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As Director of Training at MarketStar, my efforts recently focused on teaching Robert Cialdini’s “Six Principles of Influence.” While persuasion is a tool to create influence, sales reps must understand influence is essential – higher sales only result from a positive change in the customer’s behavior.
It is a common misconception that the ability to influence is a character attribute some people possess and others lack. True, influence comes naturally for some individuals. Fortunately for everyone else, scientific research conducted over the past 30 years indicates virtually anybody can apply the six principles of influence to change the outcome of personal interactions, including the sales process.
This research is based on extensive observation of top-performing salespeople inside a wide variety of industries, including: insurance, automobile, photography, charity, advertising, telecom and so forth. Through decades of trial and error, organizations have learned what works in sales situations.
While sales reps (and others) have good reason to believe getting to ‘yes’ is a matter of offering a product or service of value to the customer, research indicates the individual or organization that presents in an influential manner will capture the lion’s share of the sales.
What are the 6 principles of influence?
- Reciprocation. Customers feel obligated to say yes to those they owe.
- Scarcity. Customers are more likely to say yes if they believe the product or service being sold is rare or dwindling in availability.
- Authority. Customers are more likely to say yes if they view the sales rep as having special knowledge or unique credibility.
- Commitment. Customers are more likely to say yes if saying yes is consistent with a prior commitment they have already made in your presence.
- Social Proof. Customers are more likely to say yes if they are presented with evidence that people just like them are also saying yes.
- Likeability. Customers are more likely to say yes if they know and like the sales rep.
How to apply these principles
The key to applying these principles is preparation. Prior to every sales interaction, you should find out what you can about the customer, including their interests. The reason for this is simple: the better you understand the customer, the more likely you’ll be able to apply one or more of the principles while you pre-position for the close.
At MarketStar, we use these principles to make sales impact for our clients. Have you recently had success using these principles? Please share your experience in the comments.
