12.1 The Importance of Influence and Motivating People to Buy

Let's start by looking at the importance of being able to influence people and then motivate them to buy.

This is something that good salespeople are absolute masters at, but at the same time it has to involve them using the correct methods and techniques whilst also remaining honest at all times. No salesperson should ever be guilty of expanding on the truth to the point of making promises that they cannot keep just to influence people and motivate them into buying their products or services. What you have to remember is that a reasonable percentage of people are going to require a little push in order to spend money and make that purchase.

Of course, there are a number of industries where this happens less often, but generally speaking, it is an absolute necessity for salespeople to be able to convince their clients that they do indeed have the perfect solution for them rather than them going anywhere else.Now, the people who are in that position are hardly going to do things on their own, but rather they are going to need a helping hand and that is where you come in.

We are talking about you being able to provide them with those golden nuggets of information that can make a huge difference to how they see or feel about the product and service. We are talking about the way in which you talk to them and the energy you give off. Furthermore, we are also talking about having the self-belief that you hold the key to what they want and your natural enthusiasm is going to make the difference and convince them to spend their money. Without being able to influence and motivate people, the chances of you being a success at sales will be relatively small.

In actual fact, if you are not the type of person who is able to do this, then we would go as far as to say that sales is not for you. Yes, you can learn certain tips and ideas that can make a difference with how you can motivate people, but there needs to be something inside you that is able to talk to people in the correct manner and at the correct time to make the difference. So, motivation and the ability to influence is going to play a key part in your career, so it is best you learn how to do it.

FACT

Thursday is the best day to prospect. Wednesday is the second best day

Source: newvoicemedia.com

12.2 How to Influence and Motivate without People Objecting

Now, we have to address an extremely important point that all salespeople should be required to learn, how they can still attempt to influence and motivate people into making those purchases without them objecting or losing the deal.

This is clearly going to play a huge role in potential conversion rates and it all comes down to the skill and talent of the salesperson as well as having an understanding of boundaries which should not be crossed at any point. However, that is not to say that you cannot take things right up to the wire, but push it too far and you could lose everything you have just worked hard for.

1. Be enthusiastic without being over the top

You will often find that simply being enthusiastic about your products or services can really influence people and motivate them into buying from you. However, we must stress that there is also a need to not be too enthusiastic as this can be annoying and will turn people against you. It is better if you have a natural enthusiasm for a product and to convert that positive energy into something the potential buyer is then able to use.

2. Answer any questions they have professionally and instantly

There will often be occasions where people are asking you questions and the way in which you answer them can convince people that they do indeed need to make the purchase. It will always reflect better on you when you answer things professionally and instantly as this will make you seem more confident and confidence will tend to lead to people feeling they need to spend money.

3. Use the power of examples

If at all possible, use examples or statistics to back up what you are saying. People love to get confirmation of what is being said simply because they will tend to have at least a part of them that is wary about the person selling the product.

If they can see a third party stating something positive, then it has a profound effect and they cannot object since it comes from elsewhere.

4. Avoid repeating a point over and over again

If you say something in order to try to motivate somebody to do what you want them to do and they do not react in the correct way, then never try to flog a dead horse and instead try a different tact.

You can say pretty much the same thing, but in a different manner and you will be amazed at how you can then have a different outcome. Just because you say something time and time again does not mean that it is going to work the second or third time because the exact opposite is going to be true.

5. Tie it in with their needs or wants

The final point we would like to make here is the requirement to tie it in with their needs or wants because that is a major driving force for people when it comes to them spending money. Indeed, this is seen as being the absolute key to sales because people want to feel they are going to spend money on things which meet their needs. If you are able to provide that, then it is a wonderful way of influencing them and motivating them to do what you want them to do, which is to spend money.

The entire key to being able to influence people is to make sure that you never annoy them or else the shutters will come down and your chance of closing the deal will be gone. Instead, you have to focus on sounding confident, being enthusiastic, answering questions in a professional manner, and just having the guts to tell people about the product or service in a way that they see they have no option but to go ahead and spend money.

12.3 The Key Mistakes you have to Avoid Making

So, up until this point we have perhaps not painted such a rosy picture about influencing and motivating people, but that is merely because the key part is in avoiding making the same mistakes over and over again which will then be hampering your ability to finalise the deal.

In all honesty, most people with some basic sales training are going to be capable of influencing people as it is all down to the art of the pitch and the way in which they handle those objections, but there is still a need to have an understanding of the key mistakes you must avoid at all costs.

Just before going into those details, we do have to stress that everybody makes mistakes at some point, even the most experienced salespeople out there will have had issues and lost deals because of something they have said or pushed at the wrong time. The important part is how you deal with those mistakes and the first part of learning how to deal with them is by understanding what the key mistakes are that need to be avoided in the first place.

1. You are too forceful

The first mistake is sounding too forceful because that is one sure fire thing that is going to turn people against you in next to no time.People hate to feel that a salesperson is making an attempt to push them into making a decision they perhaps do not want to do or are not ready to do. You need to always make sure you have an idea of the boundaries that you should not cross and be prepared to stick to them at all costs.

2. Making false promises

In times of desperation, a number of salespeople are guilty of making false promises that they know they cannot actually keep. To many, this is actually selling under false pretences and that is not exactly something you want to be doing. There are a number of instances whereby the buyer has been able to sue just because they have been able to prove that the reason why they made the purchase was directly related to something that was said which turned out not to be true.

3. You sound desperate

Sounding as if you are desperate to finish the deal is not going to encourage confidence in people with what you have to say. People will not be motivated or influenced because they will feel that something has to be wrong or else you would not appear to be so needy if you were able to sell the product or your services.

4. You try to motivate by being abusive about your competition

Saying your products are better than others on the market is one thing, but actively being abusive about your competitors is something you just cannot do.People will not respect you for trying to say that you are better simply because other people are much poorer in comparison. Instead, you will motivate people more by telling them how you are able to meet their needs or deal with their wants due to the amazing functions your product has. Never be abusive even if you are aware that somebody else is doing it about you.

Rise above it as humility wins through every single time. What we are trying to say here regarding the way in which you can influence and motivate people, is that you need to be careful in not only what you say, but also how you say it. We have to stress that the power of words is unmatched and yet a simple slip-up can change things in an instant and that is one thing you need to be aware of.

12.4 How to Turn Things Around to your Advantage

So, how exactly do you turn things around to your advantage and actually influence and motivate those people?

Well, the first part we are going to look at is the one thing that is your major advantage over and above everything else, yourself.Yes, you are the most valuable sales tool that you are ever going to need and a number of salespeople are not even aware of this simple fact.

How on earth can you expect to do well in sales if you are not aware of your own power?

People are going to look at you and make a decision largely based on how you come across, so understanding this can be a real game changer for people, especially when they are perhaps starting out in sales and do not yet fully understand the power of their position.However, there are also a number of psychological triggers known to have a positive impact on potential buyers and can, when applied correctly, turn things around in your favour in a relatively short period of time.

1. The concept of reciprocity

If you have never heard of this concept, then it can work wonders at being able to influence people as it plays on a basic human trait.This trait plays on the fact that if somebody gives us something for nothing, or at a stunning price, then we feel compelled to give them something back, and this can often be the feeling that we have to go ahead and make that all-important purchase. It plays on a sense of guilt and even a kindness feeling within humans that we have to give something in return as if we are giving some sense of equilibrium to the world. It may sound basic, but it really does work.

2. The concept of commitment and consistency

In sales, this idea focuses on just trying to get a potential customer to commit to you in some way, even if that is something very small.For example, getting them to trial a product even at a price whereby you are making virtually no profit can often lead to them spending money further down the line. However, if you thought that this was something only online retailers could really do, then think again.

Instead, what you are doing here is trying to get the buyer to show that they are actually interested in what you are offering even in a small way, because that allows you to get your foot in the door and this can only be a good thing. Furthermore, once they get an actual product in their hand, it can completely change the way in which they view the product or service.

At that point, they are likely to feel more inclined to make those purchases simply because they do get the sense that they have already committed themselves and this is one feeling people do not generally like to back away from.

3. The concept of liking you

Aside from the product or service, another way of really influencing people is by making sure that they like you in the first place. It has always been the case that people are going to feel more like spending their money when they like the person they have been dealing with. Now, we are not talking about you trying to become best friends with them, but at the same time you do need to strike up some kind of relationship and make them feel that there is a connection of some kind.

At times, it can make some buyers feel as if they are doing a good friend a favour by making that purchase, although we admit this is not always going to happen, and it can make the entire process just feel as if it works more smoothly.Ever wondered why salespeople are always told to smile and appear friendly?It is because they are trying to come across as being nice and welcoming.

4. The concept of authority

Studies have shown that people can be more responsive and influenced more when they believe they are dealing with an authority in some way. Now, we are not talking about authority as in the police or a lawyer, but people react to a salesperson who appears to be an absolute authority in what they are selling as this builds confidence.

In order to do this, you are required to talk in a confident manner, display very positive body language, and when you speak make sure that you are making eye contact and using powerful hand gestures. If you come across as confident, although not overconfident as arrogance will put people off, then you will tend to notice your conversion rates will increase accordingly.

Make sure you are able to dazzle people with facts and figures that increase the feeling of you being the main person that they have to deal with simply because your knowledge is second to none.

5. Showing proof

It could be argued that people will not always fully commit to making a purchase based purely on what you say. Instead, a more powerful argument can be made when you have evidence to back things up which come from a neutral third party.

For example, if there are any news reports about your product, service, or company then you will see that they can have a positive impact and directly influence the people you are trying to sell to. In other words, do not rely on just your own words, as providing evidence that shows you are telling the truth will encourage people to listen to what you are saying.

6. The concept of scarcity

By scarcity, what we mean is that people are going to be more motivated to buy if they believe that they will miss out on something if they do not act now. Salespeople will do this by stating how something is at a special price for a limited time or that the product itself is only available for a limited period of time at which point the buyer feels compelled to act.