How do they do that, those salespeople? Is it really true that you have to ‘have the skills’ in sales and that you cannot learn it? There are certainly smart theories that make selling better. What are psychological persuasion techniques? What tips and tricks can you use to improve your marketing policy?
- Winning customers through persuasion
- Foot-in-the-door technique
- Door-in-the-face technique
- Manipulation?
Winning customers through persuasion
To win customers for your brand, it is important to understand the human psyche. By applying certain persuasive techniques, salespeople can attract more customers. A persuasive technique refers to a psychological strategy that uses the functioning of the human brain. Psychologists have explored the importance of experiencing freedom of choice when making a decision. People appear to be more supportive of their decision when they feel they are free to make a choice. Salespeople can give their customers the feeling that they have freedom of choice, when in fact that is not the case. Convincing customers can be both personal and non-personal. Due to the many possibilities that the internet offers, there are many ways to attract potential customers. It is becoming increasingly important to retain customers after you have convinced them of your product or service. If you give customers the feeling that they can make their own choice, they are likely to come back to you (Perloff, 2003). What sales techniques can this be achieved?
Foot-in-the-door technique
The foot-in-the-door technique, invented in 1966 by psychologists J. Freedman and S. Fraser, is a sales technique in which a salesperson starts with a small request to his potential customer. Because the request is so small, it is very likely that the potential customer will respond to this request. This way the seller has a ‘foot in the door’. After some time, the salesperson approaches the same customer with a larger request. Since the customer has already accepted the smaller request, he will probably also accept the larger request. For the customer, the larger request is a logical continuation of the smaller request, after all, he has already chosen the products of this seller. It is important that there is some time between the first and the second request; otherwise it will no longer feel like a personal choice for the customer but more like an obligation. Research shows that people tend to make decisions that are consistent with past decisions. Do people personally find consistency very important? Then the effect of the foot-in-the-door technique is even greater. (Fiske, S., 2004).
Example
There is a newspaper vendor on the street in town; he wants to give you a free newspaper and needs some information from you. After a while, this newspaper approaches you and asks if you want a subscription. A customer who has received the free newspaper in advance is more likely to become a subscriber than a customer who is asked out of the blue to take out a subscription.
Door-in-the-face technique
When applying the door-in-the-face technique, invented by psychologist R. Cialdini, the salesperson starts with an unrealistically large request. It is illogical for the potential customer to respond to this major request. This is followed by a smaller, appropriate request. Because the salesperson steps back, the potential customer feels pressure to respond to the smaller request. This can be explained on the basis of the so-called reciprocity principle; people are generally inclined to want to give something back when someone has done something for them. (Fiske, S., 2004).
Example
A car and car parts representative asks a potential customer if he wants to buy a car right now. Since buying a car does not happen overnight, the customer will most likely not respond to the request. After this, the representative asks whether the potential customer would like to fill out a questionnaire about his car needs. The customer will logically comply with this request.
Manipulation?
Salespeople who consciously use these tricks are, as it were, engaged in manipulation. They control a situation by applying well-thought-out techniques. So can anyone sell? Yes and no. The honest salesperson will have more difficulty applying manipulative sales techniques than the salesperson who does not attach great importance to correctness. The solution if you (as an honest person) want to sell more? Make sure you fully support your product or service and clearly state why you think this product or service is worthwhile. This increases your enthusiasm, which is also conveyed to the customer. Make sure you know the theory of selling. In short: sell with your heart, let your head support you.