How many really effective sales people can you say you have met in your
life? There are many out there, and they always seem to stick out in our
mind. Why, because we created an emotional bond with them and we bought what
they sold. How did they do it? Charm…charisma? Perhaps, but
overwhelmingly, they sold you not a product, but an emotion.
When people purchase goods, they do so to satisfy one of two basic needs.
They purchase goods out of a necessity to survive, or they buy to satisfy a
desire. If they buy to satisfy a desire, they are making a purchase to
create an emotional state. These emotions of pleasure, confidence, self
worth are sought out by the buyers, and can be utilized to effectively close
a sale. After all, most people don’t buy a Rolex watch because it keeps
time. Buyers want the satisfaction, self validation, and self worth that is
associated with the purchase.
Effective sales people realize that most purchases are made to satisfy an
emotional want. All of them exploit this fact. The best sales people evoke
intense emotions from their prospects and can go as far as convincing them
that life without that product will not be possible. Through a process of
questions and visualizations, these sales people help their prospects to
visualize and mentally experience the pleasure of owning the product, and
the exquisite misery of passing on the opportunity. By helping the customer
to experience these emotions, the sales person can effectively convince the
prospect that making a purchase is the only solution.
Effective sales people ask questions, and uncover the underlying want and
emotion associated with their product. By asking open-ended questions, the
sales person can learn what need will be fulfilled with the product as well
as what emotional state is most desired by the prospect. Closed-ended
questions can be used to guide the conversation, and get agreement on
various points of the sale. Finally, emotions can be invoked by the prospect
asking descriptive questions that allow them to visualize the pleasure of
owning the product. Further descriptions and assisted visualizations only
help to tie the product directly to the desired emotional state. By allowing
the client to visualize and experience the satisfaction of owning the
product, an effective sales person can convince a prospect that ownership is
the only solution.
