ways to justify not only what you say but how they should be feeling and making a buying decision.
Experience and/or Demonstration:
One of the most powerful X Factors is getting the Prospect involved.
This is what I call experiential selling…it can be done by demonstrating (like an infomercial for a new product) to the Prospect to help them see, feel, live into the future as if they had already made their buying decision.
My Dentists help Patients see themselves with their future smile by DOING THINGS TO SHOW THEM what they will look like, (some take the shortcut and show before and afters of others…THAT IS NOT demonstration, that is credibility).
The better option is showing them their face on a computer what they will actually look like. THE BEST Option is to “work up” or “wax up” or “build up” real models around their teeth and in their mouth to prove the difference.
Make it so they can’t deny what they see, feel, touch, experience…think “see it to believe it”.
When you sell like that you take away all other factors of skepticism.
Integrity through a Guarantee:
Finally…the easiest thing you can do, immediately, right now, is make sure you have a solid, powerful, exciting, legitimate guarantee. You must reverse risk, take away their fear of loss, and push them over the edge where ACTION has better guaranteed upside.
I believe everything in life is about relationship…relationships are about integrity…in business integrity is about having a guarantee. This is the ultimate expression of CARE and genuine interest in success of your prospect and customer.
Put your money where your mouth is.
Remember this…
If you aren’t making “too good to be true” as a norm with your customers interactions, after doing all of this you aren’t doing enough.
My answer to that is always the same.
If you are accepting anything less than too-good-to-be-true in your life, you are getting less than you deserve. Finally…you’ve met me…and that’s exactly what we are going to make happen and what we are about.
This is after all what people actually buy. No risk, blue sky, easy breezy, a sure thing…don’t fight it, embrace it, and make it so.
Now, these are extremely powerful…so much so that just the slightest adjustments of including these, enhancing them, embellishing them into your prospect sales/education process and customer indoctrination will net immediate results.
You will see, feel, and experience Prospective Customers saying yes faster, spending more money, referring people, and otherwise being compliant in ways they had previously resisted.
I’d challenge you to script out step-by-step your system for deliberately orchestrating these four X Factors into every contact, communication, interaction with your Prospects make certain your TEAM, your Website, your Sales Material and everything else you do, have, and are exemplifies and includes these 4.
Oh…Yes…you better believe it gets even better, there are 4 ultra advanced counterparts to these X Factors, I suppose you could call them the “XXX” Factors for convincing anyone to do, be, have, buy, experience, agree to anything.
I’m trusting your being here as sign of your oath and honor to do well by others and never take advantage of the skills and strategies we share together right here. I never hold anything back from my friends and followers, readers and leaders like you. You get more than the goods, you get the bests right here.
There is a fine line between psychological manipulation and for-the-mutual-benefit-of-all doing good by being influential in your persuasive sales skill.
Consider these life-changing if you let them be or simply add them to your arsenal of empowerment for your own ability to get whatever you want in life and help those get what they deserve.
That’s how I always look at it. Sales is really Leadership…whether you step up to the responsibility of it and obligation to the guidance of your customers and doing what’s best for them…is up to you.
Category : Blog
