What does it really take to “close” a sale? In order to see what the internet had to say was this best known secret, I did a little search. I found an article that talked about 6 ways reverse psychology can help you close sales. Below is a summary of the 6 main points. Although I am not sure I agree with them, who knows, maybe this can help us all in future sales we made need to make, or to be able to sell ourselves to prospective employers, etc.
A man named William McGuire developed a theory called the “Inoculation Effect” in 1961 that detailed how someone becomes resistant to persuasion. He did extensive research on the effects of mass media and advertising of a certain subject, which caused the people being bombarded to put up a natural instinctive wall toward any mention of the subject. McGuire emphasized to sales people that using reverse psychology would throw customers off course, giving them something they wouldn’t expect – the truth.
- Use the Inoculation Effect to your advantage
– Every salesperson knows that their customer is going to consider competitor’s products. Alerting your customer about the competitor’s sales tactics may decrease the effectiveness of those tactics. This method, however, could also backfire as a prospective customer could feel you are undermining the validity of a competitor to further emphasize your own company’s success.
- Explain how you’re different from the rest of the industry
– This strategy is all about differentiating your product against the entire saturated market. Emphasize what makes your product or your service infinitely better than competitor’s. Is it price, color, style, feel? Talk about it and make it known!
- Don’t offer more; offer less
– Don’t try to do everything. Do one thing. And do it well. Instead of overwhelming the prospective, capture their attention with ONE thing you do incredibly well and different from the rest of the industry.
- Give prospects an easy out
– Stop making the sales process full of pressure. If your product isn’t a fit for them, let them know it’s alright and you understand. As you allow a customer to feel safe to express their true feelings, the client’s confidence increases and they may even make the choice to stay with your product based on the positive experience.
- Disqualify your client
– This technique involves tricking a client based on their price range. Instead of taking them to the most expensive product you offer, assume their price range is lower. This might trick the customer into feeling like they need to convince you that their price range can indeed be higher, and they end up buying the higher priced item.
- On a scale of 1 to 10…
– Ask your customer to rate their attitude toward your product once you’ve pitched it. Regardless of what number they give, act surprised and say it is higher than you thought. The idea is that they will then justify why their number was higher, convincing themselves about the value of the product as they try to convince you.
BoweryJE22
Not sure if they say your product is a 8/10 you should act surprised and that you thought it was a 5/10, but it’s his rules. I just think it discredits you and your product a little. I think you should always be able to stand by your product and be proud of what you put your name beside. Definitely some interesting tips in there. Great post, Hannah!
This is a fascinating idea: using reverse psychology in the selling process. Although I find it unique, I’m not quite sure if I like the implications of what it would look like in practice (being dishonest on atleast a small level).