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Sales is a dirty profession. Salespeople are pushy. They harass you at home. They pressure you. They force you into making decisions. They manipulate you. They lie. They're not trustworthy. They're slick. They're always trying to "close" you.
Have any of you felt this way about salespeople? I certainly have.
And there's good reason. There's a stigma around sales that is largely based on bad experiences, stories and the media. When someone mentions the word "Sales," we get visions of unscrupulous time-share hawkers, slimy used car salesmen, fast-talking telemarketers, multi-level marketers with their water filters and cosmetics, door-to-door salespeople and over-eager fundraisers. We think of movies like Boiler Room, Glengarry Glen Ross or Death of a Salesman.
And yet we all sell every day. Interviewing for a job, asking your boss for a raise, getting an employee to do a task, convincing your kids to do their homework, talking your way out of a speeding ticket, getting your spouse to stop spending so much money.
And then, of course, there is the ULTIMATE sale: Dating!
You may not be selling products or services, but each of you is involved in influencing and persuading on a daily basis. Given that, it makes sense to learn how to do it better and to get a better understanding of what techniques salespeople use on you each day. So starting with this newsletter, I will focus on different sales techniques that anyone can use in their professional and personal lives.
THE NORM OF RECIPROCITY
I took a course in Social Psychology in college that focused on the principles of influence, many of them coming from Dr. Robert Cialdini's fascinating book, Influence.
My favorite was called the NORM OF RECIPROCITY. It states that if you give something to somebody, they will feel a sense of obligation to return the favor, and do so in a larger fashion. Like the store that offers free samples of food in hopes that you will buy. Or the bellhop that carries your bags to your hotel room for a tip.
This technique works well in negotiations and relationships. Be the first one to concede and come to the middle. You'll find that it brings down the other person's resistance and often miraculously makes them counter with a concession of their own.
Robert Graham
Robert Graham is the Principal of GrahamComm (www.grahamcomm.net), a consulting and training company that helps clients increase their sales and deliver outstanding presentations. He can be reached at 415-652-0763 or Robert@grahamcomm.net.
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