Over the past three days, we discussed the first twelve principles to influence a sale from the book, “Rain Making Conversations,” written by Mike Schultz and John Doerr. Today, we will cover the last 4 principles.
13. Scarcity – “Buy it now! Only 2 left!” is a phrase we often hear. Scarcity is the most commonly employed persuasion technique. People value things that are rare even if that rarity is man made. We discussed this phenomenon in the blog post, “A Story About Good Marketing,” where the Debeer’s company artificially kept diamond prices high by controlling supply. Moreover, people fear loss more than gains as we discussed in the blog post, “Harness the Power of Keeping Options Open and Fear of Loss.”
14. Likeability – When it comes to being liked, we are talking about the customer having an affinity towards you. However, your desire to be liked by the customer should not be overshadowed by the need to make the sale. People pay attention, listen, and buy from people they like.
15. Indifference – Desperation is not a good influencing strategy. You need to be OK with not making the deal. Be happy with walking away if the situation warrants.
16. Commitment – When someone makes a public commitment, they are much more likely to keep them. As we pointed out in the blog post, “Goals Are Not The Same As Resolutions,” I made a public announcement that I was writing my first book and because the announcement was public, I was more committed to getting it done. Once the customer signs off on the deal, make a public announcement to keep them committed.
Which of these four principles do you use to influence a sale?
