The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible pdfdrive com

Refer to Other Happy Customers
In most cases, even with the best opening question, prospects will be reluctant
and resistant to making an appointment with you. To overcome this resistance,
the most powerful technique is to refer to other satisfied customers who are
already using your product.
If you are calling on a printing company and you have already sold one of
your products to another printing company, tell them, “Another company in your
industry, ABC Printing Services, is already using this product and is getting
great results.”
Because of the power of social proof, this often changes a negative or neutral
prospect to positive and triggers a desire to see you and learn about what other
people in that industry are already doing.
Build the Credibility of Your Product
When I was selling sales training, I would say, “Hundreds of companies are
already using this process and are reaping great results. It is proven, practical,
and completely guaranteed. And I just need ten minutes of your time to show it
to you, and you can decide for yourself.”
Anyone can give you ten minutes. They may not be able to give you half an
hour before the month after next, but they can give you ten minutes right away if
you have something that is of interest to them.

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Be Professional at All Times
It is important that you don’t make the mistake of offering the prospect a
choice of two specific times, such as “Would 10:30 this morning or 11:20
tomorrow morning be best for you?”
This is an old, manipulative method of getting appointments that customers
have heard so many times. If you use it, you hurt your credibility. Even if the
prospect is interested in your offering, he may lose interest if he feels you are
trying to manipulate him.
This is the time when you must be pleasant, positive, and persistent. Offer the
prospect a choice of general times, like around ten on Wednesday or three in the
afternoon on Thursday. If neither of these times will work for the prospect, ask,
“When would be a convenient time for you?” The person who asks questions has
control.

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