Persuasion...how to get to "yes"

There are many theories in the art of persuasion, particularly when it comes to sales. Consulative selling involves persuasive sales and there are some easy techniques to persuade someone to say "yes" to what it being offered.

1. Make sure you are exploring their real needs or desires. Don't just list features of a product or service. Find out what your customer is looking for so you can tailor the discussion around that.

2. Use the right questions. Build the discussion asking "what" or "how" questions (i.e. "what are you looking for in a new refrigerator" or "how do you think sales coaching will help you?")

3. Use stories or analogies to make the experience personal.

4. Use real testimonials. Tell them about the neighbor down the block who had a similar issue with insects, used your pest control service and had great (be specific) results. If you have a celebrity testimonial, even better!

5. Be sincere. Really try to help the customer find a solution. Don't just make the sale...build a relationship. Even if you lose this particular sale, if you are sincere and really attempt to help, the likelihood that the customer will seek out you, or at minimum, your company when they do have a genuine need (or pass the info on elsewhere) will improve dramatically.

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