A business's survival depends upon persuading people to buy/agree to the deal.
- Build it like a cause: 'Every vote counts.' Or, 'Even a penny will help.'
- If you have a big request first get them to agree to a smaller request.
- Too many options are paralyzing.
- Emails don’t’ have non-verbal communication or intonation = less rapport - People misinterpret tone of an email and are less personal compared to face to face.
- People want a bargain: Price your top quality primary service/product high and it will improve overall sales.
- Risk aversion: People are more worried about potential losses than potential gains - pitch lost things as a missed opportunity. Loss aversion explains a lot of human behavior. Use Fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) - Sow seeds that make them less certain.
- When you give something away you have to express its value otherwise it will be seen as cheap. This is true for gifts and for when you’re giving someone else your time
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- Relate to the audience in a way so that they see themselves in you.
- Different strategies for different cultures: In the US it is important to pitch individualism. In Asian countries collectivism is more important and the value to the community.
- Compliance Momentum: Ask a question and get them to say ‘yes’, if you want an action from them later.
- Active commitments: Get them to write something down.
- Good persuaders have great memory: They know details about the other person from previous engagements.
- Admitting your weaknesses earns the trust for people to be willing to listen to your strengths
- Always add a personal touch, with whatever you are offering.
- Everything is relative, it is all about contrast: People feel more secure with more information.
(Source: 'Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways To Be Persuasive', by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini)
- Punch with a smile: Complain with impact: Whenever you tell someone about a problem, be prepared to offer a solution to that problem at the same time.
- Use the 2-part apology: First say, 'I’m sorry for whatever I did wrong.' Second, say, 'In the future, I will [what I will do to prevent myself from doing it again.'
- Make people your partners: Get someone’s cooperation by offering choices and asking questions like, 'What do you think we should do?' or 'Do you think you will be able to do this?'
- Get a green light: Before you delve into an important conversation with someone, ask, 'Is this a good time for you?'
- Avoid empty gestures: Wait to make the offer until you are certain that you can follow through.
- Create comfort in a difficult time: When someone you care about is ill or mourning the loss of someone close to him, always call that person. Say, 'This must be a difficult time for you. Is there anything I can do to help.'
- Ask and you’ll receive: When you want something, ask for it. People don’t know what you want, only you do.
- Disagree without being disagreeable: Before you disagree with someone’s opinion, ask, 'What are you reasons for saying that?' Listen to his answer before you respond.
- Don’t cave under pressure: When you are not sure of your answer to a question, the appropriate and decisive response is: 'Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you by [a specific day and/or time].'
- Have balanced conversations: If you find yourself talking too much, regain balance in your conversation by asking the other person a question and listening to his answer.
- Close the deal: When you seek someone’s cooperation, say, 'I’d like us to work out the specifics of where we’re going from here.' Then clarify your expectations of who is doing what so you can create accountability for a specific plan of action.
- Avoid after-the-fact comments: If someone’s choice is final and unalterable, do not offer information that tells him something negative about his choice. Instead, say nothing or something positive such as, 'That’s nice, enjoy it.'
(Source: 'Instant Persuasion', by Laurie Puhn)
Bonus tip:
- The ‘Sullivan Nod’: List the options available to someone (max. 5) and slightly nod your head (without looking weird) when you read out the option you want them to choose.
How to handle objections
- Use LACE, a four-part handling method
Listen (Before you can act on the objection) - Accept (Once you have discovered the objection, the next stage is to acknowledge not only the objection but the person, too.) - Commit (you have an ideal opportunity for a trial close.) - Explicit action (Now it is time to address the objections, to take explicit action on the commitments made.)
And, tip the bucket: Ask for all remaining objections.
More methods of dealing with objections:
- Boomerang: Bouncing back what they give you.
- Objection Chunking: Taking a higher or lower viewpoint.
- Conditional Close: Make closure a condition for resolving their objection.
- Curiosity: Don't be sad, be curious.
- Deflection: Avoid responding to objection, just letting it pass.
- Feel, felt, found: A classic way of moving them.
- Humor: Respond with humor rather than frustration.
- Justification: Say how reasonable the objection is.
- LAARC: Listen, Acknowledge, Assess, Respond, Confirm.
- LAIR: Listen, Acknowledge, Identify objection, Reverse it.
- Objection Writing: Write down and cross out objections.
- Pre-empting: Handle them before they happen.
- Pushback: Object to their objection.
- Reframing: Change their cognitive frame.
- Renaming: Change the words to change the meaning.
- Reprioritize: So ones you can't handle are lower.
- Writing: Write down objections then cross them off as you handle them.
(Source: Changing Minds)
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