Selling and acting are similar. Maybe that’s why I’ve always loved acting and theater, as well as my career in sales and training. In both professions, setting the stage is critical to the success of the performance. The setting provides the right environment for the players to act out or tell the story. Higher producing reps spend time setting the stage and strategy before jumping in to make a recommendation or request.
You can use persuasion techniques to change or improve your prospect’s perception of the “scene” or environment. Perception is a lens through which we interpret reality. By changing the lens, you can change the way people see and interpret reality and ensure that the prospect is ready and open to receive your message. Here are her five tips for successfully setting the stage:
1. Likeness – The more you resemble the person you are trying to persuade, the more you will increase likability and the more likely you are to persuade them. We are psychologically forced to gravitate towards similar stimuli because the people who are most similar to us seem less threatening. This mindset stems from the caveman’s desire to survive.
Dress similar to your prospect, but always be well groomed, as the more groomed and pleasant you appear, the more persuasive you will be. Of course, discussing shared backgrounds or similar interests makes for a less threatening conversation. But be careful not to fall for the comments on the photos in the prospect’s office that may have been placed there to trap smooth-talking salespeople.
2. ideomotor response (chameleon effect) – Our tendency is to perform a physical behavior simply by thinking about the behavior. You can get a good relationship by imitating the behavior of your target. When another person mimics our nonverbal behavior, they activate the medial orbital cortex, and that region of the brain is associated with reward processing, making it biologically pleasing. This is not a “monkey see, monkey do” but rather relaxed arms and hands, posture, head nod, and a sincere smile.
3. behavioral consistency – When the behavior is not consistent with their attitude, they are motivated to resolve it. Robert Cialdini, noted influencer speaker, suggests the “one foot in the door” technique to motivate the prospect. First, ask the prospect to fulfill a small request, such as permission to sit down or ask a question. You can keep sprinkling small requests into your conversation. Then the odds will be in your favor for subsequent larger requests, as the prospect seeks consistency with past behavior. However, don’t use the old tricks, like asking questions that obviously require a yes answer. Use true questions of interest that advance the sales process.
Four. storytelling – Stories, particularly Who You Are Story, build trust, clarify, uplift, and make relationships more interesting and exciting. A good story follows the hero’s journey described by Joseph Campbell. It’s more than cold facts. It includes a conflict or challenge that you overcame and the resulting change or transformation that occurred. This often leads to a discussion about shared values or the prospect’s desired outcome.
5. BYAF (But you are free) – People do not like to be pressured to make a decision. They fear the loss of freedom. Because your motivational state is perceived as a reduction in freedom of action, it is considered a counterforce and is known as “psychological reactance.”
Research shows that the best way to get someone to do something is to tell them they don’t have to do it. This technique doubles your chances of a yes. Suggest action but say “You are free to choose.” I saw an interesting implementation of this technique. A stop sign near my house reads: “Mobile stops $125 fine, free full stop. Your choice.”
Tell the prospect up front that there is no obligation. One of the main purposes of the call is to determine if there is a fit to work together. If there is no fit, they are free to end the current relationship and perhaps re-engage at another time when there is a fit.
Implement these techniques and you’ll increase your chances of a “yes” at your next customer interaction.