Persuasion Resistance
sales talks with Magda and Mike.
Most Sales messages trigger persuasion resistance.
Poor salespeople trigger discovery resistance.
Old-style leaders tell people what to do and trigger change resistance.
In this episode of 'Questioning the Future,’ Mike Bosworth and I discuss:
➡ Words and behaviors that trigger buyer’s resistance, especially during 'Black Friday sales’
➡ Differences between persuasion and influencing.
➡ How storytelling can ease the process of influencing others.
To effectively influence buyers and overcome resistance, a salesperson should focus on understanding and addressing the concerns of the customer. Here are some strategies and storytelling approaches:
- Empathy and Understanding:
- Begin by understanding the customer’s needs, concerns, and objectives.
- Tailor your approach to show that you genuinely care about solving their problems.
- Customer-Centric Storytelling:
- Craft stories that resonate with the customer’s challenges and aspirations.
- Share success stories of other customers who faced similar issues and benefited from your product or service.
- Educational Stories:
- Share stories that educate the customer about the industry trends, challenges, and solutions.
- Position yourself as a valuable source of information and guidance.
- Differentiation Stories:
- Highlight what sets your product or service apart from the competition.
- Use stories to showcase unique features, benefits, or success stories that emphasize your value proposition.
- Overcoming Objections:
- Anticipate potential objections and address them proactively through storytelling.
- Share stories of how other customers initially had reservations but later found immense value in your offering.
- Collaborative Storytelling:
- Involve the customer in the storytelling process. Encourage them to share their experiences and expectations.
- Craft stories together that align with their vision and goals.
- Building Trust:
- Share stories that highlight your company’s values, commitment to quality, and long-term relationships with customers.
- Reinforce trust through genuine and transparent storytelling.
- Avoiding Pressure Tactics:
- Instead of using high-pressure sales tactics, focus on building a relationship through storytelling.
- Allow the customer to arrive at decisions naturally based on the information and stories you provide.
- Customization:
- Tailor your stories to the individual preferences and concerns of each customer.
- Personalize your approach to make the customer feel that your solution is specifically designed for them.
- Continuous Learning:
- Stay updated on industry trends and changes to have relevant stories that address evolving customer needs.
- Continuously refine your storytelling techniques based on feedback and experiences.
Persuasion: Persuasion in sales involves convincing the customer to adopt a specific point of view, take a particular action, or make a purchase. It often relies on the use of compelling arguments, logical reasoning, and emotional appeals to change the buyer’s mindset. Persuasion may focus on influencing short-term decisions, and it can sometimes be perceived as more direct or forceful.
Influencing: Influencing, in the context of sales, refers to a broader and more subtle approach aimed at shaping the customer’s behavior, decisions, and perceptions over time. Unlike persuasion, influencing focuses on building long-term relationships and trust. It involves understanding the customer’s needs, aligning with their values, and utilizing various techniques, including storytelling and collaboration, to guide the customer toward a decision that benefits both parties. Influencing is often seen as a more consultative and relationship-driven process in sales.
Remember, the key is to engage the buyer through compelling and relatable stories that address their unique challenges and aspirations. By doing so, you can create a connection that goes beyond a simple transaction, making the customer more receptive to your influence.
Building trust with potential customers is the foundation of any successful sales relationship. By demonstrating genuine interest in their needs, concerns, and aspirations, salespeople can create a foundation of trust that allows them to effectively influence and overcome resistance. Ultimately, it’s about putting the customer first and understanding that the sale is about solving their problems, not just making a purchase.
Effective Storytelling in Sales: A Key to Unlocking Customer Trust and Influence
Storytelling has long been recognized as a powerful tool for building trust, engaging audiences, and influencing behaviors. In the realm of sales, storytelling is an invaluable asset for connecting with customers on a deeper level, understanding their unique needs, and ultimately persuading them to make a favorable decision.
By crafting compelling narratives that resonate with the customer’s experiences, aspirations, and challenges, salespeople can establish a rapport that goes beyond mere transactional interactions. This deeper connection allows salespeople to effectively address customer concerns, overcome objections, and position their products or services as the ideal solution.
Effective storytelling in sales involves understanding the nuances of the customer’s journey, from their initial pain points to their desired outcomes. It’s about weaving together relevant anecdotes, case studies, and industry insights that paint a clear picture of how the salesperson’s offering can transform the customer’s experience.
When storytelling is employed strategically, it becomes a powerful tool for building trust, influencing decisions, and ultimately, driving sales success. By embracing the power of narrative, salespeople can unlock the true potential of storytelling and establish themselves as trusted advisors and valued partners in their customers’ journeys.