Superstar Influence Strategies
“Approach each customer with the idea of helping them solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.”
— Brian Tracy
“Treat objections as requests for further information.”
— Brian Tracy
There is much science behind what makes a great person of influence — call it selling, influence, persuasion — it all comes down to achieving the outcome you want. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you are constantly trying to influence or sell people all the time. In this chapter I’m going to cover some of the best stuff I’ve studied, learned, and applied. Focus on how you could use this chapter to begin getting more of what you want by more effectively influencing people.
Everyone has different beliefs and values. Find out what they are by asking good questions, and you’ll gain their trust and be able to sell them much more easily. You sell people on the reasons that will influence them to buy, not on your reasons for buying. Again, you do this by asking good questions to find out what their “wants” are — what motivates them, influences them, and controls their decision making.
People spend more money on wants than they do on needs. If you create enough “want,” you can get anyone to buy anything. People who live on the street are concerned only with fulfilling their basic needs: Food, water, shelter, clothing — only what one needs to survive. They don’t display a preference for a certain kind of food — they just need food. They don’t prefer Arrow Head water over Aquafina — they just need water. They don’t need a certain type of shelter, like a big house in a certain style or a certain type of furnishings — they just need shelter. They don’t need an endless variety of clothing — they just need a few clothes.
These are just a few examples that illustrate the fact that people buy based on their wants over their needs. This is why a person who is struggling with buying another person a gift should go to a friend of that person — someone who knows their wants — and ask, “I’m trying to buy John a gift. What kind of stuff does he like?” (a/k/a “want”). If you simply become someone’s friend — by building rapport, gaining their trust, and uncovering their “wants” — you will dramatically increase your ability to sell them on anything.
“People buy for emotional reasons and then justify it with logic.”
— Tony Robbins
When you link the feelings or emotions your prospect wants to feel with your product or service, they will buy anything from you. For a woman, if you want to feel sexy, attractive, and more confident, you might go spend some money at Victoria’s Secret. For a man, if you want to look your best, feel your best, and do your best, you’ll probably go buy a nice suit. For a kid, if you want to feel cool or look cool, you’ll most likely do whatever it is that the people you consider “cool” are doing. Wear what they wear, talk like they talk, buy what they buy. Once you can link the feelings and emotions your prospect wants to feel to your product or service, it’s game over — they will buy from you. If they don’t buy from you, it’s because your product or service does not truly fulfill what they want, and, therefore, they associate the purchase more with pain than with pleasure.
“An undisturbed prospect will not buy.”
— Tony Robbins
As Tony Robbins says, people do things for two reasons. The most powerful of the two reasons is the need to avoid pain. So, one of the best ways to sell someone is to first open their wounds and sprinkle in some salt. Make them aware of the pain they’re already in. Then you heal them with your product or service. You see this all the time in commercial advertisements. In less than 30 seconds, they can show you pain and then sum up how to heal this pain by purchasing their product or service.
People will find pain when they see other people who have something they don’t have — even if they didn’t think or know they wanted it — especially if it’s someone they look up to. They create a “want” for something they never wanted in the first place. This is a powerful tool. An example: You join a sports team, and everyone wears the same type of shoe — maybe in a different color, but still the same shoe. All of a sudden, you might feel a desire to go out and get those shoes.
Close to 100% of your prospect’s decision to buy from you will be based on how you’re dressed and how you act. Making a good first impression is key. Shake hands firmly (showing you’re confident), smile a lot, and, if appropriate, while building rapport, compliment the prospect on their accomplishments, their clothes, watch, jewelry, etc. It’s also important to mirror your prospect’s body language. If their arms are crossed, you cross your arms. If they’re leaning to one side, resting on the armrest of the chair, you do the same. Wait a few seconds after they change positions, and then mirror them. You don’t want them to catch on, so be nonchalant about it. This mirroring approach helps during the rapport-building process. By making your body language the same as theirs, you give off a sense of relatability.
Most people hate when they feel they are being sold something but enjoy it when someone helps them with a problem. You can start off by saying something like, “I’m not here to sell you anything. I just want to ask you a few questions to maybe see if my company can help you and your company in a more cost-effective way. The questions will only take a few minutes. Sound fair?”
This great strategy is one of Brian Tracy’s 24 closing techniques that I like a lot. By saying it this way, you make it very hard for the prospect to turn you down. You’ve stated you aren’t trying to sell them anything. You just want a few minutes of their time to see if you can save them some money or make them more money. By finishing with a question, such as “Sound fair?” you make it even harder for them to say “No.” Not a lot of people will say “No, I don’t want you to help me save/make more money!” But, if, for some strange reason, they still say, “No,” simply respond with “I’m sure you have a good reason for saying, ‘No.’ May I ask what it is?” Then, your foot is already in the door, and the question process has begun.
Continue asking your questions and analyzing your prospect to see if they are the right customer for your product/service. If the person says, “No,” you sneak back in with that question. It may sound a little sneaky, but most people can’t give a good reason as to why they don’t want to make or save money.
One of the best ways to get new clients or sales is through referrals. Close to 80% of sales, if not more in some businesses, come from referrals. The more referrals you can get, the fewer cold calls you have to make. A “cold call” is when you have to call a stranger — someone who doesn’t know you, and you don’t know them. Not having to make cold calls and being able to rely on warm leads through referrals is a great feeling. It’s like meeting a girl through a friend, rather than going up to a stranger and starting up a conversation. The girl you meet through your friend is typically going to be nicer to you because you share a friend. Plus. there’s no having to “break the ice.”
In business. this is the way a referral works. Every prospect you talk to, even if they say, “No,” ask for at least two or three referrals from them. If possible, have the prospect call the referrals right then to try to set up a meeting that day. Otherwise get the referrals’ names and numbers. Be sure to mention the name of the person who gave you the referral when you speak with the referred person. Most referrals will treat you with more respect and trust you more just because you were referred by someone they know. Even though the referral method doesn’t give you any more information about the person than a cold call, a referral is much easier and usually produces much better results than cold calling. Referrals are how most salespeople make a living.
A lot of salespeople and business owners make the mistake of putting most their efforts into selling many small prospects. This is a lot of work, and it will usually produce only headaches. Are you chasing rabbits or hunting elephants? A more effective strategy is to focus 80–90% of your efforts solely on acquiring larger clients. That’s where the money is. You can acquire 500 clients/customers who are each worth $300 for a total of $150,000. Or you could acquire two clients/customers who are each worth $75,000 for a total of $150,000. You could even acquire one client who is worth much more than that. You could acquire one million-dollar client. Although there may be fewer big fish in the sea, they are worth catching. Redevelop your business model or sales approach so that you are focused on acquiring the largest clients possible. Then create an effective strategy that can take care of the smaller clients and manage them effectively. Darren Hardy says, “The key to greater profits is rarely capturing MORE clients. The key to greater profits is capturing more VALUABLE clients.”
Selling is much easier when the prospect actually needs or wants what you’re selling. So don’t waste too much time on prospects who don’t really need what you’re selling. You will have much more success when you focus on prospects who have a problem that you’re selling a solution for. The most effective way to find out if a prospect is best for you is to create the ideal customer in your mind. Then create questions to ask that will allow you to find out if the prospect matches up to your ideal customer. This will save you a lot of time and make you a lot of money.
Features tell, benefits sell. Focus on selling the value and the benefits the prospect will receive from buying your product or service. You will lose most of your prospects if you spend too much time describing what your product or service does rather than what it can and will do for them. Remember, when selling, it’s all about the prospect/customer. Focus on them. I repeat: Focus on them. When you focus on the prospect’s needs and wants, you can match your product or service to fulfill that need or want. If you’re very creative, you can “sell ice to an Eskimo,” as some have put it.
“Asking questions will get you the performance you are after far better than dictating demands.”
— Dan James
Controlling the conversation during the sales process is very important. Take control of the conversation by asking questions. You’ll find out what the prospect’s wants and hotbuttons are and be able to sell them much more easily. What is your prospect is looking for? What do they want or need? What are they worried about? Try to determine in advance any reasons for them not to purchase from you. If you don’t know why they won’t buy, it’s much harder to close them.
Keep in mind that most people respond well to politeness and will usually let you continue asking them questions. So be polite and ask, “May I ask you another question?” The “Freudian Slip” concept says that if you ask your prospect enough questions, they will tell you everything you need to know to sell them. It is smart to ask yourself questions like, “What if they say ‘No.’ How will I respond? What if they say the price is too high? How will I respond?” Come up with as many questions as you can think of to feel completely prepared to handle any objection so you may continue closing them and get the sale.
Remember: You’re a consultant. You help people for a living. You’re a problem solver.
Lifetime value of a customer
It’s important to know the lifetime value of your customers. If your customer’s monthly bill with your company is $30 and the average customer stays with your company for seven years, that adds up to your average customer’s lifetime value, which, in this case, would be $2,520. So every time you close a customer, you potentially make your company $2,520. If a dentist’s average customer pays $450 a year, and the average customer stays with the dentist for five years, the average lifetime value of the dentist’s customers is $2,250. There are two reasons why restaurants — and pretty much any business — try to keep their customers happy: First, word-of-mouth marketing (telling a friend or someone about a place or thing because it’s good or bad, and that they should either try it or avoid it). Second, the lifetime value of the customer is crucial to the survival of almost every business. Businesses try very hard — or should try very hard — to train employees to always treat their customers as though they are all million-dollar customers. In some cases, they truly can be.
Here are some great ways for getting people’s attention when presenting or advertising what you’re selling. Find the three, four, or five, (number doesn’t really matter) most dangerous trends facing your prospect’s industry or facing your prospect’s health — you get the point. This causes your prospect’s brain to release chemicals signaling to them that something they care about is in danger, and that they should pay close attention because, hopefully, you’re going to provide them with a solution. Market data, statistics, and testimonials dramatically change your prospect’s buying criteria. Any excuses for not buying will dissipate, and any price will become more justifiable. This is discussed more in depth in Chet Holmes Business Growth Masters Series 3.0
A good way to test if your pitch/presentation to your market of prospects will be a success is to imagine you’re in a theatre. The theatre is full of all your prospects, and you must give your presentation. At the end, would people have unanswered questions to ask? Would people get up and leave in the middle of it? Or would everyone clap because you did a great job of providing them with valuable information that can better them and/or their company? They should feel better informed and that you’ve just solved their problem/s with your product or service. You should leave them with no questions to ask, no excuses not to use your product. They should all want to buy what you’re selling.
When on the phone with a prospect
Before you make a phone call to set up a meeting, to get someone to sign up for something, or to sell something, you should always play the conversation out in your mind. In sports, they tell you to visualize yourself making the shot, visualize the win. Visualizing has been proven to dramatically increase people’s performance. So, visualize yourself speaking with precise confidence in every word you say. Know exactly what you’re going to say and how you’re going to react to any resistance or questions your prospect may have. This makes you much more credible and increases your likelihood of getting what you want. If a prospect seems rushed at any point during your conversation, take control and say, “You seem rushed. When would be a better time to call you?” If they are rushed or thinking about something else during your conversation, you are wasting your time. You must be efficient and effective during your work time. The sooner you get on the phone with another prospect, the more productive you will be. If you are effective, this increase in productivity will mean more money for you. Don’t waste time on people who are wasting your time.
Don’t take rejection personally. That is one of the biggest mistakes salespeople can make, and it is often the reason for their lack of success in sales. When you take rejection personally, it lowers your motivation, confidence, and drive. The key is to embrace failure and rejection as an opportunity for improvement. A great way to improve on rejection is to ask your prospect why they don’t want to buy from you. You have nothing to lose by doing this. They have already said, “No.” You can only benefit from asking that question. Once you find out why they said, “No,” you should be able to improve on that rejection. If they said, “No” because of price, then you simply didn’t do a good enough job describing the value and benefits of your product or service. Every time someone doesn’t buy from you, you must ask, “Why?” until you become a master of conquering and growing from rejection.
Getting a meeting or appointment over the phone
You need a strong opening hook. Most phone calls end in the first 10 seconds because people start talking about the product or service. Have something powerful to start with that doesn’t describe the product or service. Talk about the value you can offer them, the benefits they are missing out on, or the negative possibilities they could run into that you have the solution for. Find out what your prospect’s hotbuttons or pain points are that will make them have to meet you. It has to be powerful enough to keep them from saying, “No thanks, not interested” right off the bat. Be prepared for them to say, “No,” and, at the least, politely ask for a few referrals. Remember that the purpose of phone calls is to get a meeting. So focus only on getting the appointment. You’re not trying to sell anything but on getting a meeting. Build the hype so you can say, “I’d love to meet with you so I can really show you what I’ve got.” If you did a good enough job exciting them and creating enough curiosity, they should gladly oblige.
Remember: Ask better questions, and you’ll produce better results.
If you do a good enough job asking questions, you’ll find out exactly what your prospect wants or needs. Describe all the values and benefits they will receive to fill their wants or needs without really mentioning too much about what you have for them. Never mention the price over the phone, but when price is brought up in the meeting, it should be more than justifiable, and there should be no reason why the prospect wouldn’t buy. And if you do a really outstanding job, the prospect could be asking you for the meeting.
When dealing with gatekeepers (receptionist, assistant, etc.)
Here are few ways to be effective at reaching the decision-maker (boss, CEO, whoever)
If on the phone and a gatekeeper answers
Gatekeeper: “Hi, this is Susan. How may I help you?”
You: “Hi, Susan. This is Cornelius. May I ask who is in charge of making the decisions regarding (whatever it is you’re calling about)?”
Gatekeeper: “That would be Mr. Smith.” (Make sure to get his first and last name.)
You: “Thank you. May I ask what Mr. Smith’s first name is?”
Gatekeeper: “It’s ‘John.’”
You: “Thank you so much. Could you please connect me with John?”
If you are told that he isn’t around at the moment, you must find a time that you can reach him. Ask for a number to reach him at, if possible. Tell her to leave him a message that you called. Don’t leave a number — just your name. That way, John will be curious who you are and be expecting your call.
If the prospect is in and answers:
You: “Hey, John (call them by their first or last name, depending on the stature of the person), this is Cornelius.” Would you be interested in hearing about a strategy that would increase your sales by X-percent. It will only take a moment.”
John: “Sure — what is it?”
This is where you must avoid, at all costs, mentioning anything about price — or even what it is you have. The only purpose of the phone call is to try to get a face-to-face meeting where you will then tell him everything he wants to know. Just sell getting the appointment or meeting. If you have to mention price over the phone, it’s almost guaranteed that you won’t get a meeting. Use tactical strategies to inspire enough curiosity so that the prospect feels he or she has to meet you just to find out what it is you’re offering and that you can justify a worthy presentation.
If someone tells you, “No, I’m not interested.”
React by saying, “I’m sure you have a good reason for saying that. May I ask what it is?”
The prospect responds, “The price is too high” (a common answer).
You respond, “I understand exactly how you feel. Others felt the same way when they first heard the price. But this is what they found when they began using our product or service.”
Show them testimonials if you have them.
Face-to-face closing techniques
“If you believe in what you sell, then you have a moral obligation to close as hard as humanly possible.”
— Jay Abraham
After you feel you have covered all your prospect’s questions and concerns, it’s time to close. You can begin the closing process by saying, “Are there any questions or concerns I haven’t covered?” If you did a good job, the prospect should respond by saying something like, “I think you’ve covered everything.” You can respond, “Well, then, why don’t you give it/us a try.” If there is paperwork involved, hand it to them and say, “If you’ll just authorize this, we’ll get started right away, and I’ll take care of all the details.” (This is another great closing technique from Brian Tracy’s 24 closing techniques.) Throughout the close, it is important to reassure the prospect that they have made the best decision by purchasing from you. You can do this by saying things like, “You’ve made a great decision (purchasing that item or signing up with us). You’re really going to be happy with your decision to buy from us.”
Remember: Never take rejection personally!
The “choice close”: “Did you want the purple or blue one?” “Did you want it in medium or large?” “Did you want the premium service or the elite service?” You never give them any other option than which of your products or service they want to buy.
If you get a response like “I just can’t make the decision to buy right now,” here is a good way to handle it:
Prospect: “I just can’t make the decision to buy right now.”
You: “Why is that?”
Prospect: “Can’t afford it; price is too high” (whatever the excuse).
You: “Do you not believe that this product/service will give you (restate all the benefits and value)?”
Prospect: “No, I believe it, but…. (more excuses)”
You: “Then, is the price not justifiable or worth all the value and benefits you’ll receive?”
Prospect: “No, it is. It’s justifiable.”
You: “Well, then it sounds like you agree with me — that you would benefit from this and that the price is justifiable. So give it a try.” If you offer a money-back guarantee (which is highly recommended, depending on what you’re selling), state that after you say, “So give it a try. After all, there’s no risk for you because of the money-back guarantee.”
Ask road-sign questions or check-closes so you know when you can get off the sales-pitch road and prepare for the close. Examples of road-sign questions and check-closes would be: “What do you think so far?” “Is this what you’re looking for?” “Is this more effective than what you’re currently using?” Questions like these will help you know if your prospect and you are on the same page. It will help you know if you need to continue with your presentation or if you can begin the close and get the sale.
If your prospect says, “The price is too high,” or “You cost more than your competition,” you can mention, “We sell thousands (hundreds of thousands, whatever it is) each year to intelligent people like yourself. Let me tell you why.” Then justify your price and explain why people pay that price and are more than pleased with the product or service you offer. Again, use testimonials if you have them.
Another great question to ask right off the bat, usually over the phone, but possibly in a meeting, is:
“If I could show you the best ____ (product or service) around, would you be interested in hearing more about it, or would you be interested in buying it? I guarantee it’s better than anything you’re using right now.” (Another great closing technique from Brian Tracy’s 24 closing techniques.)
After you ask for the close and hand them the papers to authorize, you must be silent. It’s said that, during the close, the first person to speak loses. The longer the silence, the more likely the prospect is going to buy.
Upselling is a strategy used by almost every smart company. An example of this is when you are waiting in line at the grocery store. There is always candy and other little last-second “impulse-purchases” they put in front of you right when you’re about to pull out your wallet. You figure, “What the heck? It’s cheap, and I’m already spending money.” That simple strategy makes grocery stores a ridiculous amount of money. Another example of upselling is at fast-food restaurants where employees are trained to say, “Would you like fries with that?” or “Would you like to upgrade to the larger size or make it a combo?” “Would you like any appetizers?” “Our drink specials are…” In retail stores: “If you’re buying the pants, you should buy the matching shirt. Then you need a nice tie for it, too.” Anytime someone tries to sell you something on top of what you are buying, it’s an upsell. It’s a great strategy for any business if you can properly integrate it into your system.
Cross-selling is a strategy used when companies give you recommendations for things you might like because it resembles your previous purchases. “You may also like this” is a common thing you see on websites after you purchase something. That is an example of cross-selling.
Remember: Just because someone says, “No” the first time doesn’t mean they will on the seventh time. Persistence is very important in sales.
It is much easier to get a current customer to buy from you again. It is much harder to get a new customer to buy from you for the first time. So spend more time, effort, and resources on getting your current customers to buy from you again, rather than trying to get new customers. Brand loyalty is what so many companies work hard to instill in their customers. Think of companies, businesses, stores, restaurants, brands that you are loyal to, and figure out why. This might help you in your own business.
Following up is very important whether you are still trying to close a prospect or you just finished closing a prospect. You should almost always send a follow-up email after you’ve spoken with or met with a prospect or client. This is a good way to keep the fire going and keep them thinking about you and what you’ve recently spoken about. In a follow-up email or phone call, you should start by mentioning something unrelated to the business subject. It’s important to build a personal relationship with a prospect/client. Everyone likes to feel important and respected. So make your prospects and clients feel that way, and they won’t want to do business with anyone else. Friends will usually buy from friends. You also increase the likelihood that you will get referrals, which are very important.
There is a lot to know about sales. It takes practice, awareness, discipline, knowledge, motivation, and, most importantly, you have to love what you sell. Sales is how companies make their money. If you become great at sales, you become a valuable asset to any company.
Random Fact
Starfish don’t have brains, hearts, or eyes.
